Life

Hongxiao was born on 3 May 1722 to primary princess consort Yixian of the First Rank, lady Joogiya. He had two biological sisters, including Princess Hehui of the Second Rank who was adopted into the palace since she was young, and two surviving biological brothers, including Hongjiao, Prince Ningliang of the Second Rank. On 21 June 1730, Hongxiao inherited the Prince Yi of the First Rank title as the peerage was granted iron-cap status. His younger brother was granted a title of Prince Ning of the Second Rank. Hongxiao was not implicated in the Coup of Hongxi in 1739, unlike his brother, who was deprived of his allowance

In 1766, Hongxiao's mother died, leaving him a portion of blood. In 1767, Hongxiao and his nephew Yongkun behaved in a disrespectful manner during a national mourning (they did not wear mourning garment). However, the punishment was delayed due to Fuheng's urging. In 1768, a promotional ceremony of imperial princes was organised after the sacrificial rites at the Temple of Agriculture. A list of the princes promoted at the same time included Hongzhou, Prince He of the First Rank; Yongchang, Prince Zhuang and Guanglu; Prince Yu of the First Rank.

In August 1777, when Hongxiao made sacrifices at the Imperial Ancestral Temple together with Prince Guo of the Second Rank, the prince failed to observe etiquette and was tried by the Imperial Clan Court. The arrest was replaced by deprivation of Hongxiao's salary in the following month.

Hongxiao died on 11 May 1778 and was posthumously honoured as Prince Yixi of the First Rank (和硕怡僖亲王, meaning "harmonious and precautious").

Relationship with Cao Xueqin

Since his youth, Hongxiao had been known for his interest in poetry. His most notable art works include "Series of the Hall of the Four Pines" (《四松堂集》) and "Poems of the Hall of the Bright Kindness" (《明善堂集》). He was befriended with the intellectualists of the Qianlong era, e.g. Cao Xueqin. When Cao Xueqin's family experienced a downfall, which might result in confiscation of his property, Hongxiao preserved the drafts of the Dream of the Red Chamber. The reminiscences of their relationship were included in Hongxiao's poetry.

It was disputed by redologists that second characters of Yinxiang's and Hongxiao's personal names drew the outline of the plot of the original edition of "Dream of the Redchamber". However, the poor quality of Hongxiao's edition rose issues among the redologists whether those characters were included in the original text. Moreover, new scholarship undermines Hongxiao's contribution to drafts of the novel claiming that imperial prince could not have such abilities, hence the poems were written by ghostwriters.

The further fate of poetry and Prince Yi collection

The poetry of Hongxiao remained unknown until the publication in the "Collection of the Prince Yi Manor" by Weng Tonghe, Yang Shaohe and Shen Zuyin. The collection included Hongxiao's poetry, Tibetan books dating back to the 17th century and calligraphy paintings with in summary 10 seals. Most books possessed by Hongxiao and his descendants were not included in "Siku Quanshu", that's why they were made public in the 19th century.

Family

Hongxiao was married to lady Ligiya, daughter of Bohege (伯赫格). Later, he married lady Tunggiya, daughter of Changsheng (长盛). Hongxiao had in summary 9 sons and nine daughters.

----Consorts:

Primary Consort

• Primary consort, of the Ligiya clan (嫡福晋李佳氏)

　• Yonghang (镇国将军 永杭, 25 December 1744 – 4 June 1777), Third Class Defender General, first son

　• Third son (10 May 1750 – 11 May 1750)

Secondary Consort

• Second primary consort, of the Tunggiya clan (继福晋佟佳氏)

　• Princess of the Third Rank (郡主), ninth daughter

　　• Married Mubaledan of the Harqin league in 1779.

• Secondary consort, of the Jin clan (侧福晋金氏)

• Secondary consort, of the Shi clan (侧福晋石氏)

　• Yonglang (怡恭亲王永琅: 5 May 1746 – 1 September 1799), Prince Yigong of the First Rank, second son

• Secondary consort, of the Irgen Gioro clan (侧福晋伊尔根觉罗氏)

　• Sixth son (15 July 1766 - 20 December 1766)

　• Seventh son (1770 - 1771), born to Lady Irgen Gioro

　• Yongmai (三等辅国将军 永迈; 18 December 1772 – 26 April 1799), Third Class Bulwark General, eighth son

Concubine

• Mistress, of the Xu clan (庶福晋徐氏)

　• Yonghe (永和; April 1783 – 28 November 1784)

• Mistress, of the Xiang clan (庶福晋祥氏)

• Mistress, of the Ma clan (庶福晋马氏)

　• Yongman (永蔓; 5 September 1752 – 15 March 1808), fourth son

• Mistress, of the Bayara clan (庶福晋巴雅拉氏)

　• Fifth son ( 22 July 1757 – 6 January 1758)

• Unknown:

• First daughter

• # Married Jiminzhu'er Dorji of the Khorchin Borjigin clan.

• Second Daughter

• Third Daughter

• Fourth Daughter

　• Married Manduhu of the Onnigud Borjigin clan in 1768

• Ffith Daughter

• Sixth Daughter

• Seventh Daughter

• Eight Daughter

• Princess of the Third Rank (郡主). Married Mubaledan of the Harqin league in 1779.

In fiction and popular culture

• Portrayed by Xu Ziming in Succession War (TV series) (2018)

• Portrayed by Cheng Junwen in Story of Yanxi Palace (2018)

生平

雍正八年（1730年）其父胤祥逝世，弘曉承襲怡親王爵位。授乾清門侍衛。乾隆四年（1739）十一月，管理藩院事務。五年九月，任正白旗漢軍都統，八年八月，解職。乾隆四十三年四月十五日（1778年5月11日）弘曉逝世，諡僖。其次子永琅襲爵為怡親王。

清朝著名藏書家、詩人，喜刻書。有「明善堂」（乾隆五年皇上所賜堂匾）、「安樂堂」等藏書樓，積書充棟。乾隆三十七年「四庫」館開，各地藏書家均奉旨進呈，唯他的「怡府」藏書未進呈。編有《怡府書目》1冊，收書4500種。其藏書鈐有「怡府世寶」、「安樂堂藏書」、「明善堂覽書畫印記」、「御題明善堂印」、「忠孝為藩」、「怡親王寶」、「綸音好書猶見性情醇」、「天語盡職從知忠」、「似太古齋珍藏金石書畫印」等印章。據現代紅學考証推測，弘曉曾收藏今存的己卯（乾隆二十四年，1759年）手抄本《石頭記》，即紅學界所稱的「己卯本」、「脂怡本」、「怡府本」（參見紅樓夢抄本列表）。

據學者統計，在傳世古代畫作中，可以見到弘曉鑑藏印章者共19幅，其中包括《北齊校書圖》（現藏美國波士頓美術博物館）、（宋）《松下撫琴圖》（現藏北京畫院）、黃公望《九峰雪霽圖》（現藏故宮博物院）、王蒙《葛稚川移居圖》、沈周《桃花書屋圖》（現藏中國國家博物館）、吳鎮《墨竹圖》等。

著有《明善堂詩集》（又題《冰玉山莊詩集》）42卷附文集4卷詩餘1卷（乾隆四十二年（1777）怡府明善堂刻本，又有乾隆十四年（1749）早期刊刻本），慎靖郡王允禧作序。弘曉的詩文老師有雍正八年（1730年）庚戌科二甲進士林令旭（字晴江）、雍正十一年（1733年）癸丑科二甲進士沈景瀾（字溶溪）。弘曉與慎靖郡王允禧、果恭郡王弘瞻、鑲紅旗宗室敦誠、汪蒼霖（號易堂，任寧良郡王弘晈府中幕僚，工詩及書）有詩歌往來。

胤祥的怡親王府舊府位于今北京王府井大街路東（東至校尉胡同，北到金魚胡同，南至帥府園胡同），胤祥去世後，尊其遺願，將該府改為賢良寺，寺名由雍正帝欽賜。弘曉的怡親王新府位于今朝陽門內大街路北（同治年間改為孚王府）。乾隆二十八年（1763）春遷出其父胤祥賜園交輝園。晚年賜居承澤園（又名紅橋別墅，其前由慎靖郡王允禧居住，其後曾由協辦大學士英和居住）。

家庭

• 祖母敬敏皇貴妃章佳氏。其族親家族有正白旗滿洲、乾隆五十四年（1789年）己酉科進士那彥成家族，鑲黃旗滿洲、雍正元年（1723年）癸卯恩科進士尹繼善家族。

• 父怡賢親王允祥（胤祥）即康熙帝第十三子。母嫡福晉兆佳氏（父正白旗滿洲、兵部尚書恭勤公馬爾漢）。

• 兄妹：

　• 胞兄(追)貝勒弘暾。嫡妻富察氏（父鑲黃旗滿洲佐領傅慶（又富慶），祖父一等伯馬齊）。其養子二等侍衛宗室永蔓（生父弘曉），妻鈕祜祿氏（父鑲黃旗滿洲、一等果毅繼勇公阿里袞）。

　• 胞兄(已革)貝勒弘昌。嫡妻納喇氏（父騎都尉色爾敏），繼妻博爾濟吉特氏（父步軍統領阿齊圖）。

　• 胞兄寧良郡王弘晈（1713-1764）。

　• 胞姊和碩和惠公主愛新覺羅氏，嫁博爾濟吉特氏多爾濟塞布騰（父喀爾喀蒙古王公丹津多爾濟）。

　• 胞姊郡主愛新覺羅氏，嫁正黃旗滿洲、副都統伊爾根覺羅氏福增額（父雲貴總督伊都立，祖父大學士伊桑阿）。

　• 胞姊郡主愛新覺羅氏，嫁精奇里氏薩克慎（父騎都尉謨密岱，胞叔三等輕車都尉堪楚堪）。

• 嫡福晉李氏（父鑲藍旗漢軍佐領、三等伯黑格（又赫格），曾祖佐領李森，曾祖母佟氏（父正藍旗漢軍、宣大總督佟養量），太高祖三等候敏壯公李國翰）。

• 繼福晉佟佳氏（父鑲藍旗滿洲、天津水師都統常昇（又長盛），高祖刑部尚書藍拜；胞姊佟佳氏，嫁鑲黃旗滿洲、一等誠嘉毅勇公富察氏明瑞，其父一等承恩公傅文（富察氏），胞叔追封一等伯傅清，嫡堂兄明義著有《綠煙鎖窗集》）。

• 側福晉金氏（父正黃旗滿洲、領侍衛內大臣金常明，曾祖辛達理，高祖金德雲；曾祖伯三達理，其子尚明，孫三保，曾孫勤恪公金簡，曾孫女金氏封乾隆帝之淑嘉皇貴妃）。

• 子女：

　• 長子鎮國將軍永杭。嫡妻薩克達氏三等侍衛恩德宜之女。

　• 子怡恭親王永琅（1746-1799）。嫡福晉瓜爾佳氏叅領德柱之女。孫兒追封怡親王綿標，嫡福晉金佳氏（父正黃旗滿洲福德，祖父吏部尚書金簡，祖姑母金佳氏封乾隆帝之淑嘉皇貴妃）。

　• 子永蔓（養父(追)貝勒弘暾；養母富察氏，其父鑲黃旗滿洲、頭等侍衛傅慶，祖父文穆公馬齊）。嫡妻鈕祜祿氏（父一等果毅繼勇公阿里袞，祖父一等公尹德，祖姑母鈕祜祿氏封康熙帝之孝昭仁皇后），側室李氏（父護軍校李彬，胞姊李氏嫁內務府正黃旗漢軍尤氏安保（胞兄江蘇巡撫安寧 (官員)，父東陵總管內務府大臣豐盛額））。孫兒宗室綿堂。曾孫宗室奕菘，妻富察氏（胞兄鑲黃旗滿洲富察氏錫凝，其妻徐氏（胞兄道光十五年（1835年）乙未科進士長喆））。

　• 子輔國將軍永邁。妻博爾濟吉特氏（父鑲黃旗滿洲、勳舊佐領文亮，祖父佐領、雲南楚雄鎮總兵國柱，祖伯父乾隆壬戌科進士國棟）。

• 正藍旗漢軍、道光三十年（1850年）庚戌進士吉惠的高祖伯、頭等護衛胡敏，曾任負責怡親王府的正藍旗包衣第四參領第四管領，之後長期擔任負責寧良郡王弘晈王府的正藍旗包衣第四參領第三佐領。胡敏的胞兄胡岱（又胡代），曾任負責怡親王府的正藍旗包衣第四參領第二管領。吉惠的曾祖伯、頭等護衛韓保，曾任負責怡親王府的正藍旗包衣第四參領第一佐領（據《欽定八旗通志》）。吉惠的高祖、二等侍衛胡照，娶乾隆帝慧賢皇貴妃之嫡堂姊高佳氏（胞弟鑲黃旗滿洲、文華殿大學士文端公高晉）。

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