Empress Xiaochengren

Empress Xiaochengren
File:《孝诚仁皇后朝服像》局部.jpg
Empress Consort of the Qing Dynasty
Tenure	1665 – 16 June 1674
Born	(1653-11-26)26 November 1653
Died	Forbidden City, Beijing, China
Spouse	Kangxi Emperor
Issue	Chenghu Yinreng, Prince Li
Posthumous name Empress Xiaocheng Gongsu Zhenghui Anhe Shuyi Kemin Litian Xiangsheng Ren (孝誠恭肅正惠安和淑懿恪敏儷天襄聖仁皇后)
House	Hešeri (by birth) Aisin Gioro (by marriage)
Father	Hešeri Gabula

Empress Xiaochengren
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	孝誠仁皇后
Simplified Chinese	孝诚仁皇后
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Xiàochéngrén Huánghòu
Lady Hešeri
Chinese	赫舍里氏
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Hèshělǐ Shì
Manchu name
Manchu script	ᡥᡳᠶᠣᠣᡧᡠᠩᡤᠠ ᡠᠨᡝᠩᡤᡳ ᡤᠣᠰᡳᠨ ᡥᡡᠸᠠᠩᡥᡝᠣ
Romanization	hiyoošungga unenggi gosin hūwangheo

Empress Xiaochengren (Manchu: Hiyoošungga Unenggi Gosin Hūwanghu; 26 November 1653 – 16 June 1674) was the first Empress Consort of the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. She died at the age of 20, and is therefore considered to be the most short-lived Empress of the Qing Dynasty.

Biography

Empress Xiaochengren was born in the Manchu Hešeri clan. She was the daughter of Gabula, a duke and general. Her grandfather Sonin served as one of the Four Regents for the Kangxi Emperor from 1661 to 1667 when the emperor was still a child. Lady Hešeri's great-grandfather Shuose and great-granduncle Xifu were both fluent in the Chinese, Mongol and Manchu languages, and served as Grand Councilors. One of her uncles was Songgotu, a diplomat and minister.

Lady Hešeri married the Kangxi Emperor in 1665 when she was 12 and he was 11, thus becoming Empress.

Lady Hešeri died on 16 June 1674 in the Forbidden City shortly after giving birth to her second son Yinreng. After her death the Kangxi Emperor left the position of Empress vacant for several years. One of Lady Hešeri's younger sisters later became Kangxi's Consort Ping (平妃).

Issue

Lady Hešeri bore the Kangxi Emperor two sons:

• Chenghu (承祜) (4 January 1670 – 3 March 1672)
• Yinreng (6 June 1674 – 27 January 1725)

Posthumous title

Empress Xiaochengren's full posthumous title is:

• Empress Xiaochenggongsuzhenghui'anheshuyikeminlitianxiangshengren
  (孝誠恭肅正惠安和淑懿恪敏儷天襄聖仁皇后)

See also

• Ranks of Imperial Consorts in China#Qing
• Qing Dynasty nobility

References

• Jonathan D. Spence. Emperor of China: Self Portrait of K'ang-Hsi. Pimlico, London, 1992.

Succession

Chinese royalty
Preceded by Consort Donggo (Posthumous, Empress Xiaohuizhang actual predecessor)	Empress of China 1665 – 16 June 1674	Succeeded by Empress Xiaozhaoren