Qin and Han · Consort

Lady Qi 戚姬

Qi Ji

Attested BC 209 - BC 141

Passages: 7
Chapters: 2
Histories: 2

Overview

The translated histories identify Lady Qi as a consort and named individual. This record brings together 7 passages from 2 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Lady Qi	戚姬	Qi Ji
Title	Concubine Qi	戚姬
Title	Lady Qi	戚姬
Title	Lady Qi	戚夫人
Surname	Qi	戚

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Female

Sex: female
Explicit · hanshu:051:s0040, houhanshu:089:s0315

Roles

Consort
Named Individual

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 戚姬 · Western Interval: Start: BC 205 · End: BC 194
Explicit · houhanshu:089:s0315
Source Date: Text: 漢初 · Western Interval: Start: BC 209 · End: BC 141
Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:051:s0040

Family

Immediate source-linked family. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select a person to open their record.

Spouse of Emperor Gaozu (高祖)
Kinship Term: consort / 姬 · Union Category: concubinage · Relationship State: active
Parent of Liu Ruyi (劉如意)
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: mother · Object Role: son

Career and standing

Status: mutilated-as-human-pig · Action: suffered
Explicit · houhanshu:089:s0315

Events and relationships

Kind: legal · Role: victim · Action: made-into-human-pig
Explicit · houhanshu:089:s0315

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

Book of Han, Chapter 51Volume 42: Zhang, Zhou, Zhao, Ren and Shentu · 6 passages

昌嘗燕入奏事，高帝方擁戚姬，昌還走。 Once, when Zhou Chang came in informally to report on business, he found the High Ancestor with Lady Qi in his arms and beat a hasty retreat.

及高帝欲廢太子，而立威姬子如意為太子，大臣固爭莫能得，上以留侯策止。 When the High Ancestor wanted to set aside the heir apparent in favor of Lady Qi's son Ruyi, his senior ministers argued themselves hoarse to no avail, until he dropped the idea on the advice of the Marquis of Liu.

是歲，戚姬子如意為趙王，年十歲，高祖憂萬歲之後不全也。 That same year Lady Qi's son Ruyi, only ten, was invested as king of Zhao, and the High Ancestor brooded over how to keep the boy safe after his own death.

堯進請問曰：「陛下所為不樂，非以趙王年少，而戚夫人與呂後有隙，備萬歲之後而趙王不能自全乎？」 Zhao Yao stepped forward and said softly, "Your Majesty's sorrow—is it not because the king of Zhao is still a child, because Lady Qi and the empress are at odds, and because you fear for his life once you are gone?"

使者三反，昌曰：「高帝屬臣趙王，王年少，竊聞太后怨戚夫人，欲召趙王並誅之。 The envoys came back three times. Zhou Chang replied, "The late emperor left the king of Zhao in my care. The boy is young, and word has reached me that the empress dowager bears a grudge against Lady Qi and means to summon the king of Zhao so she can destroy them together.

相至，謁太后，太后罵昌曰：「爾不知我之怨戚氏乎？ When he arrived at court and was admitted to her presence, she rounded on Zhou Chang: "Do you not know how I hate the Qi house?

Book of Later Han, Chapter 89Volume 80a: Biographies of Writers 1 · 1 passage

戚姬人豕，吕宗以败。 Concubine Qi was carved into a human pig; the Lu house crashed.