Life

Early years

Yunxi was born on 27 February 1711 to lady Chen, Noble Lady Qian (倩贵人). Due to vast disproportion in the age of the representatives of his generation, he would normally belong to "hong" generation as he was born on the same year as Qianlong Emperor. In 1722, his mother was promoted to concubine Xi (熙嫔).

Affiliation with art

Yunxi was one of the most excellent Kangxi Emperor's sons due to his talent for arts and diligence in studies. Most of Yunxi's paintings used Gongbi technique following the school of Dong Yuan and Wen Zhengming, one of the most renowned Ming dynasty artists. Actually, Yunxi's artworks exceed from the definition of monochromy using great palette of colours, as shown on the painting "Wind in Ten Thousand Pine gully" ("万壑松风"). Therefore, Yunxi was considered the best painter of the Kangxi-Qianlong eras imperial court. Yunxi was befriended with imperial court artists, such as Giuseppe Castiglione and Zheng Xie. Moreover, he associated himself with numerous taoist priests and buddhist monks and pursued meditation. That relationship with monks was exposed on his paintings by the depiction of taoist monk in purple clothes. Yunxi was also known to engage himself in poetry. Apart from writing poems on art works, Yunxi wrote a cycle of poems "Poetry from Huajian hall".

Political career

Yunxi kept low profile during succession brawl among his brothers largely due to his young age (barely 11 years). In 1730, Yunxi was granted a title of Prince of the Fourth Rank. He was promoted to Prince of the Third Rank on the same year. In 1735, Qianlong Emperor gave him a title of Prince Shen of the Second Rank, appointed as a commander of Han Chinese Plain Yellow Banner forces and praised him in his decree:幼好读书, 识见明晰, 办理旗物亦属妥协, 朕意欲封为郡王.

"Versed in literature since young, adequately reasoning, properly managing the affairs of his banner, therefore deserving a title of the Prince of the Second Rank in Our opinion"Yunxi kept neutrality during Coup of Hongxi, despite one of his brothers was implicated in the case. He held an official position in the Ministry of Revenue

In 1748, Yunxi's princely seal was stolen and sold by merchant in Jiangxi. According to Mr. Mark Peter St. Nicholas, this accident was one of the numerous cases of forgery in Qing dynasty.

Yunxi died on 26 June 1758 and was posthumously honoured as Prince Shenjing of the Second Rank (多罗慎靖郡王, meaning "prudent and tranquil").

Names

Courtesy name

• Qianzhai (谦斋), meaning "amiable student"

Art name

• Ziqiong daoren (紫琼道人), meaning "purple jade monk"

• Chunfu Jiushi (春浮居士), meaning "Spring-like pure scholar"

Family

Yunxi was married to lady Zugiya, daughter of fourth rank military official Jianqi (建器). His primary consort had undergone selection together with future Empress Xiaoxianchun, lady Fuca, Primary Princess Consort Hegong, lady Ujaku. Lady Zu was initially reluctant to marry him so the proper marriage was finally held in 1732, five years after the selection.

Yunxi was succeeded by his adoptive grandson Yongrong as his sons died childless. After the adoption of Yongrong, the peerage was renamed to Prince Zhi of the Second Rank (质郡王) and later promoted to the first rank.

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Primary Consort

• Imperial Princess Consort Shenjing, of the Zugiya clan (慎靖郡王妃 祖佳氏)Titles: Princess Consort of the Fourth Rank (贝子夫人) → Princess Consort of the Third Rank (贝勒夫人) → Princess Consort Shen of the Second Rank (慎郡王妃) → Imperial Princess Consort Shenjing of the Second Rank (慎靖郡王妃)

　• Princess of the Fourth Rank (县主, 24 February 1733 – 19 February 1795), third daughter

　　• Married Jaisang Dorji of the Khalkha Borjigin clan

Secondary Consort

• Secondary consort, of the Zhao clan (侧福晋 赵氏)

　• First daughter (14 May 1727 – 26 December 1731)

　• Hongxun (弘旬, 15 April 1731 – 7 September 1749), second son

　• Fourth daughter (21 October 1733 – 18 May 1741)

• Secondary consort, of the Wu clan (侧福晋 吴氏)

　• Hong'ang (弘昂, 21 March 1728 – 24 October 1742), first son

• Secondary consort, of the Guan clan (侧福晋 关氏)

　• Lady of the Second Rank, second daughter (县君, 23 August 1727 – 2 March 1794)

　　• Married Gumu (古穆) of the Khorchin Borjigin clan

生平

胤禧為熙嬪陳氏所生，康熙五十年正月十一出生，康熙五十九年（1720年），從幸塞外。雍正八年，封固山貝子，旋晉封為多羅貝勒。雍正十三年（1735年）十一月，高宗即位，封多羅慎郡王。能寫一手好字，史載「詩清秀，尤工畫，遠希董源，近接文徵明」，與鄭板橋等人有往來。乾隆二十三年（1758年）五月廿一，薨。乾隆二十四年（1759年）十二月，永瑢出繼為允禧孫。

《清史稿》有載：

慎靖郡王允禧，聖祖第二十一子。康熙五十九年，始從幸塞外。雍正八年二月，封貝子。五月，諭以允禧立志向上，進貝勒。十三年十一月，高宗即位，進慎郡王。允禧詩清秀，尤工畫，遠希董源，近接文徵明，自署紫瓊道人。乾隆二十三年五月，薨，予謚。

二十四年十二月，以皇六子永瑢為之後，封貝勒。三十七年，進封質郡王。五十四年，再進親王。永瑢亦工畫，濟美紫瓊，兼通天算。五十五年，薨，謚曰莊。子綿慶，襲郡王。綿慶幼聰穎，年十三，侍高宗避暑山莊校射，中三矢，賜黃馬褂、三眼孔雀翎。通音律。體孱弱。嘉慶九年，薨，年僅二十六。仁宗深惜之，賜銀五千，謚曰恪。子奕綺，襲貝勒。道光五年，坐事，罰俸。十九年，奪爵。二十二年，卒，複其封。子孫循例遞降，以鎮國公世襲。

家有西園，含十二景。賜居承澤園（又名紅橋別墅，其後由怡僖親王弘曉居住）。為畫家揚州八怪之一鄭燮的《板橋詩鈔》作《紫瓊崖道人郡王題詞》。清宮廷西洋畫家郎世寧曾為允禧作《八駿圖》（和碩果親王弘瞻題詩）。

家庭

• 妻妾

:嫡福晉祖佳氏，佐領祖建器之女，祖大弼之曾孫女。雍正五年七月十八日，祖佳氏與皇四子弘歷嫡福晉富察氏、皇五子弘晝嫡福晉吳扎庫氏同日被迎娶入宮。宮廷曾給允禧準備過三四次成婚，前後相差五六年，允禧在迎娶祖佳氏前應曾擁有至少一位未娶成的福晉。

:側福晉趙氏，頭等侍衛六格之女。

:側福晉吳氏，吳勳臣之女。

:側福晉關氏，員外郎博色之女。

• 子女

:第一子，名弘昴，雍正六年戊申二月十一日酉時生，母側福晉吳氏，乾隆七年壬戌九月二十六日亥時卒，年十五歲。

:第二子，名弘旬，雍正九年辛亥三月初九日子時生，母側福晉趙氏，乾隆十四年己巳七月二十六日丑時卒，年十九歲，未婚。

:第一女，雍正五年丁未三月二十四日未時生，母為側福晉趙氏，雍正九年辛亥十一月二八日申時卒，年五歲。

:第二女，縣君，雍正十一年癸丑正月十一日丑時生，母為嫡福晉祖氏；系光緒三年（1877年）丁丑科進士、鑲白旗宗室盛昱之外高祖母。乾隆九年甲子十二月，嫁喀爾喀札薩克多羅郡王桑齋多爾濟；縣君乾隆六十年乙卯二月初一日巳時卒，年六十三歲。

:第三女，雍正十一年癸丑九月十四日亥時生，母為側福晉趙氏，與第一女同母；女乾隆六年辛酉四月初四日申時卒，年九歲。

著作

• 《花間堂詩抄》8卷（自序；乾隆七年（1742），畫家鄭燮為之作跋）。

• 《紫瓊岩詩抄》3卷（乾隆二十年，和碩果親王弘瞻序；二十三年，乾隆帝第四子永珹序；慎郡王府幕客顧元揆（字端卿）跋）。

• 詩歌載沈德潛《 國朝詩別裁集》卷30、伊福納《白山詩鈔》卷一。

畫作

• 《盤山十六景圖》（奉乾隆帝旨意繪製）、《黃山三十六峰圖》（有乾隆御題景詩）、《山莊清曉圖》（1796，李鍇題詩）、《秋庭夜坐圖》等。

• 據統計，《石渠寶笈》收錄允禧作品三十八件。

影視形象

• 宮鎖珠簾-陳曉

• 後宮甄嬛傳-康福震

• 延禧攻略-張彬

• 糊塗縣令鄭板橋-胡亞捷

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