Consort He

Consort He of the Manchu Plain White Banner Hoifa Nara clan was a Chinese imperial consort during the Qing Dynasty. She died on 18 May 1836. Her personal name has not been recorded in historical sources.

Family Background:

Consort He was born as a Booi Aha, a hereditary servant or bondservant, of the Plain White Banner. Her father was Chengwen, who held the position of a fifth-rank literary official (郎中). Details about her early life and birth date are not documented.

Marriage and Early Court Life:

The precise date when she became a lady-in-waiting to Minning, the second son of the Jiaqing Emperor, remains unknown. On 16 May 1808, she gave birth to Minning's first son, Yiwei. In May 1808, following the birth of her son, she was elevated to the status of secondary consort, known as "Cèfùjìn" (側福晉).

Rise in Imperial Rank:

Following the death of the Jiaqing Emperor on 2 September 1820, Minning ascended the throne as the Daoguang Emperor. During his reign, Consort He resided in the Yanxi Palace. She was granted the title "Concubine He" (和嬪) on 28 December 1822, which was a fifth-rank consort rank. Subsequently, in December 1823, she was promoted to "Consort He" (和妃), a fourth-rank consort. Despite her son Yiwei being the emperor’s only son for some period, she did not attain a rank higher than Consort.

Death and Burial:

Consort He passed away on 18 May 1836 due to kidney ailments. She was interred in the Mu Mausoleum of the Western Qing tombs.

Titles Throughout Her Life:

- During Jiaqing and earlier Qing periods: Lady Hoifa Nara, Lady-in-waiting

- During Jiaqing Emperor's reign: Secondary consort (from May 1808)

- During Daoguang Emperor's reign: Concubine He (from 28 December 1822), then Consort He (from December 1823)

Issue:

Her primary issue was Yiwei (奕緯), born on 16 May 1808 and deceased on 23 May 1831, who was the Daoguang Emperor’s first son.

References:

The information is sourced from Zhao Erxun's "Draft History of Qing" (Qing Shi Gao), Volume 214, published in 1928.