Consort Shu, Of The Chen Clan

Concubine Chen, of the Shu family, was a consort of Emperor Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty. In later historical documents, she is referred to as Concubine Shu Chen. Precise records of her life are limited; her birth year is unknown, and the time she entered the imperial palace remains uncertain. Existing accounts suggest that when she first entered the palace, her rank may have been a Gege (a noble lady rank) or a concubine of a similar status, making her one of the minor concubines among Emperor Shunzhi’s consorts. During the Shunzhi era, the rank distribution among the imperial consorts designated as Shu (Concubine) showed certain gender and noble background distinctions: the rank of Shu consorts among the main consorts was mostly held by daughters of Mongolian princes, while the lesser-ranked Shu consorts included women from the Eight Banners and those who had given birth to the emperor’s children.

On the hour of Zisi (around 3–5 am) on March 15, 1652, Chen gave birth to a daughter who tragically died in October of the tenth year of Shunzhi’s reign. Subsequently, historical records are sparse regarding her offspring and subsequent fate. In 1654 (the 12th year of Shunzhi), there were rumors in Yangzhou about an imperial decree to acquire noble women for the palace. Emperor Shunzhi explicitly clarified that there were no Han women in the palace and acknowledged the Empress Dowager's kindness, expressing caution in such matters. This affirms that Chen was not of Han ethnicity, consistent with records suggesting her non-Han background. On November 4, 1657, during the Shen hour (around 3–5 pm), Chen gave birth to the emperor’s fifth son, Prince Gongning (Prince Gong). This son later gained fame under the title "Prince Gong." There are no further records of Chen listed among the six widowed consorts of Emperor Shunzhi in Kangxi’s ninth year, indicating that her status in the palace had diminished by that period.

Chen died in 1690; the cause of death and exact location remain unspecified in existing historical texts. Her primary recorded children are her daughter and her eldest son, forming the core of her lineage within the Shunzhi court. References from the "Biographies of the Empresses and Consorts in the Qing History Draft" and the "Complete Book of the Aisin Gioro Clan," citing Tang Bangzhi’s "Four Genealogies of the Qing Imperial Family," provide clues about her status and her relationship to Emperor Shunzhi’s offspring.

Related topics include lists of Qing Dynasty empresses and consorts. This biography is based on historical records, with no additional evidence regarding Chen’s early education or place of origin. References include the "Draft of Qing History" biography of imperial consorts and Tang Bangzhi’s "Four Genealogies of the Qing Royal Family."