Empress Xiaohui (孝惠皇后; d. 5 December 1522), of the Shao clan, was a consort of the Chenghua Emperor.

Life

Official history does not record the year of her birth. The ancestors of the Shao family were wealthy, and Lady Shao received a good education. For an unknown reason, her father Shao Lin lost his fortune overnight. He had to sell his daughter to the eunuch guarding Hangzhou. Seeing Lady Shao's beauty, the eunuch brought her to the palace. In the fourth year of Tianshun (1460), Lady Shao was selected to serve. In the eighth year of Tianshun (1464), seventeen-year-old prince

Zhu Jianshen The Chenghua Emperor (; 9 December 1447 – 9 September 1487), personal name Zhu Jianshen, was the ninth Emperor of the Ming dynasty, who reigned from 1464 to 1487. His era name " Chenghua" means "accomplished change". Childhood Zhu Jianshen wa ...

succeeded to the throne as the Chenghua Emperor. After training in

calligraphy Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "t ...

and literature, Lady Shao was presented as a gift to the emperor. How Lady Shao became his concubine remains unknown. Legends say that one night, Lady Shao recited a poem under the moon and was heard by the emperor. In the 12th year of Chenghua (1476), Lady Shao gave birth to Zhu Youyan, Prince of Xin. Later that year, Lady Shao was granted the title Consort Chen. In the fourteenth year of Chenghua (1478), she birthed her second son, Zhu Youlin, Prince Hui of Xin. In the seventeenth year of Chenghua (1481), Consort Chen gave birth to her final child, Zhu Youyun, Prince Jing of Yong.

Titles

*During the reign of the

Zhengtong Emperor Emperor Yingzong of Ming (; 29 November 1427 – 23 February 1464), personal name Zhu Qizhen (), was the sixth and eighth Emperor of the Ming dynasty. He ascended the throne as the Zhengtong Emperor () in 1435, but was forced to abdicate in 1 ...

(r. 1435–1449) ** Lady Shao (邵氏; from an unknown date) *During the reign of the Chenghua Emperor (r. 1464–1487): ** Concubine (嬪; after 1464) ** Consort Chen (宸妃; from 1476) ** Noble Consort (貴妃; from 1487) *During the reign of the Jiajing Emperor (r. 1521–1567): ** Empress dowager (皇太后; from 1521) ** Empress Dowager Shou'an (壽安皇太后; from 1522) ** ''Empress Dowager Xiaohui Kangsu Wenren Yishun Xietian Yousheng'' (孝惠康肅溫仁懿順協天祐聖皇太后; from 1522) ** ''Grand Empress Dowager Xiaohui Kangsu Wenren Yishun Xietian Yousheng'' (孝惠康肅溫仁懿順協天祐聖太皇太后; from 1528) ** ''Empress Xiaohui Kangsu Wenren Yishun Xietian Yousheng'' (孝惠康肅溫仁懿順協天祐聖皇后; from 1536)

Descendants

As a concubine: *

Zhu Youyuan Zhu Youyuan (; 22 July 1476 – 13 July 1519), was a prince of the Ming dynasty of China. He was the fourth son of the Chenghua Emperor. Created Prince of Xing (興王), his fief was near today's Zhongxiang, in Hubei Province. He and his wif ...

, Prince of Xing (興王朱佑杬; 22 July 1476 – 13 July 1519), the Chengua Emperor's fourth son As Noble Consort: * Zhu Youlun, Prince Hui of Qi (岐惠王朱佑棆; 12 November 1478 – 2 December 1501), the Chenghua Emperor's fifth son * Zhu Youyun, Prince Jing of Yong (雍靖王朱佑枟; 29 June 1481 – 17 January 1507), the Chenghua Emperor's eighth son

was the biological father of Zhu Houcong, the Jiajing Emperor. When Zhu Houcong became emperor, Consort Chen was old and blind. In the first year of Jiajing, he honoured Lady Shao as Empress Dowager Shou'an. The next year, she died and was posthumously awarded the title Empress Xiaohui.

References

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Xiaohui, Empress Year of birth missing 15th-century births 1522 deaths Ming dynasty empresses dowager 15th-century Chinese women 15th-century Chinese people 16th-century Chinese women 16th-century Chinese people