Life

Mianxin was born to Empress Xiaoherui on 9 March 1805 during the latter's reign. In his childhood, Mianxin shared a close relationship with his elder brother, Miankai and Minning, the future Daoguang Emperor who had been adopted by the empress in 1797. In the late Jiaqing era, Mianxin was intended to succeed the weakening Jiaqing Emperor. However, Mianxin was granted a title of the Prince Rui of the First Rank with the character "瑞" at the age of 14 (15 sui).

In 1820, he accompanied his father at the Chengde Mountain Resort. After the death of the emperor the successor was not appointed, leaving a final decision to the Empress Dowager, Lady Niohuru. Lady Niohuru did not appoint Mianxin as a successor, which earned a praise from Minning for avoiding to pursue self-interest into the succession list although the decision was influenced by Minning's report about the secret imperial decree dating back to 1800.

During the national mourning in 1821, Mianxin performed sacrificial rites at the Chang Mausoleum of the Western Qing tombs for 25 days. Before the grand sacrifices at the tomb, Mianxin had been so overwhelmed by grievance that did not attend the rites. In February 1823, Mianxin and Miankai redistributed the meal and monetary allowance to the victims of flood. In 1823, Mianxin gained control over the Ministry of War and Ministry of Personnel. In November 1824, Mianxin presided over the grand sacrifices at the Changling. Due to mismanagement of the printing house of the Hall of Martial Valor in the Forbidden City, Mianxin had his salary decreased, while his assistants received various forms of punishment.

Mianxin died on 27 September 1828 of illness and was posthumously honoured as Prince Ruihuai of the First Rank (和硕瑞怀亲王, meaning "propitious and affectionate"). He was succeeded by his only son, Yizhi.

Family

Mianxin was married to lady Feimo, daughter of first-class marquis Weiqin, Lebao (一等威勤侯勒保). The wedding banquet was organised on 21 March 1819 at the Hall of Lacking Selfishness (无私殿). The list of operas presented at the banquet included "Distant pair of stairs bringing eternal joy". The princess consort died on 11 April 1827 and was interred at the family mausoleum located in Haidian District, near the Tomb of the Futian duke.

In 1827, Mianxin promoted his secondary consort, lady Baidu, daughter of Master Commandant of Cloud Cavalry Dexing, to second primary consort. Lady Baidu died on 7 June 1853.

----Consorts and issue:

• Primary consort, of the Feimo clan (嫡福晋费莫氏, d. 11 April 1827)

• Second Primary consort, of the Baidu clan (继福晋, d. 7 June 1853) 瑞亲王侧福晋-->瑞亲王继福晋

• Secondary consort, of the Xu clan (侧福晋徐氏)

　• Lady of the Second Rank (县君, b. 1826-1827), first daughter

　　• The marriage was held in 1841.

　• Prince Ruimin of the Second Rank Yizhi (瑞敏郡王奕志, 30 October 1827 - 27 June 1850), first son

• Mistress, of the Liu clan (庶福晋刘氏)

In fiction and popular culture

• Portrayed by Joel Chan in Curse of the Royal Harem (2011)

• Portrayed by Li Zeduo in Beauty at War (2013)

家庭

妻妾

嫡福晉費莫氏，一等侯勒保之女。嘉慶二十四年二月二十一日，四阿哥福晉父家唱定婚，著內大學、外頭學和錢糧處伺候。四阿哥綿忻成婚之前，嘉慶帝在奉三無私殿舉行家宴，由內大學演出《法宮雅奏》中的皇子成婚慶典戲《列宿遙臨》及《雙星永慶》。中國第一歷史檔案館有藏禮部尚書松筠在道光七年十月二十二日提交的《題報擬議和碩瑞親王嫡福晉蓖逝應行祭禮事》，費莫氏應在此日期或以前已故。

繼福晉白都氏，雲騎尉德興之女。中國第一歷史檔案館有藏會計司在道光二年八月十四日提交的《為辦理瑞親王側室福晉於道光二年十一月初二日進所事》，應被指婚為側室福晉。道光八年正月二十七日，宗人府提交《為和碩瑞親王側福晉伯都氏著准其作為繼福晉事》。

側福晉徐佳氏，廣容之女。中國第一歷史檔案館有藏道光十二年十一月初五日《為瑞郡王奕約生母著加恩封為側室福晉所有應行事宜著該衙門照例辦理事》，未有註明徐佳氏被封為側福晉前的位份。

庶福晉劉氏，劉丙文之女。

子女

長子瑞敏郡王奕誌，道光七年九月十一日 (1827年10月30日) 午時出生，道光八年十月，襲封多羅瑞郡王，道光三十年五月二十八日 (1850年6月27日) 寅時去世，享年二十四歲，無子。

長女，中國第一歷史檔案館有藏瑞郡王門上長史富英等在道光二十一年三月十七日呈奏的《為呈報瑞懷親王綿忻之長女出聘日期事》，以及同日瑞郡王門上提交的《報瑞親王長女指婚給閒散由文封》。

後代

載漪，咸豐十年正月，文宗讓惇親王奕誴第二子載漪過繼給奕誌為嗣，光緒二十六年載漪因義和團問題而被革爵歸宗，醇親王奕譞的第六子載洵代替載漪繼承奕誌宗支。

瑞親王世系圖