Imperial Concubine Yi From The Bo Clan

Consort Yi, Bai clan, also written as Bai Jiazhi, was born on May 1, 1721, and died on June 30, 1757. She was the eldest daughter of Bai Shicai, a commoner from Suzhou. Her parents were Bai Shicai and his concubine Zhang. Her brothers, sisters, and extended family maintained close relations with the Bai clan within the imperial court. After her birth, her family was incorporated into the Plain Yellow Banner’s Biao system due to her entry into the palace, holding the status of a lower-ranking servant under the First Banner Drum Auxiliaries of the Fourth Left Zhen. They were part of the noble-managed social class of Han ethnicity.

Regarding her chronology and court career, Consort Yi entered the palace before or during the 4th year of the Qianlong Emperor’s reign. Her family’s standing in the court was connected to affairs such as Southern officials’ tribute offerings to Emperor Qianlong. During the Yongzheng period and early Qianlong years, mentions of the titles “Hai” and “Changzai” in the harem’s administrative changes record her and her family’s arrangements in court documents. On the 13th day of the second lunar month in the sixth year of Qianlong (1741),, she was promoted to Noble Lady by imperial edict issued on the orders of the Empress Dowager. Later, in the Guiwei year (1743) in November, during the official investiture ceremony with the Minister of Rites and others as main envoys, she was formally decreed as Yi Pin—the rank of Consort Yi—marking her elevation in the imperial harem, reflecting her and her family’s stable and favored position.

Additionally, her younger sister, also named Bai, was selected from among the Third Banner women in the Inner Court’s selection process, and in her later years, in the first month of the 13th year of Qianlong (1748), she was granted the title Bai Changzai. Records of her brothers, sisters, and other family members document their posts and appointments at different times, with family ties extending across Beijing and the Jiangnan region. Consort Yi also participated in major imperial ceremonials, including the funeral ceremony for Empress Xiaoxianchun, Noble Consort Hui, and Noble Consort Zhemin, on October 17th of the 17th year of Qianlong (1752). She accompanied the empress and other noble consorts to the Eastern Qing tombs for ritual offerings.

Regarding her death and burial location, Consort Yi passed away on May 15, 1757, at the Si hour (9 a.m. to 11 a.m.). Emperor Qianlong abstained from court for two days to mourn with rites conducted by the Emperor and officials. In the same year, on the second day of the eleventh lunar month (December 27, 1757), she was buried in the imperial tomb Yulong of the Eastern Qing tombs. The family’s later records include mentions of her parents’ deaths, her brothers’ and nephews’ official appointments, and the subsequent arrangements for her sisters within the palace.

In terms of family, her father, Bai Shicai, died in the 11th month of the 24th year of Qianlong (1780). Her biological mother, Zhang, died in August of the 54th year of Qianlong (1789). Her brothers Bai Yongji, Bai Yongqing, and Bai Yongrui held various official positions. One of her sisters was selected as a “White Noble Lady” in the palace’s internal selection. Her nephews, such as Bai Huabao, Bai Hualun, and Bai Huafeng, are recorded as holding roles related to armor inspection, inquiry, and local governance.