Mingzhu of the Manchu

Manchu

The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...

rian Nara

Nara (clan)

Nara is a major Manchu clan. The Hūlun Four States -- Hada , Ula , Hoifa and Yehe -- were ruled by this clan...

 clan, was an eminent and powerful official of the Qing Dynasty

Qing Dynasty

The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....

 during the reign of Kangxi Emperor

Kangxi Emperor

The Kangxi Emperor ; Manchu: elhe taifin hūwangdi ; Mongolian: Энх-Амгалан хаан, 4 May 1654 –20 December 1722) was the fourth emperor of the Qing Dynasty, the first to be born on Chinese soil south of the Pass and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, from 1661 to 1722.Kangxi's...

 of China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

.

Second cousin

Cousin

In kinship terminology, a cousin is a relative with whom one shares one or more common ancestors. The term is rarely used when referring to a relative in one's immediate family where there is a more specific term . The term "blood relative" can be used synonymously and establishes the existence of...

 to the Shunzhi Emperor

Shunzhi Emperor

The Shunzhi Emperor was the third emperor of the Manchu-led Qing dynasty, and the first Qing emperor to rule over China, which he did from 1644 to 1661. "Shunzhi" was the name of his reign period...

, Mingzhu came from an aristocratic

Aristocracy (class)

The aristocracy are people considered to be in the highest social class in a society which has or once had a political system of Aristocracy. Aristocrats possess hereditary titles granted by a monarch, which once granted them feudal or legal privileges, or deriving, as in Ancient Greece and India,...

 line that belonged to the Plain Yellow Banner of the Eight Banners

Eight Banners

The Eight Banners were administrative divisions into which all Manchu families were placed. They provided the basic framework for the Manchu military organization...

. His grandfather, Jintaiji (金台石), was the last prince of the Yehe Nara clan.

In 1677, Mingzhu was named the Grand Secretary, one of the top-ranking positions, and became involved in a long power struggle with Songgutu throughout the middle years of Kangxi's reign. He was related to Hui Fei, one of Emperor Kangxi's concubines who bore the emperor his first surviving son, Yinshi

Yinshi

Aisin-Gioro Yinshi was the eldest son of the Kangxi Emperor.-Ancestry:...

. Consequently, he supported the First Prince Yinshi during the struggles for succession. He was sent to prison for corruption

Political corruption

Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...

 and various other charges in his final years.

He married one of Ajige

Ajige

Ajige was a prince and general of the Qing Dynasty. He was born of the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan as the 12th son of Nurhaci, khan of the Later Jin Dynasty ....

's daughters and had at least three sons. His oldest son, Nalan Xingde

Nalan Xingde

Nalan Xingde was a Chinese poet active during the Qing Dynasty, famous for his ci poetry. He was actually born Nalan Chengde , but had to change his name when the Kangxi Emperor named Yinreng, whose birth name also had the character cheng , the crown prince...

, grew up to be a famous poet

Poet

A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...

.