The future Empress Xiaozheyi was born on the first day of the seventh lunar month in the fourth year of the reign of the Xianfeng Emperor, which translates to 25 July 1854 in the Gregorian calendar.

Lady Alut's maternal grandfather, Duanhua, was a former political rival of the emperor's mother, Empress Dowager Cixi.

"[1] On the night of 15 October 1872, at around 11:30 pm (an auspicious hour recommended by imperial astrologers), Lady Alut left her family residence for the Forbidden City.

She warned the Empress that, as primary wife, she should allow the emperor to spend time equally among his consorts, and to not seize him for herself.

Cixi also reminded the Empress that since both she and the Tongzhi Emperor were still young, they should spend more time learning how to govern the country.

When she saw no signs of change in her son's attitude, Cixi eventually ordered the Emperor and Empress to be separated, so that they could focus more on learning how to become ruling sovereigns.

Empress Dowager Cixi regarded this incident as a humiliating scandal, so she warned the imperial physicians to remain silent about it.

A court official, Yun Yuting, wrote in his memoirs that the Empress visited the Tongzhi Emperor on his sickbed while he complained about his mother's interfering and domineering ways.

"[citation needed] It was said that the empress committed suicide but official court records state that she died after a long and serious illness.

In 1876, a censor to the throne wrote that Empress Xiaozheyi should be posthumously honored for being a virtuous wife who had committed suicide after her husband's death.