Princess Of The Second Rank Shou-Xi

Shouxi He Shuo Princess, a princess of the Qing Dynasty, was born on February 5, 1842 (the 26th day of the 12th month of the 21st year of Daoguang). Her father was Emperor Daoguang, and her mother was Consort Shumu Lu, then known as Concubine Tong. She was the eighth daughter of Emperor Daoguang.

In November 1855 (the 5th year of Xianfeng), the Eighth Princess was granted the title of Shouxi He Shuo Princess, engaged to Ruilin, son of Deputy Commander Xilabu. In the tenth year of Xianfeng, Ruilin was renamed Zala Feng’a. In October 1863, she was married with a formal betrothal, and on the seventh day of the eleventh month of the same year, she returned home. Both the princess and her husband Zala Feng’a wore dragon robes to pay respects. Tong Fei, her stepmother, dined in the Shou'an Palace.

At the end of that year, an imperial edict stipulated that annually, the official estate’s rent received 1,000 taels of silver from Yiliang estate. Half of this was awarded to Shouxi He Shuo Princess, and the other half to Shouzhuang He Shuo Princess, each receiving 500 taels. The following year, due to insufficient income, the Imperial Household Department decreed that both Shouxi He Shuo Princess and Shouzhuang He Shuo Princess should each receive an additional 800 taels annually, paid from the estate’s rent funds. Although during the Xianfeng era she was called Shouxi He Shuo Princess, her formal enthronement ceremony was not held until the 25th day of the 11th month of the second year of Tongzhi. Due to financial difficulties, her imperial token was made of gilded silver instead of gold.

She died on August 2, 1866 (the 26th year of Tongzhi), at the age of 26. On August 3, Prince Fucun led ten guards to perform the mourning ceremony, followed shortly after by Prince Zhong leading ten guards to participate in the offering rites. There are discrepancies in the records regarding the Gregorian calendar date of her death.

Reference: "Draft of the Qing History," Volume 166, Princesses Table.