Consort Zhen

Imperial Noble Consort Keshun (27 February 1876 – 15 August 1900) was a consort of the Guangxu Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. She was born into the Manchu Bordered Red Banner Tatara clan, with her family holding official positions within the Qing imperial administration. Her personal name has not been recorded in historical sources.

Family Background:

Her father was Changxu, who served as the Right Vice Minister of Revenue. Her paternal grandfather was Yutai, who held the position of Viceroy of Shaan-Gan in 1851. Her paternal grandmother was Lady Gūwalgiya. Her mother was Lady Zhao. She had three brothers and four elder sisters, including her fourth elder sister, Imperial Noble Consort Wenjing, who lived from 1873 to 1924.

Life and Court Titles:

Keshun was born during the reign of the Guangxu Emperor, specifically on the third day of the second lunar month in the second year of Guangxu’s reign (which corresponds to 27 February 1876).

On 26 February 1889, she entered the Forbidden City and was granted the title "Concubine Zhen" (Zhen being her courtesy name). Her older sister, who later became Imperial Noble Consort Wenjing, was paired with her in entering the Forbidden City at the same time. On 6 February 1894, she was elevated to "Consort Zhen," a higher rank within the imperial consorts.

Initially, she attracted the attention and appreciation of Empress Dowager Cixi, who commissioned artisans to teach her painting and musical skills. However, she was known to encourage the Guangxu Emperor to pursue independence and political reforms, including foreign language education, which was viewed with suspicion by Empress Dowager Cixi. Keshun also expressed an interest in photography and welcomed foreigners into the palace to teach her about the craft, resulting in a significant number of surviving photographs of her—an unusual circumstance for a Qing imperial consort.

Her outspoken and unconventional behavior, including dressing in men's clothing and her association with foreign customs, caused her to be viewed unfavorably by Cixi. She was mocked by the empress dowager once, who called her "Grandmother Zhen" in jest. Additionally, she was accused of abusing her influence over the emperor, particularly regarding interference with civil appointment procedures, which led to her demotion and punitive actions in late 1894. She and her sister, Consort Jin, were temporarily demoted in 1894 but restored to positions in 1895. By 1896, she was excluded from court functions, and in 1898, she was placed under house arrest.

Death:

During the Boxer Rebellion and the invasion of the Eight-Nation Alliance in 1900, the imperial court evacuated the Forbidden City to Xi'an. It is believed that during this period, Consort Zhen drowned in a well within the Forbidden City. Due to the scarcity of restored Qing court records and censorship, details of her death remain uncertain.

One account, from what is known as the 'Jianshan Diary'—possibly authored by a retired official—suggests that Empress Dowager Cixi ordered her to be released from house arrest and executed by drowning in a well. Cixi allegedly believed she was too young and attractive, fearing she might be victimized by foreign soldiers en route. She reportedly begged the empress dowager to allow the Guangxu Emperor to stay in Beijing and negotiate with foreign powers. The story indicates that Cixi then ordered her to commit suicide in the well behind Ningxia Palace. However, historian Sterling Seagrave considers this account to be a myth, possibly invented by writer Edmund Backhouse, and notes that her actual fate remains unknown, with speculation that she may have been killed by palace eunuchs or that she took her own life.

Titles:

Throughout her life, her titles evolved as follows:

- From 27 February 1876: Lady Tatara

- 26 February 1889: Concubine Zhen (Fifth rank)

- 6 February 1894: Consort Zhen (Fourth rank)

- 26 November 1894: Noble Lady Zhen (Sixth rank)

- 29 May 1895: Consort Zhen (Fourth rank)

- 24 April 1921 (during the Republic era): Imperial Noble Consort Keshun (Second rank)

In popular culture:

She has been portrayed by various actresses in films and television series, including Zhou Xuan in the 1948 film "Sorrows of the Forbidden City" and Rebecca Zhu in "The Last Healer in Forbidden City" (2016).

See Also:

- Ranks of imperial consorts in China (Qing Dynasty)

- Royal and noble ranks of the Qing dynasty

References:

Draft History of Qing (Qing Shi Gao), Zhao Erxun (1928).