Once she became a consort, she was said to have gained his favor, and with her uncle Gao Zhao being a powerful official, it was believed, when Empress Yu died in 507, and Empress Yu's son Yuan Chang (元昌) died in 508, that she and/or Gao Zhao was involved, although there is no conclusive evidence.
In the aftermaths of Emperor Xuanwu's death, Empress Gao wanted to put Consort Hu to death, but Consort Hu was protected by the eunuchs Liu Teng (劉騰) and Hou Gang (侯剛) and the officials Yu Zhong and Cui Guang (崔光) and avoided being killed.
The officials were largely opposed to having Gao Zhao, who was then prime minister but was commanding an army in attacking rival Liang dynasty's Yi Province (modern Sichuan and Chongqing), be regent, and forced Empress Gao to instead authorize Emperor Xuanwu's uncles Yuan Yong the Prince of Gaoyang and Yuan Cheng (元澄) the Prince of Rencheng serve as regents.
Subsequently, Emperor Xiaoming's mother Consort Hu was honored as empress dowager and assumed regency.
At that time, there were astronomical anomalies that court astrologers believed to correspond to ill fortune for the empress dowager.