Chu Suiliang
At that time, Emperor Gaozong, who greatly favored his concubine Consort Wu, was considering deposing his wife Empress Wang and replacing her with Consort Wu. He first considered creating Consort Wu the unprecedented title of "Chenfei" (), but Lai and fellow chancellor Han Yuan opposed the move on the basis that the title was unprecedented, so Emperor Gaozong relented. However, in 655, he, over the explicit opposition of Lai, Han, and the highly regarded chancellor Chu Suiliang, as well as the implicit disapproval by his own powerful uncle Zhangsun Wuji, deposed Empress Wang and replaced her with Consort Wu. After Empress Wu's ascension, she submitted a petition ostensibly praising the faithfulness of Han and Lai in opposing the unprecedented "Chenfei" title, but showing instead that she remembered that they had offended her.