Imperial Noble Consort Gongshun

Imperial Noble Consort Gongshun (1787 – 23 April 1860) was a consort of the Jiaqing Emperor of the Qing dynasty.

Life

Imperial Noble Consort Gongshun was born in the Manchu Niohuru clan. Her personal name is unknown. Her father was Shanqing (善慶), who served as a zhushi (主事) under the Qing government. She entered the Forbidden City in the early reign of the Jiaqing Emperor and received the rank of Noble Lady under the title "Noble Lady Ru" (如貴人). In 1805, she gave birth to the Jiaqing Emperor's eighth daughter and was promoted to "Imperial Concubine Ru" (如嬪) three months later. In 1810, she was promoted to "Consort Ru" (如妃). A year later, she gave birth to the Jiaqing Emperor's ninth daughter, Gurun Princess Huimin (慧愍固倫公主). In 1814, she bore the Jiaqing Emperor's fifth son, Mianyu (綿愉).

In 1820, the Jiaqing Emperor died and was succeeded by his second son Mianning, who was enthroned as the Daoguang Emperor. In the same year, the Daoguang Emperor granted Lady Niohuru the title "Dowager Noble Consort Ru" (皇考如貴妃) and let her reside in Shou'an Palace (壽安宮). In 1846, she was honoured as "Dowager Imperial Noble Consort Ru" (皇考如皇貴妃). In 1850, the Daoguang Emperor died and was succeeded by the Xianfeng Emperor, who granted Lady Niohuru the title "Grand Dowager Imperial Noble Consort Ru" (皇祖如皇貴太妃).

Lady Niohuru died in 1860 and was granted the posthumous title "Imperial Noble Consort Gongshun" (恭順皇貴妃). She was interred in the Changling Mausoleum in the Western Qing tombs.

Children

• The Jiaqing Emperor's eighth daughter (1805), unnamed, died before reaching a year old.
• Gurun Princess Huimin (慧憫固倫公主; 1811–1815), personal name unknown, the Jiaqing Emperor's ninth daughter.
• Mianyu (绵愉; 1814-1865), the Jiaqing Emperor's fifth son.

Appearances in media

Imperial Noble Consort Gongshun is portrayed by Sheren Tang in the 2004 Hong Kong television series War and Beauty. In the television drama, Gongshun (referred to as Consort Ru) is portrayed as a bullying and manipulative woman who engages in a power struggle against the empress. It is later revealed that it was a facade because Consort Ru admits that she had behaved as such in order to survive in the imperial harem. Tang's portrayal of Consort Ru won widespread acclaim by media critics and audiences, raising her popularity.

See also

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

References

• Zhao, Erxun (1928). Draft History of Qing (Qing Shi Gao) (in Chinese). Volume 214.