Yixiang

Yixiang (Chinese: 奕詳; 15 March 1849 – 13 February 1886) was a member of the Qing Dynasty royal family, the grandson of the Jiaqing Emperor. He was the fifth son of Mianyu, Prince Huiduan of the First Rank, and held the peerage of Prince Hui of the Second Rank.

Yixiang was born on 15 March 1849 to Mianyu's second primary consort, Lady Gūwalgiya, who was the daughter of Guiliang, a negotiator involved in the Tianjin Treaty. During his childhood, Yixiang was educated at the imperial study alongside Yixun, with the aim of accompanying the Tongzhi Emperor. Records from 1855 indicate that Li Hongzao was one of his tutors; Li Hongzao also tutored the underage emperor.

In 1860, Yixiang was granted the noble title Feng'en fuguo gong. The following year, in 1861, he was promoted to Feng'en zhenguo gong. After the death of his father in 1864, he inherited the title of Prince Hui of the Second Rank, as the peerage was not designated as entailable in perpetuity. The promotion to this rank was formalized after a traditional 100-day mourning period. On the 40th birthday of Empress Dowager Cixi, Yixiang was bestowed the title of Prince of the First Rank, conferring upon him privileges associated with qinwang (imperial princes), although he remained officially a Prince of the Second Rank.

Yixiang engaged in various activities related to imperial construction and funerary arrangements. In 1879, he ordered renovations of the Long'en Hall at the Yu mausoleum of the Eastern Qing tombs. Four years later, in 1883, he oversaw the construction of the tomb of Empress Dowager Cian, and subsequently was involved in conducting her funeral. In 1885, he performed ritual incense offerings at the Hall of Imperial Longevity.

His contributions extended to efforts during the Taiping Rebellion, notably in 1863, when he is recorded to have pacified Jianning Province, which was experiencing significant upheaval. However, this involvement was not documented in official imperial chronicles.

Yixiang died on 13 February 1886 at the age of 36. Posthumously, he was awarded the title Prince Huijing of the Second Rank, with "Huijing" meaning "kind and respectful." Following his death, some of his bloodline was granted to his family members, in accordance with court practices.

Regarding his family, Yixiang's first wife was Lady Gūwalgiya, daughter of Hife (锡福). In 1885, he married Lady Alut, the fifth daughter of Duke Chongqi of the Alut clan. His primary consort from the Gūwalgiya clan died in 1884, and his second primary consort from the Alut clan lived until 1922. He also had a secondary consort from the Magiya clan.

Yixiang had children, including Prince of the Third Rank Zairun (14 August 1878 – 6 July 1963) and Second Class Defender General Zaiji (1880–1894).