Empress Xiaozheyi

Empress Xiaozheyi (25 July 1854 – 27 March 1875) was a consort of the Qing Dynasty who held the title of Empress from 1872 until her death in 1875. She belonged to the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner Alut clan. Posthumously, she was designated as Empress Xiaozheyi, also known as Empress Jiashun.

Her personal name has not been recorded in historical texts. She was born during the reign of the Xianfeng Emperor; her birth date corresponds to the first day of the seventh lunar month of 1854. Her family originally belonged to the Mongol Plain Blue Banner. Her father was Chongqi (1829–1900), who achieved the highest position in the imperial examination in 1865 and served as a fourth rank literary official at the Hanlin Academy, and later held positions including Minister of Revenue (from 1884 to 1886 and in 1900) and Minister of Personnel in 1886. Chongqi bore the title of a third class duke.

Her paternal grandfather was Saišangga (1794–1875), who served as Minister of Works from 1841 to 1845. Her paternal grandmother was Lady Fuca. Her paternal aunt was Imperial Noble Consort Gongsu (1857–1921). Her mother was Lady Aisin Gioro; her maternal grandfather was Duanhua (1807–1861), who held the title of Prince Zheng of the First Rank from 1846 to 1861. Her maternal grandmother was Lady Niohuru, who was also her maternal aunt, and related to Empress Xiaozhenxian. She had one brother.

During her childhood, she was educated and tutored by her father, displaying intelligence and proficiency in poetry, literature, music, and art. She was also noted for her moral character and appearance among the Manchu aristocracy.

In 1872, she was chosen to be the empress consort of the Tongzhi Emperor. The selection was partly motivated by court attempts to reconcile political rivalries; her maternal grandfather Duanhua was a former political rival of the emperor's mother, Empress Dowager Cixi. Her selection was disputed between Empress Dowager Cixi, who favored her, and the Empress Dowager Cixi, who preferred a different candidate. Once chosen, she moved to the Forbidden City on the night of 15 October 1872, accompanied by symbolic belongings. The Tongzhi Emperor favored her, often spending his nights with her, which caused tension with other consorts and with Empress Dowager Cixi.

Empress Xiaozheyi's marriage was marked by internal court conflicts. Empress Dowager Cixi expressed disapproval of her, criticizing her for her beauty and purported dislike of court officials. During her tenure as Empress, she faced interference from Cixi, who attempted to regulate the emperor's affections among consorts. The emperor's health declined, and he became increasingly ill-tempered; a court official's memoir records her visiting him during his illness, which incited Cixi's anger when she overheard criticisms of her by the Empress.

The Tongzhi Emperor died on 12 January 1875. It is suggested that Empress Xiaozheyi was pregnant at the time. Her widower's succession was managed by Empress Dowager Cixi, who designated Zaitian as the Guangxu Emperor. She was not granted the title of Empress Dowager; instead, she was given the title Empress Jiashun. Following her husband's death, her situation deteriorated; Cixi allegedly blamed her for the emperor's demise and reduced her food rations. She is reported to have died after a long illness, though some records suggest she committed suicide. Posthumously, she was conferred the title Empress Xiaozheyi.

In 1876, a court censor recommended honoring her as a virtuous wife who had taken her own life after her husband's death, but Empress Dowager Cixi rejected the suggestion of unnatural death. During the 1900 invasion by the Eight-Nation Alliance, her father Chongqi and his family committed suicide after the fall of Beijing, with Cixi requesting Chongqi to remain in charge of state affairs prior to the invasion.

Throughout her life, her titles changed with succession: from Lady Alut upon birth, to Empress during the Tongzhi period, and posthumously as Empress Jiashun and Empress Xiaozheyi.