Speaking of this Kangxi Emperor, most people will first think of his exploits, this emperor known as the "Emperor of the Ages", through the capture of Aobai, Pingsan Fan, Dingdanggar, the acquisition of Taiwan and Tsarist Russia, completed the reconstruction of the Great Unification Dynasty. However, it is not known that Kangxi also has an unknown side, for example, in terms of concubines, Kangxi is the most numerous, so it can be said that this meritorious emperor is also very beautiful.
During his lifetime, Kangxi had three empresses, namely Empress Xiaocheng, Empress Xiaozhao, and Empress Xiaoyi. These three empresses were all from the old Xungui clan and came from impeccable origins, but Empress Xiaoyi was definitely the closest to Kangxi, because the two were not only husband and wife, but also had another layer of relationship.
Empress Xiaoyi's father was named Tong Guowei, and one of Tong Guowei's sisters (Empress Xiaokang) was incorporated into the harem by Shunzhi and gave birth to the Kangxi Emperor, that is, Empress Xiaoyi was Kangxi's maternal cousin. However, Empress Xiaoyi initially belonged to the Han military flag, and later carried it to Manchuria with a yellow flag.
In the fifteenth year of the Kangxi Dynasty, Empress Xiaoyi entered the Forbidden City through the draft, and only one year later, Kangxi crowned her as a noble concubine, and thus Empress Xiaoyi became the first noble concubine of the Qing Dynasty. At that time, the empress of the middle palace was Empress Xiaozhao, also the daughter of a nobleman with a prominent family, however, it was unexpected that half a year later, Empress Xiaozhao died in childbirth. As a result, Empress Xiaoyi, who was a noble concubine, became the woman with the highest rank in the harem.
In the twentieth year of Kangxi, Kangxi Longyan Dayue, who successfully pacified San Francisco, once again adjusted the personnel of the harem, however, he did not expect that Empress Xiaoyi, who was originally expected by everyone, only made an imperial concubine. At that time, why didn't Kangxi make Empress Xiaoyi empress? Some scholars believe that this may have a lot to do with Kangxi's idea of wife-denial, because Kangxi's first two wives died early, and in order to protect Empress Xiaoyi, she was not made empress.
Perhaps understanding Kangxi's thoughts, Empress Xiaoyi did not slack off because she was not made empress, but did her best to take care of the affairs of the harem. In the twenty-second year of the Kangxi Dynasty, Empress Xiaoyi finally gave birth to a princess, the eighth daughter of the emperor, but the little princess only lived for one month before dying.
There is a custom in Manchuria that cremation of some princes or princesses who died in the early years and do not leave ashes, is said to facilitate the reincarnation of children. Therefore, when he heard the news of the daughter's death, Kangxi ordered the baby to be sent out of the palace with a quilt, and then found a secluded place to burn it.
This birth caused great damage to Empress Xiaoyi's body, and in order to comfort Empress Xiaoyi, Kangxi gave her the fourth brother Yinchen (Yongzheng), who was born to Concubine De, to raise her, perhaps with a little more comfort in her soul.
One day in early July of the 28th year of Kangxi, the news of Empress Xiaoyi's serious illness suddenly came out of the palace, and Kangxi and Empress Renxian immediately returned to the palace from Changchun Garden. In this case, Kangxi immediately ordered that this wife be made empress, but only one day later, Empress Xiaoyi passed away.
The cause of Empress Xiaoyi's death is not recorded in official historical records, but the missionary Zhang Cheng left a record in his diary, saying that the Empress of the Qing Dynasty died of miscarriage. The three empresses actually died of childbirth, which shows that in ancient times, women's childbirth was indeed a difficult time!
References: Draft History of the Qing Dynasty, Records of the Ancestors of the Qing Dynasty, Diary of Zhang Cheng