Empress Xiaoxianchun
Encyclopedia
Empress Xiaoxianchun was the first Empress Consort of the Qianlong Emperor
of the Qing Dynasty
.
. Her personal name is unknown. She was the eighth child of Lirongbao (李榮保), the Supervisor of Chahar Province.
. She was granted the title of Primary Consort (嫡妃) of Hongli, who was then known as Prince Bao of the First Rank (寶親王), and moved into the Palace of Eternal Spring in the eastern part of the Forbidden City
. In 1735 the Yongzheng Emperor died and was succeeded by Hongli, who became the Qianlong Emperor
. Two years later in 1737 Qianlong instated Lady Fuca as his Empress.
In the Draft History of the Qing Dynasty
, Lady Fuca is depicted as a respected and virtuous person. She looked after the Qianlong Emperor and the people in the palace, and served her role as Empress well. She was praised and favoured by Qianlong.
It is also said that Lady Fuca did not like spending money for her own good. Instead of wearing jewellery she would put wild flowers in her hair.
The Qianlong Emperor once told her a story that Manchus were too poor to make their own pouches from cloth and had to settle for simple deer hide instead. She immediately made one for him. He was touched by the gift. Lady Fuca also made other pouches for him.
Lady Fuca took her duties seriously when it came to Confucian
rituals. As head of the women's quarters in the palace, she supervised the emperor's concubines when performing a ritual. One of these was a rite concerning sericulture
that was presided over by the Empress. This rite, which had been practiced since the Zhou Dynasty
, was gradually restored during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor. For this a sericulture altar was constructed in 1742.
In 1744 a new Altar to Sericulture was completed, largely at the Lady Fuca's urging. In the same year Lady Fuca became the first empress in the Qing Dynasty to personally lead the women in the palace in these rites. They made offerings of mulberry and presented them to silkworm cocoons, all of them working industriously.
The whole rite was painted on four scrolls in 1751 in memory of Lady Fuca, who died in 1748.
. The Qianlong Emperor often visited her grave.
two sons and two daughters, of whom only one daughter survived to adulthood.
Qianlong Emperor
The Qianlong Emperor was the sixth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty, and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. The fourth son of the Yongzheng Emperor, he reigned officially from 11 October 1735 to 8 February 1796...
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 Xiaoxianchun was born in the Manchu Fuca (富察) clan, which was under the Bordered Yellow Banner of the Eight BannersEight Banners
The Eight Banners were administrative divisions into which all Manchu families were placed. They provided the basic framework for the Manchu military organization...
. Her personal name is unknown. She was the eighth child of Lirongbao (李榮保), the Supervisor of Chahar Province.
Marriage to the Qianlong Emperor
In 1727 Lady Fuca married Hongli, the fourth son of the Yongzheng EmperorYongzheng Emperor
The Yongzheng Emperor , born Yinzhen , was the fifth emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty and the third Qing emperor from 1722 to 1735. A hard-working ruler, Yongzheng's main goal was to create an effective government at minimal expense. Like his father, the Kangxi Emperor, Yongzheng used military...
. She was granted the title of Primary Consort (嫡妃) of Hongli, who was then known as Prince Bao of the First Rank (寶親王), and moved into the Palace of Eternal Spring in the eastern part of 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...
. In 1735 the Yongzheng Emperor died and was succeeded by Hongli, who became the Qianlong Emperor
Qianlong Emperor
The Qianlong Emperor was the sixth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty, and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. The fourth son of the Yongzheng Emperor, he reigned officially from 11 October 1735 to 8 February 1796...
. Two years later in 1737 Qianlong instated Lady Fuca as his Empress.
As Empress
Draft History of Qing
The Draft History of Qing is a draft of the official history of the Chinese Qing Dynasty compiled and written under Zhao Erxun by a team of more than 100 historians hired by the Republic of China's Beiyang government...
, Lady Fuca is depicted as a respected and virtuous person. She looked after the Qianlong Emperor and the people in the palace, and served her role as Empress well. She was praised and favoured by Qianlong.
It is also said that Lady Fuca did not like spending money for her own good. Instead of wearing jewellery she would put wild flowers in her hair.
The Qianlong Emperor once told her a story that Manchus were too poor to make their own pouches from cloth and had to settle for simple deer hide instead. She immediately made one for him. He was touched by the gift. Lady Fuca also made other pouches for him.
Lady Fuca took her duties seriously when it came to Confucian
Confucianism
Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...
rituals. As head of the women's quarters in the palace, she supervised the emperor's concubines when performing a ritual. One of these was a rite concerning sericulture
Sericulture
Sericulture, or silk farming, is the rearing of silkworms for the production of raw silk.Although there are several commercial species of silkworms, Bombyx mori is the most widely used and intensively studied. According to Confucian texts, the discovery of silk production by B...
that was presided over by the Empress. This rite, which had been practiced since the Zhou Dynasty
Zhou Dynasty
The Zhou Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty that followed the Shang Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty. Although the Zhou Dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history, the actual political and military control of China by the Ji family lasted only until 771 BC, a period known as...
, was gradually restored during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor. For this a sericulture altar was constructed in 1742.
In 1744 a new Altar to Sericulture was completed, largely at the Lady Fuca's urging. In the same year Lady Fuca became the first empress in the Qing Dynasty to personally lead the women in the palace in these rites. They made offerings of mulberry and presented them to silkworm cocoons, all of them working industriously.
The whole rite was painted on four scrolls in 1751 in memory of Lady Fuca, who died in 1748.
Death
Lady Fuca often joined the Qianlong Emperor on his excursions throughout China. In 1748, during one of Qianlong's southern tours, Lady Fuca became seriously ill and eventually died on 8 April at the age of 36. She was interred in the Yuling Mausoleum in the Eastern Qing TombsEastern Qing Tombs
The Eastern Qing Tombs are an imperial mausoleum complex of the Qing Dynasty located in Zunhua, 125 kilometers northeast of Beijing. They are the largest, most complete, and best preserved extant mausoleum complex in China...
. The Qianlong Emperor often visited her grave.
Family
Empress Xiaoxianchun was born in an aristocratic family that saw many members serving as officials in the Qing imperial court.Ancestors and elders
- Great-grandfather: Hashitun (哈什屯; 1589-1663), served as a member of the Vanguards under NurhaciNurhaciNurhaci was an important Jurchen chieftain who rose to prominence in the late sixteenth century in what is today Northeastern China...
and later joined the Imperial Guards. He served the Shunzhi EmperorShunzhi EmperorThe Shunzhi Emperor was the third emperor of the Manchu-led Qing dynasty, and the first Qing emperor to rule over China, which he did from 1644 to 1661. "Shunzhi" was the name of his reign period...
after 1650 and was conferred the title of a baron.
- Grandfather: Misihan (米思翰; 1632-1675), served as a minister of the Imperial Household DepartmentImperial Household DepartmentThe Imperial Household Department was an institution of Qing-dynasty China...
during the early reign of the Kangxi EmperorKangxi EmperorThe Kangxi Emperor ; Manchu: elhe taifin hūwangdi ; Mongolian: Энх-Амгалан хаан, 4 May 1654 –20 December 1722) was the fourth emperor of the Qing Dynasty, the first to be born on Chinese soil south of the Pass and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, from 1661 to 1722.Kangxi's...
. He was also Minister of RevenueThree Departments and Six MinistriesThe 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...
and satt on the Deliberative Council of Princes and MinistersDeliberative Council of Princes and MinistersThe Deliberative Council of Princes and Ministers , also known as the Council of Princes and High Officials or simply as the Deliberative Council , was an advisory body for the Emperors of the early Qing Dynasty...
.
- Father: Lirongbao (李榮保; died 1723), served as Supervisor of Chahar Province. He was posthumously granted the title of a Duke of the First Class when Lady Fuca became Empress in 1737.
- Uncles:
- Maqi (馬齊; 1652–1739), served as Grand SecretariatGrand SecretariatThe Grand Secretariat was nominally a coordinating agency but de facto the highest institution in the Ming imperial government. It first took shape after Emperor Hongwu abolished the office of Chancellor in 1380 and gradually evolved into an effective coordinating organ superimposed on the Six...
. He was appointed to the Deliberative Council of Princes and MinistersDeliberative Council of Princes and MinistersThe Deliberative Council of Princes and Ministers , also known as the Council of Princes and High Officials or simply as the Deliberative Council , was an advisory body for the Emperors of the early Qing Dynasty...
after displaying meritorious action in the military campaign against Galdan Khan. - Mawu (died 1726), served in the Imperial Guards, and accompanied the Kangxi EmperorKangxi EmperorThe Kangxi Emperor ; Manchu: elhe taifin hūwangdi ; Mongolian: Энх-Амгалан хаан, 4 May 1654 –20 December 1722) was the fourth emperor of the Qing Dynasty, the first to be born on Chinese soil south of the Pass and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, from 1661 to 1722.Kangxi's...
in the campaign against Galdan Khan. He was disgraced in 1709 after conspiring with other court officials to help Yinsi seize the succession to the throne when the Kangxi Emperor was seriously ill. He later took up various posts in the inner court and banners, and became Chamberlain of the Imperial Guards in 1721.
- Maqi (馬齊; 1652–1739), served as Grand Secretariat
Siblings
Lady Fuca had seven older brothers, two younger brothers and several sisters. The most notable of her siblings was a younger brother, Fuheng.- FuhengFuhengFuheng was a senior official at the court of the Qianlong Emperor from the 1750s to his death in 1770. He is best known for leading the Qing troops in the fourth and last invasion of Burma in the Sino-Burmese War...
(1715-1770), commanded the Qing armies in the Fourth Burma Campaign in 1769.
Issue
Lady Fuca bore the Qianlong EmperorQianlong Emperor
The Qianlong Emperor was the sixth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty, and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. The fourth son of the Yongzheng Emperor, he reigned officially from 11 October 1735 to 8 February 1796...
two sons and two daughters, of whom only one daughter survived to adulthood.
- Unnamed daughter (1728), the Qianlong Emperor's eldest daughter, died prematurely.
- Yonglian (永璉; 1730-1738), the Qianlong Emperor's second son, posthumously granted the title of Crown Prince Duanhui (端慧皇太子).
- Kurun Princess Hejing (固倫和敬公主; 1731–1792), the Qianlong Emperor's third daughter.
- Yongcong (永琮; 1746–1747), the Qianlong Emperor's seventh son, posthumously granted the titles of Prince Daomin (悼敏皇子) and Prince Zhe of the First Rank (哲親王).
Posthumous title
Empress Xiaoxianchun's full posthumous title is:- Empress Xiaoxianchengzhengdunmurenhuiweigongkangshunfutianchangshengchun
(孝賢誠正敦穆仁惠徽恭康順輔天昌聖純皇后)