Empress Alute
Encyclopedia
Empress Xiaozheyi also known as the Jiashun Empress, was the Empress Consort of the Tongzhi Emperor
of the Qing Dynasty
.
Plain Blue Banner. Her personal name was unknown.
Lady Alute's father Coci (崇綺) was the top candidate in the 1865 imperial examination
, and was also the only top candidate of Mongol ancestry in the Qing Dynasty. He was a professor (侍講) in the Hanlin Academy
and also served as Secretary of Ministry of Revenue
. Lady Alute's mother was the daughter of Duanhua
and Empress Dowager Ci'an
's aunt.
Alute was tutored by her father since young and she demonstrated high potential and intelligence as a child. She could read "ten lines at a glance". She also showed interest and talent in poetry, literature, music and art. Under the influence of her father, Lady Alute learned to write with both hands aptly. She was famous among the Manchu aristocracy for her talent, moral character and looks.
. She was specially chosen to help in the reconciliation of rivals in the Qing imperial court. Lady Alute's maternal grandfather Duanhua
used to be an enemy of Empress Dowager Cixi
in the past. It was said that there was an argument between the empress dowagers Cixi and Ci'an
over the choice of empress. Ci'an, who favoured Lady Alute, claimed that the empress should possess high moral standards, while Cixi felt that the empress should be wise and shrewd. The conflict was resolved by the Tongzhi Emperor when he eventually chose Lady Alute for Empress. Cixi was displeased with Tongzhi's decision. Another four candidates chosen for Empress became Tongzhi's concubines. One of them was Lady Alute's aunt, Imperial Honoured Consort Zhuanghe (1857 - 1921).
Empress Dowager Cixi once complained about Lady Alute:
On the night of 15 October 1872 at around 11.30pm (an auspicious hour recommended by imperial astrologers), Lady Alute left her family residence for the Forbidden City
. Her furniture - a bed, a mirror, two wardrobes, chairs and eight marriage chests - had symbolically preceded her. After their marriage, the Tongzhi Emperor evidently favoured Lady Alute over his four other concubines. The emperor spent almost every night with Lady Alute, while the four consorts waited in vain for the emperor to summon them. Empress Dowager Cixi was unhappy about the unfair treatment of the emperor's spouses and she turned hostile towards Lady Alute. She warned Lady Alute that as empress she should allow the emperor to share favour equally among his wives and not seize him for herself. Cixi also reminded Lady Alute that since both she and Tongzhi were still young, they should spend more time learning how to govern the country. When she saw no signs of change in Tongzhi's attitude, Cixi eventually ordered the emperor and empress to be separated, so that they could focus more on learning how to become ruling sovereigns.
The Tongzhi Emperor could not cope well with loneliness so he grew more ill tempered over time. Once a eunuch secretly suggested to Tongzhi to visit brothels outside the Forbidden City. As a result, it was assumed that the emperor contracted syphilis
. Empress Dowager Cixi regarded this incident as a humiliating scandal, so she warned the imperial physicians to remain silent about it. The physicians lied that the emperor was ill with smallpox
and prescribed medicine and treatment for smallpox.
A court official Yun Yu-ting wrote in his memoirs that Lady Alute was visiting the Tongzhi Emperor on his sickbed, and complaining about Cixi's interfering and domineering ways, was happily looking forward to the day Tongzhi would be well again and they could live and rule together. Cixi, tipped off by eunuchs, entered the room in stockinged feet, and hearing Lady Alute's criticisms, flew into a rage and rampaged through the room, seized the empress by the hair and hit her, shouting that by making love to the emperor she would cause him to be ill again. She ordered the eunuchs to take her away and slap her on the face.
to choose the new emperor. Cixi chose her three year old nephew Zaitian, who succeeded Tongzhi as the Guangxu Emperor
.
Lady Alute was not mentioned in the crisis over the succession. Neither was she granted the title of Empress Dowager, which was the custom after the death of an emperor. She received the title of Jiashun Empress (嘉顺皇后) instead. Within 100 days of the death of the Tongzhi Emperor, Empress Dowager Cixi pushed the blame of the emperor's death on Lady Alute. She ordered Lady Alute's food rations to be reduced. Lady Alute wrote a letter to her father asking for help, but his reply was simply, "Your Majesty knows what to do." It was said that Lady Alute committed suicide but official court records state that she died after a long and serious illness. Empress Dowager Cixi granted Lady Alute the posthumous title of "Empress Xiaozhe".
In 1876 a censor to the throne wrote that Lady Alute, as a wife who had committed suicide after her husband's death, should be posthumously honoured. Empress Dowager Cixi rebuked him curtly for writing a memorial based on rumours.
In 1900 as the armies of the Eight-Nation Alliance
pressed on Beijing
, Empress Dowager Cixi
asked Lady Alute's father Coci to remain behind and handle state affairs. Coci and his family committed suicide after the capital fell to the foreigners.
Tongzhi Emperor
The Tongzhi Emperor , born Aisin-Gioro Dzai Šun, was the tenth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty, and the eighth Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1861 to 1875. His reign, which effectively lasted through his adolescence, was largely overshadowed by the rule of his mother, the Empress...
of the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
.
Family background
Empress Xiaozheyi was born in the Alute (阿魯特) clan, which was under the MongolMongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
Plain Blue Banner. Her personal name was unknown.
Lady Alute's father Coci (崇綺) was the top candidate in the 1865 imperial examination
Imperial examination
The Imperial examination was an examination system in Imperial China designed to select the best administrative officials for the state's bureaucracy. This system had a huge influence on both society and culture in Imperial China and was directly responsible for the creation of a class of...
, and was also the only top candidate of Mongol ancestry in the Qing Dynasty. He was a professor (侍講) in the Hanlin Academy
Hanlin Academy
The Hanlin Academy was an academic and administrative institution founded in the eighth century Tang dynasty China by Emperor Xuanzong.Membership in the academy was confined to an elite group of scholars, who performed secretarial and literary tasks for the court. One of its main duties was to...
and also served as Secretary of Ministry of Revenue
Three Departments and Six Ministries
The Three Departments and Six Ministries system was the main central administrative system adopted in ancient China. The system first took shape after the Western Han Dynasty , was officially instituted in Sui Dynasty , and matured during Tang Dynasty...
. Lady Alute's mother was the daughter of Duanhua
Duanhua
Duanhua was a Manchu noble of the Bordered Blue Banner from the Aisin-Gioro clan. Until several days before his death he held the title of Prince Zheng, inherited as one of the eight "iron-cap" princes....
and Empress Dowager Ci'an
Empress Dowager Ci'an
Empress Dowager Ci'an , popularly known in China as the East Empress Dowager , and officially known posthumously as the Empress Xiao Zhen Xian , was the second Empress Consort of the Xianfeng Emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty in China, and then Empress Dowager after 1861...
's aunt.
Alute was tutored by her father since young and she demonstrated high potential and intelligence as a child. She could read "ten lines at a glance". She also showed interest and talent in poetry, literature, music and art. Under the influence of her father, Lady Alute learned to write with both hands aptly. She was famous among the Manchu aristocracy for her talent, moral character and looks.
As Empress
On 15 September 1872, Lady Alute was chosen to be Empress Consort by the Tongzhi EmperorTongzhi Emperor
The Tongzhi Emperor , born Aisin-Gioro Dzai Šun, was the tenth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty, and the eighth Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1861 to 1875. His reign, which effectively lasted through his adolescence, was largely overshadowed by the rule of his mother, the Empress...
. She was specially chosen to help in the reconciliation of rivals in the Qing imperial court. Lady Alute's maternal grandfather Duanhua
Duanhua
Duanhua was a Manchu noble of the Bordered Blue Banner from the Aisin-Gioro clan. Until several days before his death he held the title of Prince Zheng, inherited as one of the eight "iron-cap" princes....
used to be an enemy of Empress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi1 , of the Manchu Yehenara clan, was a powerful and charismatic figure who became the de facto ruler of the Manchu Qing Dynasty in China for 47 years from 1861 to her death in 1908....
in the past. It was said that there was an argument between the empress dowagers Cixi and Ci'an
Empress Dowager Ci'an
Empress Dowager Ci'an , popularly known in China as the East Empress Dowager , and officially known posthumously as the Empress Xiao Zhen Xian , was the second Empress Consort of the Xianfeng Emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty in China, and then Empress Dowager after 1861...
over the choice of empress. Ci'an, who favoured Lady Alute, claimed that the empress should possess high moral standards, while Cixi felt that the empress should be wise and shrewd. The conflict was resolved by the Tongzhi Emperor when he eventually chose Lady Alute for Empress. Cixi was displeased with Tongzhi's decision. Another four candidates chosen for Empress became Tongzhi's concubines. One of them was Lady Alute's aunt, Imperial Honoured Consort Zhuanghe (1857 - 1921).
Empress Dowager Cixi once complained about Lady Alute:
"We made a mistake in selecting a wife for him. How could we tell that her beauty was false? She was very beautiful, but she hated us."
On the night of 15 October 1872 at around 11.30pm (an auspicious hour recommended by imperial astrologers), Lady Alute left her family residence for the Forbidden City
Forbidden City
The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum...
. Her furniture - a bed, a mirror, two wardrobes, chairs and eight marriage chests - had symbolically preceded her. After their marriage, the Tongzhi Emperor evidently favoured Lady Alute over his four other concubines. The emperor spent almost every night with Lady Alute, while the four consorts waited in vain for the emperor to summon them. Empress Dowager Cixi was unhappy about the unfair treatment of the emperor's spouses and she turned hostile towards Lady Alute. She warned Lady Alute that as empress she should allow the emperor to share favour equally among his wives and not seize him for herself. Cixi also reminded Lady Alute that since both she and Tongzhi were still young, they should spend more time learning how to govern the country. When she saw no signs of change in Tongzhi's attitude, Cixi eventually ordered the emperor and empress to be separated, so that they could focus more on learning how to become ruling sovereigns.
The Tongzhi Emperor could not cope well with loneliness so he grew more ill tempered over time. Once a eunuch secretly suggested to Tongzhi to visit brothels outside the Forbidden City. As a result, it was assumed that the emperor contracted syphilis
Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
. Empress Dowager Cixi regarded this incident as a humiliating scandal, so she warned the imperial physicians to remain silent about it. The physicians lied that the emperor was ill with smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
and prescribed medicine and treatment for smallpox.
A court official Yun Yu-ting wrote in his memoirs that Lady Alute was visiting the Tongzhi Emperor on his sickbed, and complaining about Cixi's interfering and domineering ways, was happily looking forward to the day Tongzhi would be well again and they could live and rule together. Cixi, tipped off by eunuchs, entered the room in stockinged feet, and hearing Lady Alute's criticisms, flew into a rage and rampaged through the room, seized the empress by the hair and hit her, shouting that by making love to the emperor she would cause him to be ill again. She ordered the eunuchs to take her away and slap her on the face.
Death
The Tongzhi Emperor died in January 1875. Some sources claim that Lady Alute was pregnant at that time. Tongzhi had not chosen a successor before his death, so it was up to Empress Dowager CixiEmpress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi1 , of the Manchu Yehenara clan, was a powerful and charismatic figure who became the de facto ruler of the Manchu Qing Dynasty in China for 47 years from 1861 to her death in 1908....
to choose the new emperor. Cixi chose her three year old nephew Zaitian, who succeeded Tongzhi as the Guangxu Emperor
Guangxu Emperor
The Guangxu Emperor , born Zaitian of the Aisin-Gioro clan, was the eleventh emperor of the Manchurian Qing Dynasty, and the ninth Qing emperor to rule over China. His reign lasted from 1875 to 1908, but in practice he ruled, under Empress Dowager Cixi's influence, only from 1889 to 1898...
.
Lady Alute was not mentioned in the crisis over the succession. Neither was she granted the title of Empress Dowager, which was the custom after the death of an emperor. She received the title of Jiashun Empress (嘉顺皇后) instead. Within 100 days of the death of the Tongzhi Emperor, Empress Dowager Cixi pushed the blame of the emperor's death on Lady Alute. She ordered Lady Alute's food rations to be reduced. Lady Alute wrote a letter to her father asking for help, but his reply was simply, "Your Majesty knows what to do." It was said that Lady Alute committed suicide but official court records state that she died after a long and serious illness. Empress Dowager Cixi granted Lady Alute the posthumous title of "Empress Xiaozhe".
In 1876 a censor to the throne wrote that Lady Alute, as a wife who had committed suicide after her husband's death, should be posthumously honoured. Empress Dowager Cixi rebuked him curtly for writing a memorial based on rumours.
In 1900 as the armies of the Eight-Nation Alliance
Eight-Nation Alliance
The Eight-Nation Alliance was an alliance of Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States whose military forces intervened in China to suppress the anti-foreign Boxers and relieve the siege of the diplomatic legations in Beijing .- Events :The...
pressed on Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, Empress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi1 , of the Manchu Yehenara clan, was a powerful and charismatic figure who became the de facto ruler of the Manchu Qing Dynasty in China for 47 years from 1861 to her death in 1908....
asked Lady Alute's father Coci to remain behind and handle state affairs. Coci and his family committed suicide after the capital fell to the foreigners.
Posthumous title
Empress Xiaozheyi's full posthumous title is:- Empress Xiaozhejiashunshushenxianminggongduanxiantianzhangshengyi
(孝哲嘉順淑慎賢明恭端憲天彰聖毅皇后)
Sources
- Draft history of the Qing dynasty. 《清史稿》卷二百十四．列傳一．后妃傳．
- Royal archives of the Qing dynasty (清宫档案).
- Qing imperial genealogy(清皇室四谱).
- Biographies of the Qing dynasty consorts (清历朝后妃列传).
- Sterling Seagraves, "Dragon Lady" ISBN 0679733698.
- Maria Warner", "The Dragon Empres": Life and Times of Tz'u-Hsi, 1835–1908, Empress of China". ISBN 0689707142.
- Daily life in the Forbidden City, Wan Yi, Wang Shuqing, Lu Yanzhen. ISBN 0-670-81164-5.
- Hummel, Arthur William, ed. Eminent Chinese of the Ch'ing Period (1644-1912). 2 vols. Washington: United States Government Printing Office, 1943.