Đổng Ngạc Phi was the first Noble Consort of the Qing Dynasty. The love and favor that Emperor Shunzhi had for her caused some dissatisfaction. Many historians believe that the quick death of Emperor Shunzhi was influenced by her departure.
The favored consort who broke many rules for Emperor Shunzhi
Dong Ngac Phi was a consort of Emperor Shunzhi. She entered the palace at the age of 18 and was greatly favored by the emperor. Dong Ngac Thi was talented in calligraphy, knowledgeable in history, and had the gentle and elegant demeanor of a talented woman, therefore she was well-liked. However, there is a theory that she was married before entering the palace. Dong Ngac Thi entered the palace at the age of 18, which is considered old for selecting concubines as the usual age range is 13-16.
However, age seemed not to affect her status. The evidence is that she was bestowed the title of Virtuous Consort when she first entered the palace, and just a month later was promoted to Noble Consort, a “dangerously fast” promotion which is extremely rare for Qing emperors.
Moreover, because of Dong Ngac Phi, Emperor Shunzhi issued a decree twice, granting amnesty to the entire country. The first time was when she was named Noble Consort, and the second time was when she gave birth to a royal prince. This had never happened before in the history of the Qing Dynasty. Despite receiving unparalleled favor from the emperor, perhaps it was for this reason that the life of Dong Ngac Phi ended tragically.
In the 14th year of Shunzhi’s reign (1657), on the 7th day of the 10th lunar month (equivalent to November 12th in the Gregorian calendar), Noble Consort Dong Ngac Phi gave birth to a royal prince. Emperor Shunzhi was overjoyed at the birth of his son, immediately issuing imperial orders to celebrate the occasion, performing sacrifice rituals, and ordering officials to present congratulatory tributes. Therefore, from Princes, Dukes, Ministers, to Grand Secretaries, they all sent good horses and precious silk as congratulations for the birth of the royal prince. He issued letters of congratulations, treating it no differently from how he would treat a crown prince, and even issued an amnesty decree to the entire country.
However, the child died three months later. Due to overwhelming grief, Noble Consort Dong Ngac Phi fell ill after childbirth and passed away in 1660 at the age of 21. Shortly after the death of Noble Consort Dong Ngac Phi, Emperor Shunzhi also passed away due to smallpox.
Promoting the Empress
In the 17th year of Shunzhi’s reign (1660), on the 19th day of the 8th lunar month, after a long period of mourning, Noble Consort Dong Ngac Phi passed away at the young age of 21.
The death of the beloved consort was a great blow to Emperor Shunzhi. This emperor was so heartbroken that he halted court rituals for 4 months to mourn for Dong Ngac Phi and allowed the concubines and palace maids to enter the palace to pay their respects. At that time, the Imperial Palace even had to assign people to watch over Shunzhi day and night to prevent him from committing suicide out of grief. On the 21st day of that month, following his mother’s suggestion, Emperor Shunzhi appointed Dong Ngac Phi as Empress.
In the same year on the 23rd day of the 8th lunar month, a grand mourning ceremony was held for Empress Xiaozhuang Wen, which mentioned Emperor Shunzhi leading the Empress Dowager and the Empress to the Te Shrine to mourn for Empress Dong Ngac Phi. On the 26th day of the same month, Emperor Shunzhi conducted a posthumous title ceremony for Dong Ngac Phi, ordering officials to present tributes in Phung Tien Hall, but not in Thai Mieu as usual. On the same day, the emperor issued a written decree. This promotion of the empress by Emperor Shunzhi went against traditions because the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang Wen was still alive. He even intended to bury the highest-ranking female officials and palace maids, a total of 30 people, to accompany Empress Dong Ngac Phi in the Nine Sweet Springs, but fortunately this plan was later discovered and stopped. According to the rules and the decree, when Noble Consort Dong Ngac Phi passed away, the court should mourn for 5 days, but in reality, Emperor Shunzhi did not handle official affairs for several months.
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