Early life

The future Queen Gongye was born into the Jangheung Im clan on 7 September 1109 in Dangdong village, Okdang-ri, Gwansan-eup, Jangheung-gun, Jeollanam-do as the eldest child and daughter of Im Won-hu. Her mother was from the Bupyeong Yi clan.^[2]

As the oldest, she had a younger sister who would eventually become the mother of the future Queen Jangseon, so Lady Choi was both the queen's maternal niece and daughter-in-law.

Youth life

When she was 15 years old in 1123, she promised to married with Kim In-gyu (김인규)'s son, Kim Ji-hyo (김지효) from the Gyeongju Kim clan.^[3] However, when Kim arrived in her house, she suddenly fell ill and was on the verge of death. Knowing this, her father, Im Won-hu, canceled the marriage between two and instead go to a fortune teller.^[3] That fortune teller then said that a girl was destined to become a queen.

Eventually, this rumor was heard into Yi Ja-gyeom, the Goryeo's leader at this time. Feared if Im Won-hu's daughter becoming the new queen that meant Yi's powerful clan will downfall, so Yi arranged the marriage of his 3rd and 4th daughter to married and become King Injong's queen consorts. Im Won-hu then honoured as Gaeseong Ambassador. Later, in 1126, when Yi Ja-gyeom's rebellion turned into failure and his two daughters were got its impact with expelled from their throne and left the palace, also their "noble" families got collapsed.

Marriage and Palace life

In the same year too, there were held the Queen's selection and Lady Im was the chosen one and entered the palace not long after that. She and Injong then formally married on 20 June 1126 at her 18 years old and became the new Queen Consort of Goryeo. One year later, on 11 April 1127, she gave birth into their eldest son, Prince Wang Hyeon. Later, on 10 May 1129, Injong gave her Singyeong Mansion (선경부, 善慶府) in Hudeok Hall (후덕전, 厚德殿), one of the royal hall in "Yeondeok Palace" (연덕궁, 延德宮) as her palace, making her honoured as Princess Yeondeok (연덕궁주, 延德宮主).^[4]

In the next year, she gave birth into their second, third, fourth son (Prince Wang Gyeong, Prince Wang Ho, also Prince Chung-hui). In 1144, she bore Injong a son again, Prince Wang Tak. Beside five sons, they also had 4 daughters. It was said that Injong loves her so much and elevated her birthplace from "Jangheung-bu" (장흥부, 長興府) to "Jijangheung-busa" (지장흥부사, 知長興府事). Her mother, Lady Yi was formally called as "Grand Lady of the Jinhan State" (진한국대부인(辰韓國大夫人).^[5]

Children's succession to the throne

After Injong's death on 10 April 1146, their eldest son, Wang Hyeon, ascended the throne as King Uijong, she then became the queen mother and lived in Hudeok Hall (후덕전, 厚德殿). Uijong also built the Seongyeong Mansion (선경부, 善慶府).^[4] However, Uijong was said to be often drunk, further angering the warriors. Knowing that her eldest son like that, the Queen Mother was skeptical of his qualifications, choose to favored her 2nd son, Marquess Daeryeong and wanted to replaced Uijong with him. Since this, she and Uijong had a bad relationship and those made her 2nd son got rebellion incident that occurred in 1151.

For protected her beloved son, the Queen Mother persuaded Uijong to safe his younger brother, but Uijong expressed his disappointment from the past. Then, he go out from the palace on her socks and looked up to the sky, swearing an oath to plead her injustice. Suddenly, thunder and lightning struck from heaven and it was said that Uijong repented of his mistake. But in the autumn 1170, after constant discriminations, the rage of the military officials burst and started a military revolt, murdering the civil officials, deposing Uijong, and appointing a new king in his place (Wang Ho as King Myeongjong).

Although she intended that their second son should succeed in the throne, he was assassinated because Jeong Jung-bu (정중부) feared that he might become a threat to him in the future. Jeong then choose the weak Wang Ho, due to the true rulers were the military leaders at this time. During Myeongjong's reign, the Queen Mother was ill and the King then called his younger brother, Chunghui to take care of her. However, as the beloved one, Chunghui then died in 1182, she then thought herself that she had been angry by the gods, those made Chunghui had been killed, so she couldn't withstand the shock and became ill for some days.^[6]

Later life, death, and funeral

When Duke Pyeongnyang was suffered from hemorrhoids and couldn't greet his mother for a long time, she thought again that this son had suffered the same anger as his older brother, Chunghui. One year later, Wang Tak finally healed from his illness and go to greeted and comforted her by Myeongjong's order.^[7] Exactly on 2 December 1183, the Queen Mother died in her 74 years old due to her hard illness and then received her Posthumous name and was buried in Sulleung Tomb (순릉, 純陵).^[8]

Then, in 1184, the Jin Dynasty under Emperor Shizong, pay some tributes to Goryeo for express their condolences.^[9]