Qi Furen

Also known as Qi Ji

Lady Qi was a favourite consort of Liu Bang, the Han founder, who found her at Dingtao; she bore him Liu Ruyi, later king of Zhao. The Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji) says she followed Liu Bang on campaign and wept day and night for Ruyi to be made heir, and Liu Bang, thinking the crown prince Liu Ying weak and Ruyi like himself, several times meant to replace him. He gave up the plan only when Empress Lu, on Zhang Liang's advice, brought four venerable hermits to stand by the crown prince. After his death in 195 BCE the empress dowager had Lady Qi shaved, collared in iron and set to pound grain in the palace prison, where, the History of Han says, she sang that her son was a king and his mother a slave. The empress then poisoned Ruyi, had Lady Qi's hands and feet cut off, and threw her into a privy as the 'human swine'; Emperor Hui fell ill at the sight and gave up governing.