Gao Jiong
When Empress Dugu heard that Gao Jiong, whom she had respected previously, refer to her as "a woman," she became secretly resentful of him. Later, she became particularly angry at Gao over his marital relations, as after his wife died, she suggested Emperor Wen find him another wife, but he declined, stating that he was getting old and beginning to lose sexual urges and did not need another wife—and soon thereafter, his concubine bore a son. Empress Dugu pointed out that, in effect, he was not truthful, and Emperor Wen began to distance himself from Gao. Further, in 598, when Gao, under Emperor Wen's duress, was forced to accompany Yang Liang, the Prince of Han, in a campaign against Goguryeo, a campaign that he opposed, the campaign ended in failure, and Empress Dugu blamed him for the failure, particularly after Yang Liang, angry that Gao was not following his orders, complained to her.