Consort Yanqinggong Shu

Consort Kanghuishu, of the Abaga Borjigit clan, was born in 1606. Her personal name was Batmadzoo. She was the daughter of Bodisai Chuhur, who held the title of tabunang of Abaga (塔布囊), a subordinate role within the clan structure. Her place of birth was in Abaga, located in Southern Mongolia.

Before entering the imperial court, Batmadzoo was married to Ligdan Khan of the Chahar Mongols. The date of their marriage is not documented. Following her marriage, she was bestowed the title of Consort Doutumen (竇土門福晉), a recognition signifying her status within Ligdan Khan’s household. Ligdan Khan died in 1634 during an expedition to Qinghai. There are reports suggesting that Batmadzoo may have had a daughter with Ligdan Khan named Shuchai (淑儕), who purportedly married Dorgon in 1640; however, this lineage is not confirmed in official imperial genealogies, which indicate Dorgon's secondary consort was Lady Gongjit from the Chahar tribe.

In September 1634, Batmadzoo was escorted from Abaga to the camp of Hong Taiji, the Manchu ruler. She was accompanied by Duonikuleke, her servant, and was presented to Hong Taiji following ritual bows; she was included in ceremonial offerings, such as sacrificial lambs and cows. During this event, Hong Taiji expressed a desire to marry her. As there was no precedent for a Manchu emperor marrying a widowed Mongol consort, Daišan, a prominent Manchu prince, recommended that Hong Taiji bestow upon her the title of consort. This was part of Hong Taiji's broader diplomatic strategy to forge alliances with Mongol tribes through marriage, involving an empress and consorts from various minority groups.

Following the transition from the Later Jin to the Qing dynasty in 1636, Batmadzoo received the title of secondary consort (側福晉), which was translated into Chinese as Consort Shu (淑妃). Her residence was established in Mukden (modern-day Shenyang) at the Palace of Overflowing with Joy (衍慶宮; Manchu: urgun i booi).

In the year 1644, the Qing court moved its capital to Beijing. In 1652, under the Shunzhi Emperor, her title was elevated to Consort Kanghuishu (康惠淑妃), a designation emphasizing health, kindness, and virtue. Subsequently, her residence within the Forbidden City was carefully renovated, including structures such as Cining Palace, Yongqing Palace, and Yanxi Palace. Yongqing Palace became her residence, while Yanxi Palace was assigned to Noble Consort Yijing. The Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang resided in Cining Palace, a traditional space for imperial dowagers.

In 1663, Consort Kanghuishu participated in the presentation of marriage gifts to Princess Roujia of the Second Rank, who married Geng Juzhong. She did so alongside other senior members of the imperial family, including Grand Empress Dowager Zhaosheng and Empress Dowager Renxian. During this period, there was a dispute regarding whether gifts from consorts of dowagers and imperial family members could be submitted to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. An incident occurred in which Consort Kanghuishu reportedly vomited during a banquet; her condition prompted a diagnosis of a serious illness after a doctor was summoned.

Consort Kanghuishu died in June 1667. Following her death, she was accorded a funeral befitting her status as a dowager imperial consort.