Lingiya

Cuiyan (1866–1925), a member of the Manchu Bordered White Banner Liugiya clan, was a consort of Yixuan, the Prince Chun. She was born in 1867 and was of Han Chinese ethnicity by birth, belonging to the Booi Aha social class. Her father, Deqing, was a fifth-rank official.

During her lifetime, Cuiyan held the titles of Lady Liu and later secondary consort (側福晉) during the reign of the Guangxu Emperor, which lasted from 1875 to 1908. Her birth year is documented as 1866 in some sources, though the main biographical account notes her birth in 1867.

Cuiyan became a lady-in-waiting and subsequently a secondary consort to Yixuan, the seventh son of Daoguang Emperor. Her marriage to Yixuan took place during the Guangxu Emperor's reign. She was approximately 26 years younger than Yixuan, who was born in 1848.

She bore Yixuan three sons:

- Zaifeng (1883–1951), born on February 12, 1883, who later inherited the title Prince Chun of the First Rank in 1891 and married Gūwalgiya Youlan.

- Zaixun, born on May 20, 1885.

- Zaitao, born on June 23, 1887, who was designated as the adopted heir of Yihe, Prince Zhong of the Second Rank, due to Yihe's lack of a biological son.

Following Yixuan's death when Cuiyan was 23 years old, she became the lady of the Prince Chun Mansion. After the death of Yehenara Wanzhen, Yixuan's primary consort and sister of Empress Dowager Cixi, Cuiyan assumed her roles within the household.

Her youngest son, Zaitao, was chosen by Empress Dowager Cixi to inherit the title of Yihe after Yihe's death, as Yihe had no heirs. When Yixuan died, her son Zaifeng married Gūwalgiya Youlan, despite Cuiyan's initial plans for a different match; Empress Dowager Cixi objected to her preferred choice.

Cuiyan experienced mental health issues beginning at age 29, possibly related to her son's adoption and inheritance roles. After the death of her grandson Puyi's predecessor, Empress Dowager Cixi appointed Puyi as Emperor in 1908, which deeply affected Cuiyan. She experienced fainting spells and symptoms of madness worsened upon hearing the news of Puyi's accession.

She participated physically and emotionally in palace affairs, visiting the palace with her daughter-in-law Youlan on Puyi’s tenth birthday. In 1921, she suffered a severe shock during an altercation involving Puyi and Consort Dowager Duankang, which resulted in her becoming disabled from fear. That same year, Youlan committed suicide by swallowing opium after a public reprimand.

Cuiyan died in 1925 at the age of 58, when Puyi arrived in Tianjin. Her life spanned the late Qing dynasty, the fall of imperial China, and the early Republican period.

Key titles held during her lifetime include Lady Liu during the Tongzhi Emperor's reign and secondary consort during the Guangxu Emperor's reign. Her issue included her sons Zaifeng, Zaixun, and Zaitao, along with a daughter, the second daughter of Yixuan.

Her family background, marriage details, offspring, and life events reflect her position within the Qing court hierarchy and her familial connections within the Manchu aristocracy.