Consort Donggo


Consort Donggo, of the Manchu Plain White Banner Donggo clan, was a consort of the Shunzhi Emperor. She was one year his junior.

Life

Family background

Lady Donggo's personal name was not recorded in history. Her ancestral home was in Liaoning.

Shunzhi era

In the summer of 1656, Lady Donggo entered the Forbidden City and was deeply loved and favoured by the Shunzhi Emperor. On 12 October 1656, she was granted the title "Consort Xian". On 19 January 1657, she was elevated to "Imperial Noble Consort". The Shunzhi Emperor held a grand ceremony for the promotion of Lady Donggo and proclaimed amnesty. When Lady Donggo became the Imperial Noble Consort, she shared the power of managing the inner court with Empress Xiaohuizhang, whom Emperor Shunzhi wanted to depose.
On 12 November 1657, Lady Donggo gave birth to the Emperor's fourth son. The premature death of their son on 25 February 1658 had a great impact on Lady Donggo and the Shunzhi Emperor. Lady Donggo fell ill and died on 23 September 1660. The Shunzhi Emperor was so overwhelmed with grief that he stopped attending daily court meetings for five days to mourn Lady Donggo. It was also said that the Shunzhi Emperor was so depressed that he wanted to commit suicide, and had to be watched every day. Two days after her death, Lady Donggo was posthumously granted the title of empress, an uncommon gesture. She was interred in the Xiao Mausoleum of the Eastern Qing tombs.

Titles

  • During the reign of Hong Taiji :
  • * Lady Donggo
  • During the reign of the Shunzhi Emperor :
  • * Consort Xian, fourth rank consort
  • * Imperial Noble Consort, second rank consort
  • * ''Empress Xiaoxian''

Issue

  • As imperial noble consort:
  • * Prince Rong of the First Rank, the Shunzhi Emperor's fourth son

In popular culture