Compared with Kangxi and Yongzheng, Qianlong did not attach much importance to the origin of the concubines, in the Qianlong harem, in addition to Empress Xiaoxian, most of the high-ranking people were dressed women from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, such as Huixian Emperor Concubine, Shujia Imperial Concubine, or Han women from the folk, such as Pure Hui Emperor Concubine and Qinggong Emperor Noble Concubine. However, there are also some women from famous backgrounds in the Qianlong harem, such as Shu Concubine, who will be talked about today.
Regarding the specific family lineage of Concubine Shu, the official historical records do not record it, but the Xingyuan Jiqing compiled by later generations refers to her as the Yehenara clan, the daughter of the attendant Yongshou. Later, ShuFei's high priest texts also called her "Yu Quality Famous Gate", so some experts speculated that ShuFei's father was most likely Yongshou, the grandson of the Kangxi Dynasty's power minister Nalan Mingzhu, and his mother was Yongshou's wife Guan Shi.
It is worth mentioning that Yongshou and his wife Guan Shi also had a daughter, who was the sister of Concubine Shu, and this woman was suspected of being married to Fu Heng, that is, this Concubine Shu was Fu Heng's sister-in-law.
From this point of view, this Shu Concubine's family lineage is really not ordinary, not only from the Yehenara clan, which enjoys the title of imperial relatives and state relatives, but also has a close relationship with the Yellow Banner Fucha clan.
At the beginning of the sixth year of Qianlong, Princess Shu participated in the Eight Flags Draft as the yellow flag woman of Manchuria, and was favored by Qianlong, and a 13-year-old Manchurian girl jumped into the court and was named Shu Concubine.
It is said that in the same year that Concubine Shu entered the palace, a palace maid appeared in the harem of the Great Qing Dynasty, and this palace girl was the daughter of the internal management leader Wei Qingtai (Wei Shi), who was the famous Concubine Ling. However, at this time, Princess Shu was obviously at the forefront by relying on her family background, but all this changed in the Qianlong decade.
Ten years after Qianlong, Emperor Huixian's concubine died, Qianlong made adjustments to the personnel of the harem, and Wei Shi, who was already a nobleman, was given the title of Concubine Ling, but the position of Concubine Shu did not change, and according to the Records of the Qing Dynasty, Concubine Ling was already at the head of the three concubines at this time, and the other two were Shu Concubine and Yi Concubine.
According to historical records, the palace where Princess Shu first lived after entering the palace was the Chengqian Palace, and she gave birth to a prince for Qianlong in the sixteenth year of Qianlong, which was the tenth son of the emperor. Unfortunately, the little prince only lived for two years before he died, and after that, Concubine Shu never gave birth again.
In order to comfort Princess Shu, Qianlong deliberately handed over two imperial daughters to Shu Concubine to raise, one was the eleventh son of Emperor Yongxuan, born to Concubine Jia, and the other was Princess Heshuo and Princess Ke, the ninth daughter of the Emperor born to Concubine Ling. Subsequently, I don't know what year it was, the Shu Concubine's residence changed, and the Chengqian Palace was moved to the Yongshou Palace, and this Yongshou Palace was the residence where Concubine Ling first lived.
In the forty years of Qianlong, the imperial concubine Wei Shi, who was in charge of the harem, died of illness, at that time, there were no empresses, imperial concubines and noble concubines in the palace, and the highest rank was the concubine, and it was LingFei who ranked first in the concubine position. Therefore, at the end of this year, for the Empress Chongqing of Shoukang Palace, it was Shufei and Yingfei who took the concubines with them.
However, the good times did not last long, only two years later, ShuFei died of illness, and after her death, the golden coffin was temporarily installed in the West Garden, speculating that ShuFei may have been recuperating in the West Garden, but died in the garden, of course, there is also a possibility, that is, died in the Yuanmingyuan.
After Princess Shu's death, Qianlong held a solemn funeral ceremony for her, sending the eleventh Brother Yongyao, Yongqi's fifth son Mianyi, the sixth Brother Yongyao's eldest son Miancong, and Princess Heke's princess Zalantai and Princess Hejia's son Fengsheng Jilun to wear filial piety for her, and Qianlong himself personally paid tribute to Princess Shu.
However, there is one thing that is more difficult to understand, Qianlong has pursued several dead concubines, but he has not posthumously sealed Shu Concubine, why is this? Moreover, Princess Shu was from a famous family, and there was no reason not to pursue the sealing, and as for the reasons, I believe that only Qianlong himself knew it.
References: Draft History of the Qing Dynasty, Records of Emperor Gaozong of the Qing Dynasty, Xingyuan Jiqing