After she was removed, she tried in vain to regain a measure of dignity by conspiring with her husband's cousin Chunyu Zhang (淳于長), but that conspiracy would eventually lead to her being forced to commit suicide.
Emperor Yuan frequently grieved for his mother because she was murdered while he was still young by Huo Guang's wife Xian (顯), so he resolved to marry a daughter of the Xu clan to his son, Crown Prince Ao (劉驁), and he eventually decided on his cousin.
Because of the relatively exclusive status that Empress Xu had with regard to Emperor Cheng's affection, the officials also began to become concerned about the lack of an imperial heir.
In late 18 BC, the Zhao sisters falsely accused Empress Xu and Consort Ban of witchcraft.
[3] On 8 January 17 BC,[4] Empress Xu was deposed and put under house arrest in a subsidiary palace.
[5] Consort Ban was spared after successfully pleading her case, but she did not wish to return to the same environment and instead became a lady in waiting for Empress Dowager Wang.
At that time, her sister Xu Mi, after the death of her husband Han Bao (韓寶), the Marquess of Long'e, carried on an affair with Emperor Cheng's powerful cousin Chunyu Zhang, who was well-trusted by Emperor Cheng and considered a possible successor to their uncle Wang Gen as the commander of the armed forces.