Life

Family background

Consort Ji was a member of Han Chinese Plain Yellow Banner Wang clan. Her personal name was Xinghuachun (杏花春; literally: Spring Apricot; corresponding with Spring Apricot villa in Yuanmingyuan).

Father: Qingyuan (清远), served as a guard in imperial gardens department.

Mother: Lady Wu (伍氏)

One brother:Wenyuan (文元)

Daoguang era

Consort Ji was born in 1846. Her father and grandfather died, leaving her together with mother, lady Wu, who received only one tael monthly.

Xianfeng era

In 1858, Lady Wang entered the Forbidden City, and was given the title of "Noble Lady Ji" (吉贵人; "ji" meaning "auspicious"). She lived under the supervision of Empress Xiaozhenxian in Zhongcui palace. Lady Wang joined a clique called "Four spring ladies" (四春娘娘 Sì chūn niángniáng) together with Noble Lady Lu, Noble Lady Xi and Noble Lady Qing. According to the "Early years of Cixi" lady Wang and Consort Yi were holding crippled Xianfeng Emperor. Once, when Noble Lady Ji was pregnant, she was walking together with Lady Yehe Nara in Imperial Garden. Lady Nara accidentally kicked lady Wang causing her a miscarriage.

Tongzhi era

In 1861, Noble Lady Ji was promoted to "Concubine Ji" (吉嫔) together with other Four Spring ladies.

Guangxu era

In 1875, Concubine Ji was promoted to "Consort Ji" (吉妃). Consort Ji died on 12 November 1905. She was interred at the Ding Mausoleum in Eastern Qing tombs in 1907.

Titles

• During the reign of the Daoguang Emperor (r. 1820–1850):

　• Lady Wang (from 1846)

• During the reign of the Xianfeng Emperor (r. 1850–1861):

　• Noble Lady Ji (吉贵人; from 1858), sixth rank consort

• During the reign of the Tongzhi Emperor (r. 1861–1875):

　• Concubine Ji (吉嫔; from 1861), fifth rank consort

• During the reign of the Guangxu Emperor (r. 1875–1908):

　• Consort Ji (吉妃; from 1875), fourth rank consort

Issue

• As Noble Lady:

　• Miscarriage (male; 1859 or 1860)

生平

道光二十六年（1846年）出生。

據家族譜系顯示，王氏自幼喪父，父親和祖父都是獨苗。因此，沒有任何近親，只能由寡母帶著王氏過日子。王氏之母因不再改嫁而給了每月一兩的寡婦錢糧，家境寒微。後來，兩人借住在親戚家裡。

咸豐初年，經內務府選秀而入宮，成為皇后鈕祜祿氏所居的鐘粹宮的宮女。王氏為四春娘娘（禧妃、慶妃、吉妃、璷妃）中的一人。

咸豐八年（1858年）五月晉封為吉貴人，其地位在玉貴人之次，位序先於禧貴人。族人王文善在新中國初期寫過文史資料，題名《慈禧早年軼事》，文中稱咸豐帝有點行走不便，所以吉貴人和那拉氏經常扶著清文宗，倆人因而被戲稱為御拐棍兒。有次，懷孕的吉貴人在御花園假山旁和那拉氏玩捉迷藏時，竟被那拉氏故意推了一把而小產一個已成形的男胎。

咸豐帝逝世後，四春娘娘于同日被同治帝進為嬪。吉貴人晉封為吉嬪。同治帝逝世後，四人又再被光緒帝一起晉為妃。吉嬪晉封為吉妃。光緒三十一年（1905年），吉妃逝世，葬於定陵妃園寢。

注釋