Princess Hehui

Princess Heshuo and Hui, born on the tenth day of the tenth lunar month in the fifty-third year of Kangxi (October 10, 1714) during the Hour of the Tiger, and died on the third day of the tenth lunar month in the ninth year of Yongzheng (October 3, 1731), at the age of eighteen. She was the fourth daughter of Prince Yixian Yinxiang, a younger brother of Emperor Yongzheng, and her mother was Lady Zhao, daughter of the Minister of War Marhan. She was a half-sister to the brothers Hongjiao and Hongtun, and also an elder sister to Prince Yixi of Heshuo, Hongxiao. Born during the Kangxi era, she grew up and was cared for at court alongside her mother.

In 1729, early in the Yongzheng reign, the Imperial Household Department proposed, following established customs, that the Fourth Princess marry Prince Zhi Yongzhong Dunzaji’s son, Dorsai Sebuten. The dowry was handled according to regulations for “ten households, ten families, and those who were involved in treason and their families,” and included one third-ranking estate and one semi-divided estate, preserved as the princess's dowry. On December 27 of the same year, she was formally married to Dorsai Sebuten and given the title “Heshuo and Hui Princess.” After marriage, she bore a son, Sangzai Dorsai, who was titled “Zha Sagqaaq Doro Prince of the Plain Banner.” Her daughter-in-law was the third daughter of Sherman Duke Yuxi, Lady Xian. The princess followed her husband’s life, participating in noble marriage arrangements and family affairs.

She died on the third day of the tenth lunar month in 1731 (October 3, 1731), during the Hour of the Dog, from postpartum illness, at the age of eighteen. Records about her, her mother, son, and family were documented by the Zuo vice-general Cheng Genzha in a memorial, stating: “Sangzai Dorsai’s mother, the princess, died within a month of my birth. When I was five, my father also passed away. The graves of the princess’s mother and your father-in-law are now in Beijing. I have no siblings, and I am alone. If I do not pay respects, no one else would serve as the sacrificial officiant for the princess’s mother and father-in-law.” These records reflect her early death and family circumstances.

Her tomb is located southeast of Jing’an Zhuang in Chaoyang District, Beijing. The site is now occupied by the Beijing Automotive Repair Factory No. 5, with her underground mausoleum beneath the factory grounds. In 1913, her burial chamber was robbed, jewelry was lost, and the stone tablets and archways at the surface have collapsed. The condition of the site and related relics has changed due to urban development.

Official records about Princess Heshuo and Hui are documented in the “Imperial Chronicle.” The texts praise her noble lineage, education, and virtues, describing her as the daughter of Prince Yixian of Heshuo. They record her upbringing according to court etiquette and virtue standards, and her titles and rituals associated with her honor and the ceremonial rites of her area. These documents constitute the main official sources regarding her life and background.