Princess An

Consort Anxi, also known as Yao Anfei, is believed to have died around 1491. She was born in Xiushui County, Jiaxing Prefecture, Zhejiang. Her father was Yao Jing, and she was the younger sister of Yao Fuyuán; some sources suggest she was a cousin. Her family was impoverished. In her early years, Yao Anfei personally spun silk and wove fabric. When walking, she preferred to stay in the middle of the road and did not look at others indiscriminately. As a youth, she once saw strange visions, such as the sun, moon, and clouds in the form of rosy clouds while washing her face. Later, she was recommended to the palace by prominent officials in Jiangnan and became a concubine of Emperor Xianzong of Ming. In the 17th year of Chenghua (1481), she gave birth to the emperor’s ninth son, Zhu Youning. In the 23rd year of Chenghua (1487), she was honored as Anfei, with the posthumous title "Duanxi," also called Duanxi Anfei. After entering the palace, she bore children, including a son named Zhu Youli. Yao Anfei died in the fourth year of Hongzhi (1491), age unknown. Her posthumous title was "Duanxi." According to the "Extended Chronicle of the Imperial Ancestral Temple," she was buried at Jinshankou along with other consorts; her tomb has been excavated and plundered. Regarding her family, her brother Yao Fuyuán once served as a thousand household guard of the Jinyiwei (Imperial Bodyguard), requested land grants, faced strict investigations and penalties, but was later pardoned and granted land. Among Yao's descendants, Yao Jin was granted a fief by hereditary virtue and held the same official rank as his father.