Consort Dun

Consort Dun, born on 27 March 1746 and deceased on 6 March 1806, was a consort of the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. She was affiliated with the Manchu Plain White Banner Wang clan and was notably 35 years younger than the emperor.

Family Background:

Her personal name has not been recorded in historical texts. She was a Booi Aha, a hereditary servant status, of the Plain White Banner. Her father was Sige, who died in 1776 and served as a first-rank military official (都統). Her paternal grandfather was Saibitu. She had at least one elder brother, Baning'a, who was a salt controller (盐政).

Life and Marriage:

Consort Dun was born during the 11th year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign, corresponding to 1746. The details of when she entered the Forbidden City and became a lady-in-waiting to the emperor are not documented. Over time, she received several titles:

- On 22 November 1763, she was granted the title "First Attendant Yong" (永常在), seventh rank.

- On 14 July 1766, she was promoted to "Noble Lady Yong" (永貴人), sixth rank.

- She was subsequently demoted back to "First Attendant Yong" at an unspecified date.

- On 13 March 1771, she was restored as "Noble Lady Yong."

- She experienced another demotion to "First Attendant Yong" later.

In January 1772, she was elevated to "Concubine Dun" (惇嬪), fifth rank, and later, in December 1774 or January 1775, she attained the title "Consort Dun" (惇妃), fourth rank.

Children:

Lady Wang bore the emperor's tenth daughter, Princess Hexiao of the First Rank (固倫和孝公主), on 2 February 1775. The princess married Fengšeninde of the Niohuru clan in 1790 and lived until 1823. Lady Wang is also recorded to have had a miscarriage around 1777 or 1778.

Notable Incidents:

In 1778, she ordered a palace maid to be severely beaten for a minor mistake, leading to the maid's death. The Qianlong Emperor was conflicted regarding punishment due to legal constraints and his regard for her status as the mother of his daughter. Consequently, she was demoted back to "Concubine Dun" on 21 December 1778 and was ordered to compensate the maid's family with 100 taels of silver and to pay half the financial penalties levied on her servants, who had their salaries suspended for one or two years. She was restored to "Consort Dun" in December 1779 or January 1780.

Later Life and Death:

Consort Dun died during the reign of the Jiaqing Emperor on 6 March 1806. She was interred at the Yu Mausoleum of the Eastern Qing tombs.

Titles and Ranks:

Throughout her life, her titles evolved as follows:

- Lady Wang (from her birth in 1746)

- First Attendant Yong (from 22 November 1763)

- Noble Lady Yong (from 14 July 1766)

- First Attendant Yong (redux)

- Noble Lady Yong (restored)

- Concubine Dun (from 2 January 1772)

- Consort Dun (from December 1774 or January 1775)

- Demotion to Concubine Dun (21 December 1778)

- Restoration to Consort Dun (December 1779 or January 1780)

Issue:

Her issue included Princess Hexiao of the First Rank and a miscarriage around 1777 or 1778.

Cultural References:

Consort Dun was portrayed by Jiang Ruijia in the 2018 television series "Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace."