Empress Xiaojingxian

Empress Xiaojingxian (28 June 1681 – 29 October 1731) was a member of the Manchu Ula Nara clan. She was born during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor and was the daughter of Fiyanggū, a member of the Ula Nara family, who was posthumously titled Duke in the 13th year of the Yongzheng Emperor’s reign. Her maternal grandfather was Murhu, a descendant of Cuyen and a member of the Borjigin clan. Her paternal grandfather was Bohucha, who was married to a descendant of Nurhachi, the founder of the Qing Dynasty. Her maternal lineage includes Lady Aisin Gioro and Lady Borjigin. She had three older brothers and one younger brother.

In 1691, at approximately ten years old, Lady Ula Nara married Yinzhen, the fourth son of the Kangxi Emperor. Her marriage connected her to the imperial family during the Qing Dynasty. She became the primary consort of Yinzhen, who later ascended to the throne as the Yongzheng Emperor after the death of Kangxi on 20 December 1722. On 17 April 1697, she gave birth to their first son, Honghui, who died in childhood on 7 July 1704.

Following her husband's succession, she was elevated to the position of Empress on 28 March 1723. As empress, she was responsible for the management of the emperor’s harem and held the title during his reign. Her posthumous title was Empress Xiaojingxian, granted after her death in October 1731. She was interred at the Tai Mausoleum of the Western Qing Tombs.

Her titles evolved over her lifetime: initially Lady Ula Nara, then Primary Consort during the Kangxi era, followed by Empress upon her elevation in 1723, and later Empress Xiaojing in December 1731 or January 1732. During the reign of the Qianlong Emperor, she was known as Empress Xiaojingxian from 1737.

Her known issue is limited to her first son, Honghui, whose lifespan was from 17 April 1697 to 7 July 1704.

In popular culture, she has been portrayed by various actresses in television dramas, including Zhuang Li in "Yongzheng Dynasty" (1999), Amber Xu in "Palace" (2011), Mu Tingting in "Scarlet Heart" (2011), Ada Choi in "Empresses in the Palace" (2011), Sun Feifei in "Palace II" (2012), Annie Yi in "The Palace" (2013), and Joan Chen in "Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace" (2018).

Her life and status are part of the broader context of the Qing dynasty’s imperial court system, including the harem hierarchy and noble ranks.