15 Facts About Wenxiu

Wenxiu, known as Consort Shu and Ailian, was a consort of Puyi, the last Emperor of China and final ruler of the Qing dynasty.

Wenxiu was from the Mongol Erdet clan and her family was under the Bordered Yellow Banner of the Eight Banners.

Wenxiu belonged to the Mongolian Erdet clan of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner.

Wenxiu's father was Duangong, and her mother was Lady Jiang.

In 1921, Wenxiu was among the candidates listed as suitable by the Qing court as Empress consort.

In Lady Tatara's opinion, Wenxiu was not beautiful enough to be empress, and she came from a lesser family background than Wanrong.

Wenxiu held a discussion with other nobles and officials in the imperial court, who persuaded Puyi to select Wanrong as his empress, naming Wenxiu as a consort.

Wenxiu was taken to the court before Wanrong and welcomed her when she arrived in 1922.

Wenxiu was more dissatisfied with her life than Wanrong, and ultimately, status was less important to her.

Wenxiu had secretly planned a divorce with help from her sister, and used an outing with her sister, with permission granted by Puyi, as an opportunity to escape from the Jing Garden.

Wenxiu filed for and was granted a divorce in 1931, just months before Puyi and Wanrong moved to Manchukuo.

Puyi claimed that a relative of Wenxiu wrote in distaste of the decision.

Wenxiu married Major Liu Zhendong in 1947 at the well-known Dongxing Pavilion in Beiping.

Wenxiu died with only her husband by her side in their house at 10 pm on September 17,1953.

However, Wenxiu did not receive a posthumous title because she was considered to have been reduced to the status of a commoner after she divorced Puyi.