Empress Xiaokangzhang

Empress Xiaokangzhang (1638 – 20 March 1663) was associated with the Qing dynasty as a member of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner Tunggiya clan. Her personal name was not recorded in historical sources. She was a concubine of the Shunzhi Emperor and the mother of the Kangxi Emperor. During her son’s reign, she was honored as Empress Dowager Cihe and was posthumously titled Empress, although she did not hold the rank of empress during her lifetime.

Family Background:

Her family originally belonged to the Han Chinese Plain Blue Banner from Fushun, Liaoning. They managed to reclassify themselves as Manchu. Her father was Tulai (1606–1658), who held the position of a first rank military official (都統) and was bestowed the title of a first class duke (一等公). Her paternal grandfather was Yangzhen, who died in 1621. Her mother was Lady Gioro.

She had three brothers:

- Guoji (name not provided)

- Guogang (died 1690), who served as a first rank military official (都统) and held a first class duke title (一等公)

- Guowei (died 1719), who was leader of the Imperial Guards (領侍衛內大臣) and also held the title of a first class duke (一等公). Guowei was the father of Empress Xiaoyiren (died 1689) and Imperial Noble Consort Quehui (1668–1743).

The Tong clan of Fushun in Liaoning, from which Kangxi’s mother descended, falsely claimed kinship with the Manchu Tunggiya clan of Jilin. They used this claim to transfer into a Manchu banner during Kangxi’s reign, although genealogical records indicate Han Chinese ancestry from the Central Plains, contrary to later claims of Manchu heritage and official Qing records.

Shunzhi Era:

In 1653, Lady Tong entered the Forbidden City and became a concubine of the Shunzhi Emperor. She did not receive any formal title or rank during his reign. On 4 May 1654, she gave birth to the emperor's third son, Xuanye.

Kangxi Era:

Following the death of the Shunzhi Emperor on 5 February 1661, her son Xuanye was enthroned as the Kangxi Emperor. As the biological mother of the reigning emperor, she was honored with the title "Holy Mother, Empress Dowager Cihe". She died on 20 March 1663, reportedly due to an unknown illness, though the circumstances surrounding her death remain suspicious. Posthumously, she was given the title Empress Xiaokangzhang in June or July 1663. She was interred at the Xiao Mausoleum alongside the Shunzhi Emperor and Consort Donggo.

Titles:

- During Hong Taiji’s reign (1626–1643): Lady Tong (佟氏)

- From 5 February 1661, during Kangxi’s reign: Empress Dowager Cihe (慈和皇太后)

- From June/July 1663: Empress Xiaokang (孝康皇后)

- From June/July 1670: Empress Xiaokangzhang (孝康章皇后)

Issue:

As a concubine, she had one recognized child:

- Xuanye (1654–1722), who became the Shunzhi Emperor and later the Kangxi Emperor.

In Popular Culture:

She has been portrayed by various actresses in Chinese television series, including Chen Farong in "The Duke of Mount Deer" (2000), Zhu Yan in "Kangxi Dynasty" (2001), and Jia Yumeng in "Xiaozhuang Mishi" (2003).