Rumors circulate that a Qing dynasty empress was poisoned by the Empress Dowager, with a poem serving as evidence: “The jade pendant, often cherished in youth, was poisoned at the banquet by ant’s venom; Emperor Wen’s favor injured the precious waters, and the heavenly decree praised filial virtue in its entirety.” This refers to Empress Xiaoqian, the third empress of the Daoguang Emperor. Xiaoqian was known for being deeply favored and gave birth to four sons during her time with the emperor. But was she really poisoned by the Empress Dowager?
Xiaoqian was a woman from the Manchu Zhenhong Banner, born into the Niuhulu clan. We’ll call her by the Niuhulu surname, as is customary. The Qing dynasty had many concubines from the Niuhulu clan, and six empresses came from this lineage, with Xiaoqian being one of them. However, she stood apart from the others as the only Niuhulu empress not born into the prestigious Hongyi Gong family.
As is often the case with large families, they share a common ancestor. The Niuhulu clan’s most renowned ancestor was Suoheji Bayen from the Ming dynasty. His descendants grew into a significant clan, with one of the most notable being the seventh generation’s E’erdudu, a heroic figure who became a founding father of the Qing dynasty. Xiaoqian’s ancestors trace back to the third generation, while the famous Heshen's lineage reaches the fourth generation. Thus, despite the distance, Xiaoqian and Heshen were distantly related by blood.
The Niuhulu clan’s family tree indicates that Empress Xiaomu was from the twelfth generation, Empress Xiaoyang from the fourteenth, and Empress Xiaoqian from the seventeenth. According to this genealogy, Empress Xiaomu was the great-aunt of Empress Xiaoyang, and Xiaoyang was the great-great-aunt of Empress Xiaoqian. All three women eventually married into the Aisin Gioro family, establishing intricate familial ties and making the Qing dynasty's royal and noble intermarriages even more complex.
Xiaoqian’s family, however, did not rise to prominence until her great-grandfather Chengde, whose family, originally from a military background, began to gain status. Chengde, a soldier, was part of the imperial army and distinguished himself through his military accomplishments, eventually being honored with the title of the prestigious Ziguangge. Chengde's son, Mukdenbu, continued to earn military honors but died during a campaign. Mukdenbu's son, Yiling, inherited his father’s rank, becoming Xiaoqian’s father.
As we trace Xiaoqian’s family tree, we find that her immediate ancestors were all from military backgrounds, shifting to bureaucratic careers only with her father, Yiling. In the second year of Daoguang, the emperor held the first imperial selection, and Xiaoqian, along with three other women, was selected. The emperor seemed particularly fond of her, bestowing the title “Quan Pin” on her while the others were given lesser titles.
As time went on, it became clear that Daoguang favored Xiaoqian. After entering the palace in the second year, she quickly rose to prominence, becoming a consort, then a noble consort by the third year. By the age of 15, Xiaoqian had already become second-in-command of the harem, just beneath the Empress Tongjia.
In terms of fertility, Xiaoqian also excelled. Between the third and eleventh years of Daoguang, she gave birth four times. Although she lost her first pregnancy, the other three resulted in two princesses and one prince. Her son, the Fourth Prince Yizhu, born in the eleventh year of Daoguang, was particularly significant to the emperor, as all of his previous sons had died young. Yizhu’s birth brought hope of an heir, and the emperor’s joy was evident.
Two years after Yizhu’s birth, Empress Tongjia passed away, and Xiaoqian’s rank was elevated to the highly prestigious “Cixi Guanfei,” in charge of the East and West Six Palaces. A year later, she was formally crowned empress at the age of 27. At this point, Xiaoqian had both sons and daughters and enjoyed immense power and status.
However, as often happens with those who gain power, changes took place. After assuming the position of Empress, Xiaoqian became increasingly arrogant and uncontrollable. Reports from the Qing archives show that in the nineteenth year of Daoguang, she struck a palace maid and expelled her from the palace. This angered Daoguang, who issued a decree that essentially stripped Xiaoqian of her harem authority.
Following this decree, Xiaoqian fell into a period of melancholy. In the summer of the nineteenth year, Daoguang visited her with the Empress Dowager, signaling that her condition had worsened. However, it was not until the following year, in the twentieth year, that she passed away from illness in the early hours of the morning on the third day of the first month. Her death occurred in the imperial palace at Yuanmingyuan.
Speculation surrounding Xiaoqian’s death has varied over time. Some believe she was poisoned by the Empress Dowager, but there are several competing theories about why this might have happened. One theory suggests Xiaoqian’s request for a government position for her father angered the Empress Dowager, leading to her forced death by shame. However, her father had already passed away by the time this alleged request would have taken place.
Another theory posits that she used a drug to induce labor while giving birth to her son, the Fourth Prince, and was subsequently forced to take her life after the Empress Dowager found out. However, there are strict records of imperial births, making such an accusation improbable.
A third theory suggests Xiaoqian attempted to poison the Sixth Prince, Yixin, a favorite of Daoguang, and that the Empress Dowager ordered her death. But this theory, too, is unlikely, as harming a royal child was a serious crime, one unlikely to be committed by an empress. Furthermore, the imperial kitchen adhered to strict rules, making it unlikely that she could have poisoned anyone.
After considering all the theories, it seems highly improbable that Xiaoqian was poisoned by the Empress Dowager. Moreover, both Daoguang and the Empress Dowager attended her funeral, an unlikely action if she had been murdered by the latter. After being stripped of her harem powers, Xiaoqian became ill, and her condition worsened for several months before her eventual death, suggesting her demise was more due to illness than foul play.
Sources: Qing History Manuscript, Daoguang Emperor’s Chronicle, The Genealogy of Manchu Families, Qing Dynasty Unofficial Histories
