Agrippina the Younger my lap, so to speak". When Claudius decided to marry her, he persuaded a group of senators that the marriage should be arranged in the public interest. In Roman society, an uncle (Claudius) marrying his niece (Agrippina) was considered incestuous, and obviously immoral. Agrippina and Claudius married on New Year's Day, 49. This marriage caused widespread disapproval. This was a part of Agrippina's scheming plan to make Lucius the new emperor. Her marriage to Claudius was not based on love, but on power. She quickly eliminated her rival Lollia Paulina. Shortly after marrying Claudius, Agrippina charged Paulina with black magic.
Yang Zhao was their oldest son. In his infancy, he was raised by his grandparents Emperor Wen and Empress Dugu. In 590, Emperor Wen created him the Prince of Henan. He initially married the daughter of the official Cui Hongsheng (崔弘昇) as his wife and princess, but after Princess Cui's aunt, who married his uncle Yang Jun the Prince of Qin, was discovered to have poisoned Yang Jun over her jealousness for Yang Jun's concubines in 597, Yang Zhao divorced his wife and married the daughter of the official Wei Shou (韋壽) the Duke of Hua as his wife and princess. After