Xi Pin

Consort Xì, of the Heshouli clan, daughter of Laishan, was a concubine of the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. Her exact birth year is unknown; she died on September 11, 1702.

Regarding the timing of her entry into the palace, scholarly opinions vary. Recent researchers speculate that Consort Xì may have been Lai Jie, a laundry maid of the internal affairs bureau who entered the palace in the first lunar month of the 16th year of Kangxi’s reign. Lai Jie was the sister of Qi Xi. She was approximately 16 years old when entering the palace. On August 24 of the 16th year of Kangxi (1677), she was officially bestowed the title of Consort Xì, becoming one of the seven consorts of that year. The lists and order of palace maids who entered the palace are recorded in historical documents, but there is no unified conclusion on her precise background prior to entering the palace.

After the 16th year of Kangxi (1677), the treatment and arrangements for Consort Xì within the palace experienced several adjustments. Starting from the 20th year of Kangxi (1681), the palace assigned a dedicated internal management head (Nei Guanling) for her. Initially, this was an Inner Guard of the Yellow Banner, shared with Consort Hui. Later, it was changed to an exclusive White Banner internal head, shared with Consort An and Boljigit. This arrangement lasted at least until the 23rd year of Kangxi. In the 36th year of Kangxi, palace records still listed four consorts: the Duan Consort, Consort Xì, and two others promoted to concubine rank, Wei Shi and Zhang Jiasi.

In the 41st year of Kangxi (1702), on the fourth day of the ninth lunar month, Consort Xì was reported to be gravely ill. By the sixth day, her condition worsened, and the Internal Affairs Bureau planned to borrow the ceremonial escort of Noble Consort Hui for her funeral. She died on September 11, 1702, and the palace suspended ancestral rites for her for two days. On February 9, 1705, the funeral arrangements were made according to the tradition, and she was interred in Jingling Prince’s Tomb along with Lady Ma and four other Gege (female court attendants).

Regarding the Manchu translation of her posthumous title, regulations established during the Qianlong period stipulated that epithets for the primary consorts of the palace be translated by meaning. The original Manchu pronunciation of Consort Xì’s name was “hi,” which was later translated as “olhoba,” meaning “cautious.”