Empress Dowager Ci'an - As The Xianfeng Emperor's Consort

As The Xianfeng Emperor's Consort

Lady Niuhuru's status within the palace rose rapidly. In late March or early April 1852 she was made an Imperial Concubine (嬪) and given the name Zhen (貞 – meaning "upright", "chaste", "virtuous", or "faithful to the memory of one's husband", i.e., by remaining chaste after his death and not remarrying). In late June or early July 1852, she was promoted to the rank of Noble Consort Zhen (貞貴妃). On 24 July 1852, she was officially created Empress Consort (皇后). As Empress Consort, she was put in charge of the women's quarters. Some sources claim that Lady Niohuru was already made primary wife after the death of Lady Sakda.

Customs required that the emperor had to spend one day a month with the empress. Lady Niuhuru stayed childless and it was the Imperial Concubine Yi (懿嬪) (the later Empress Dowager Cixi) who bore the Xianfeng Emperor a son, the later Tongzhi Emperor, on 27 April 1856. Some biographers state that Lady Niuhuru gave birth to the Xianfeng Emperor's only daughter, State Princess Rong'an, who was actually the daughter of the Xianfeng Emperor's concubine Consort Li. However, as Empress Consort, she was considered to be the legal mother of all of the Emperor's children, regardless of whether or not she was their birth mother. Cixi had little to say in her sons' upbringing. It was Lady Niuhuru who raised the Emperor's children and decided their punishment when they did not obey. Cixi once said:

• "I had...quite a lot of trouble with (Empress Niuhuru) and found it very difficult to keep on good terms with her".