She was Gao Wei's first empress, and she was a daughter of the general Hulü Guang.
She carried the title of Crown Princess previously, and in 565 Emperor Wucheng, while passing the throne to Gao Wei, created her empress.
She was not favored by Gao Wei, and she did not bear him a son, although she bore a daughter in c.February 572 and Gao Wei, in order to please Hulü Guang, initially claimed that it was a son and declared a general pardon, but was subsequently forced to reveal that it was a daughter.
Empress Hulü was not killed, but she was deposed on 13 September 572[2] and housed in a subsidiary palace.
When rival Northern Zhou launched a major attack in 577 and threatened the capital Yecheng in spring 578, she, along with his other deposed empress Empress Hu, was summoned to the main palace, probably for her protection.