Biography
Empress Xiaoshurui was born of the Manchu Hitara (喜塔臘) clan, which was under the Plain White Banner of the Eight Banners. Her personal name is unknown. Her father was Horchingo (和爾經額), title Duke Cheng'en (承恩公), who served as a minister of interior affairs and vice commander of a banner. She was born in 1760 during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor.
In 1774 Lady Hitara married Yongyan, the 15th son of the Qianlong Emperor. They had a son and two daughters. On 9 February 1796 the Qianlong Emperor abdicated in favour of Yongyan and became Retired Emperor, while Yongyan ascended to the throne as the Jiaqing Emperor. Jiaqing instated Lady Hitara as his Empress after his coronation.
Lady Hitara died of illness in 1797, having been Empress for barely a year. She was posthumously granted the title of "Empress Xiaoshurui" after the death of the Jiaqing Emperor in 1820, and was interred in the Changling Mausoleum in the Western Qing Tombs.
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