Imperial Noble Consort Chunque

Family background

Imperial Noble Consort Chunque came from Han Chinese Geng clan (耿氏). Her personal name is unknown.

• Father: Dejin (德金), served as an official in the Ministry of Internal Affairs (内管领).^[1]

Kangxi era

Lady Geng was born in twelfth lunar month of twenty eighth year of Kangxi Emperor, which translates to December 1689 in the Gregorian calendar. In 1704, she became a mistress of Kangxi Emperor's fourth son. On 5 January 1712, she gave birth to Yinzhen's fifth son, Hongzhou.

Yongzheng era

The Kangxi Emperor died on 20 December 1722 and was succeeded by Yinzhen, who was enthroned as the Yongzheng Emperor. In 1723, Lady Geng was given a title of "Concubine Yu" (裕嫔; "yu" meaning "prosperous").^[2] In 1730, she was promoted to "Consort Yu" (裕妃).^[3]

Qianlong era

The Yongzheng Emperor died on 8 October 1735 and was succeeded by Hongli, who was enthroned as the Qianlong Emperor. The same year she was elevated to "Dowager Noble Consort Yu" (裕贵太妃).^[4] After the death of Empress Dowager Chongqing in 1778, Dowager Noble Consort Yu was promoted to "Dowager Imperial Noble Consort Yu" (裕皇貴太妃). She died of illness on 27 January 1785 at the age of ninety six. She was posthumously granted the title "Imperial Noble Consort Chunque" (纯悫皇贵妃, "chunque" meaning "pure and honest").^[5] She was interred in the Tai Mausoleum in Western Qing tombs. She is the longest surviving consort of Yongzheng Emperor.