Biography
Qi was born in Dingtao, Shandong. She bore Emperor Gaozu a son Liu Ruyi, who was later instated as Prince of Zhao. Gaozu felt that the crown prince Liu Ying (his eldest son) was an unsuitable heir to his throne. He tried several times, fruitlessly, to replace Liu Ying with Liu Ruyi, as his desire was objected to by Liu Ying's mother Empress Lü Zhi. Because of this, Lü Zhi hated Qi deeply. Nevertheless Gaozu ordered Liu Ruyi to proceed to his principality of Zhao (capital in present-day Handan, Hebei) on his deathbed. Qi did not accompany Liu Ruyi.
Lü Zhi, now declared the empress dowager when her son Liu Ying succeeded to the throne as Emperor Hui after Gaozu's death, commenced an inhumane plot against Qi and Liu Ruyi. She first had Qi arrested and treated her like a convict (dressed in prison garb, head shaved, and in stocks). She then summoned Liu Ruyi to the capital Chang'an in an attempt that was initially resisted by Liu Ruyi's chief of staff Zhou Chang (周昌), whom she respected because he was one of the officials who insisted on Liu Ying being the rightful heir. Instead of directly moving against Zhou Chang and Liu Ruyi, though, Lü Zhi circumvented Zhou by first summoning him to Chang'an, and then summoning Liu Ruyi. She then consummated her plot to put Qi and Liu Ruyi to death, which was documented in Volume 9 of the historical text Records of the Grand Historian as follows:
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- Emperor Hui (Liu Ying) kept Liu Ruyi by his side in the palace and checked for poison in any aliment delivered to him. Emperor Hui also brought Liu Ruyi with him wherever he went. In one early morning in the twelfth month of the first year of Emperor Hui, the emperor went on a hunting trip; this time Liu Ruyi was left alone because he could not wake up early. Emperor Hui supposed his mother would not plot against Liu Ruyi as several months had passed without any occurrence. Nevertheless Empress Dowager Lü had an assassin force venom down Liu Ruyi's throat....She then had Concubine Qi's limbs chopped off, blinded her by gouging out her eyes, cut off her tongue and locked her in the latrine, and called her a "Human Swine" (人彘). Several days after, Emperor Hui saw the "Human Swine", and after realising that it who the "Human Swine" was, the emperor was so sick of his mother's cruelty that he virtually relinquished his authority and indulged in carnal pleasures.
Qi died in the first year of Emperor Hui's reign.
Read more about this topic: Concubine Qi
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