Honored Consort Wenxi

Noble Consort Wenxi (died 19 December 1694) was a consort of the Kangxi Emperor during the Qing Dynasty. Her personal name is not recorded in historical sources. She belonged to the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner Niohuru clan.

Family Background:

Noble Consort Wenxi's family held a prominent position within Manchu nobility. Her paternal grandmother, Mukushen, was a daughter of Nurhaci, the founder of the Qing Dynasty. This lineage made the Kangxi Emperor and Noble Consort Wenxi second cousins. Her father was Ebilun, who served as one of the Four Regents of the Kangxi Emperor and held the title of a first class duke. Her paternal grandfather was Eidu, and her mother was Lady Šušu-Gioro, a secondary wife of Ebilun. She had seven brothers and five sisters, with notable relatives including her elder sister, Empress Xiaozhaoren, and her half-sister, Duchess of the Fourth Rank.

Career and Titles:

The circumstances of Lady Niohuru's entry into the Forbidden City and her initial status are not documented. She was first officially recorded on 28 January 1682, when the Kangxi Emperor granted ranks and titles to his consorts, appointing her as Noble Consort. She was the only consort of her rank at that time, and thus did not receive a secondary title.

Issue:

Noble Consort Wenxi bore two children for the Kangxi Emperor. On 28 November 1683, she gave birth to the emperor's tenth son, Yun'e (also known as Fuguo Gong). She also gave birth on 24 October 1685 to the emperor’s eleventh daughter, who died in June or July 1686.

Later Life and Death:

In December 1694, Noble Consort Wenxi became critically ill. She died on 19 December 1694 and was interred in the Jing Mausoleum of the Eastern Qing Tombs. Posthumously, she was given the title Noble Consort Wenxi on 29 December 1694.

Titles:

- Lady Niohuru during the reign of the Shunzhi Emperor (1643–1661) or Kangxi Emperor (1661–1722)

- Noble Consort (from 28 January 1682), during the Kangxi Emperor's reign, a third rank imperial consort

- Posthumously designated Noble Consort Wenxi (from 29 December 1694)

Legacy:

Noble Consort Wenxi is briefly depicted in the 2011 Chinese television series "Empresses in the Palace," where she is described as a superior woman favored by the Kangxi Emperor.

References to her in historical records are primarily related to her family background, her role as a consort, and her children.