Noble Consort Cheng

Noble Consort Cheng (成贵妃; pinyin: Chéng Guìfēi) was a consort of the Daoguang Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. She was born on March 10, 1813, and died on May 10, 1888. She belonged to the Plain Red Banner Niohuru clan. Her personal name has not been recorded in historical texts.

Family Background

Her family was affiliated with the Plain Red Banner, one of the banners of the Manchu military and social structure. Most sources from the Qing dynasty do not provide detailed information regarding her family background or ancestry.

Early Life and Entry into the Imperial Palace

Lady Niohuru was born during the Jiaqing era, specifically on the 21st day of the 2nd lunar month of the 17th year of Jiaqing's reign, corresponding to March 10, 1813, in the Gregorian calendar. In 1828, at age sixteen, she entered the Forbidden City and was granted the title "Noble Lady Cheng" (成贵人), a sixth-rank consort designation. She resided in the side hall of the Palace of Prolonging Happiness (延禧宫).

Career Progression and Titles

Initially, Noble Lady Cheng was inexperienced and did not adapt well to court life, which resulted in her offending the Daoguang Emperor shortly after her arrival. Consequently, she was demoted to the position of "First Class Female Attendant Yu" (余常在), a seventh-rank consort. Her earlier title was restored in 1837.

In 1845, following a fire that destroyed Yanxigong, she moved to the Palace of Universal Happiness (Xianfugong). The following year, in 1846, she was promoted to "Concubine Cheng" (成嬪). In 1849, due to an incident where she failed to show proper respect to Imperial Noble Consort Jing, she was demoted back to "Noble Lady Cheng."

She remained childless throughout her life. The Daoguang Emperor passed away in 1850.

Later Reigns and Titles

During the reign of the Xianfeng Emperor (1850–1861), by tradition, Lady Niohuru was elevated to "Concubine Cheng" and moved to the Eastern Longevity Palace. She was among the five dowager consorts who fled to Rehe during this period.

Under the Tongzhi Emperor (1861–1875), she was promoted to "Consort Cheng" (成妃), a fourth-rank consort. Her former residence, Yanxi Palace, was not restored in 1872 due to budget constraints, leading her to relocate to Shou'an Palace, where she lived with Noble Consort Jia.

In the Guangxu era, her rank was further elevated to "Noble Consort Cheng" (成貴妃) in 1875. Lady Niohuru died in 1888 at Shou'an Palace. She was interred at the Mu Mausoleum in the Western Qing Tombs in 1891.

Titles Summary

Throughout her life, her titles evolved as follows:

- 1813: Lady Niohuru

- 1828: Noble Lady Cheng (成贵人)

- 1829: First Class Female Attendant Yu (餘常在)

- 1837: Noble Lady Cheng (成贵人)

- 1846: Concubine Cheng (成嬪)

- 1849: Noble Lady Cheng (成贵人)

- During Xianfeng reign: Concubine Cheng (成嬪)

- During Tongzhi reign: Consort Cheng (成妃)

- 1875 onward: Noble Consort Cheng (成贵妃)

In Fiction and Popular Culture

She has been portrayed by Jess Sum Cheuk Ying in the television series "Curse of the Royal Harem" as Niohuru Xiucheng.

References

Sources include the "Draft History of Qing" (Qing Shi Gao), records from the Palace of Prolonging Happiness, and scholarly publications on Qing imperial consort ranks and court history.