Empress Xiaoxianchun

Empress Xiaoxianchun (28 March 1712–8 April 1748), of the Manchu Fuca clan, was an imperial consort during the Qing dynasty and the first wife of the Qianlong Emperor.

Her personal name was not recorded in historical documents. She was born during the Kangxi Emperor’s reign, specifically on the 22nd day of the 2nd lunar month of the 51st year of Kangxi’s reign, corresponding to 28 March 1712 in the Gregorian calendar. Her father was Lirongbao (1674–1723), who served as a third-rank military official of Chahar and held the title of duke of the first class. Her paternal grandfather was Mishan (1633–1675), who served as Minister of Revenue. Her mother was Lady Gioro.

Lady Fuca had seven elder brothers and two younger brothers, including Fuheng (1720–1770), who became a senior minister and served as a grand councillor to the Qianlong Emperor. She also had a younger sister who was married to Salashan.

During the Yongzheng era, on 3 September 1727, Lady Fuca married Hongli, the Yongzheng Emperor’s fourth son, as his primary consort. She moved into the Changchun Palace within the Forbidden City. She bore several children: a daughter born on 3 November 1728 who died prematurely in 1730; Yonglian, her second son, born on 9 August 1730 and died of smallpox in 1738; and Princess Hejing of the First Rank, born on 31 July 1731. She developed a close relationship with Lady Gao, the emperor’s secondary consort since 1734.

Following the death of the Yongzheng Emperor on 8 October 1735, her husband ascended the throne as the Qianlong Emperor. On 23 January 1738, Lady Fuca was instated as empress. As empress, she was responsible for managing the palace and overseeing rituals, including a sericulture rite that was restored during her tenure, which she personally led in 1744. In that year, she became the first Qing empress to lead these rituals, offering mulberry and contributing to the renewed tradition.

She gave birth to Yongcong, her seventh son, on 27 May 1746. The emperor designated Yongcong as crown prince, but he died of smallpox on 29 January 1748. Her own health declined, and during a southern tour, she fell ill with a malarial fever. She died on 8 April 1748, three months after Yongcong’s death. Her funeral was extensive.

Her death elicited a strong response from the Qianlong Emperor, who was deeply affected. He issued edicts condemning the disrespectful mourning behaviors of two of his sons, Yonghuang and Yongzhang, and punished officials who did not observe proper mourning protocols. The emperor expressed his grief in a poem titled "Expressing My Grief" which reflected on the end of their shared life.

Throughout her life, she held various titles: during the Kangxi era, she was Lady Fuca; during Yongzheng’s reign, she was primary consort; and under the Qianlong Emperor, she was elevated to Empress and later Empress Xiaoxian. In the Jiaqing era, her posthumous title was Empress Xiaoxianchun.

Her issue includes one daughter who died young, her sons Yonglian and Yongcong, and Princess Hejing. Her life has been depicted in various television series, including portrayals in "Take Care, Your Highness!" (1985), "The Rise and Fall of Qing Dynasty" (1988), "Jiangshan Weizhong" (2002), "The Prince's Shadow" (2005), "Empresses in the Palace" (2011), "Story of Yanxi Palace" (2018), and "Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace" (2018).