Consort Qian

Consort Qian (Chinese: 謙妃; pinyin: Qiān Fēi; 1714 – 17 June 1767), a member of Han Chinese Liu clan, was a consort of Yongzheng Emperor.

Liugiya Xiangyu
Consort Qian
Born	1714 (1714)
Died	17 June 1767(1767-06-17) (aged 52–53) Forbidden City
Burial	Tai Mausoleum, Western Qing tombs
Spouse	Yongzheng Emperor ​ ​ (m. 1729; died 1735)​
Issue	Hongyan, Prince Guogong of the Second Rank
House	Liu (劉; by birth) Aisin Gioro (by marriage)

Consort Qian
Traditional Chinese	謙妃
Simplified Chinese	謙妃
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Qiān Fēi

Life

Family background

Consort Qian was a member of Han Chinese Liu clan, later manchurised to "Liugiya". Her personal name was Xiangyu (香玉, literally: Tuberose)^[1]

Father: Liu Man (刘满), an official in the Ministry of Internal Affairs (内管领, pinyin: neiguanling)^[2]

Kangxi era

The future Consort Qian was born in 1714.

Yongzheng era

In 1729, lady Liu entered the Forbidden City at the age of fifteen, and was given the title of "Second Class Female Attendant Liu" (刘答应). In the following year, she was promoted to "Noble Lady Liu" (刘贵人).^[3] On 9 May 1733, Lady Liu gave birth to the sixth imperial prince Hongyan in Yuangmingyuan (圆明园), and was promoted to "Concubine Qian" (谦嫔; "qian" meaning "modest“, "amiable").^[4]

Qianlong era

In 1735, after the coronation of Qianlong Emperor, Lady Liu was promoted to "Consort Qian" (谦妃).^[5] In 1737, Empress Dowager Chongqing ordered Hongyan to bestow rich gifts to his mother, so as to show his filial piety. The prince refused to send gifts assuming that he wouldn't dare to compete with Hongli.

According to the records of 1751, Lady Liu had six palace maids: Dege (德格), Lianying (连英), Fuge (福格), Aishenzhu (爱申朱), Fengge, and Daniu.

Lady Liu died on 17 June 1767 at the age of fifty three. Her coffin was temporarily placed in Balitun Immortal Palace and later was interred at the Tai Mausoleum in Western Qing tombs.^[6]

Titles

• During the reign of the Kangxi Emperor (r. 1661–1722):
  • Lady Liugiya (from 1714)
• During the reign of the Yongzheng Emperor (r. 1722–1735):
  • Second Class Female Attendant Liu (刘答应; from 1729), eighth rank consort
  • Noble Lady Liu (刘贵人; from 1730), sixth rank consort
  • Imperial Concubine Qian (谦嫔; from 1733), fifth rank consort
• During the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1735–1796):
  • Consort Qian (谦太妃; from 1735), fourth rank consort

Issue

• As Noble Lady Liu:
  • Hongyan, Prince Guogong of the Second Rank (果恭郡王 弘曕; 9 May 1733 – 27 April 1765)

See also

• Ranks of imperial consorts in China#Qing
• Royal and noble ranks of the Qing dynasty