Biography
Family Background and Early Life
Liang Ji was born into one of the most prominent Eastern Han imperial-relative families. His great-great-grandfather Liang Tong had joined Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu together with Dou Rong after holding power in the Hexi region and was enfeoffed Marquis of Lingxiang. His great-grandfather Liang Song was the maternal grandfather of Emperor He of Han; the Liang clan suffered under the Dou family during Emperor Zhang’s reign but was later rehabilitated. His grandfather Liang Yong served as Minister Steward, and his father Liang Shang became General-in-Chief under Emperor Shun and participated in government. Liang Ji’s younger sister Liang Na became Empress of Emperor Shun.
The source describes Liang Ji as having a hawk-like shoulder posture and jackal-like eyes, looking sideways at people and speaking indistinctly. His learning was limited to basic writing and calculation. Because he was born into a powerful imperial family, he spent his youth in idle and violent pursuits. He liked drinking, archery, board and gambling games, football, betting games, hunting with hawks and hounds, horse riding, and cockfighting. These habits are presented as the foundation of his later arrogance and extravagance. He first served as Yellow Gate Attendant, then palace attendant and General of the Tiger Guards, and later as commandant of the Yue cavalry, commandant of the infantry, and Bearer of the Gilded Mace. While serving in the last office, he once stayed away from court on the first day of the first lunar month claiming illness and was punished by the metropolitan commandant Yang Xiong, who had him surrender two months of salary as a fine.
Governor of Henan and the Murder of Lu Fang
In 136, the first year of Yonghe, Liang Ji became Governor of Henan. His administration was violent, indulgent, and lawless. Lu Fang, magistrate of Luoyang and a guest of Liang Shang, reported many of Liang Ji’s failings to his father, who reprimanded Liang Ji. Liang Ji became resentful and sent men to assassinate Lu Fang on the road. Afraid that his father would discover the truth, he framed enemies of Lu Fang for the murder and requested that Lu Fang’s younger brother Lu Yu be appointed magistrate of Luoyang to pursue them. Lu Yu then killed the accused family and more than one hundred guests. The episode is presented as illustrating Liang Ji’s vindictiveness and ruthlessness.
Becoming General-in-Chief and Installing Emperors Chong and Zhi
In 141, the sixth year of Yonghe, Liang Shang died before burial, and Emperor Shun immediately appointed Liang Ji General-in-Chief while making Liang Buyi Governor of Henan. In 144, the first year of Jiankang, Emperor Shun died and the two-year-old Emperor Chong succeeded under the regency of Empress Dowager Liang Na. Liang Ji, Grand Tutor Zhao Jun, and Grand Commandant Li Gu were ordered to supervise affairs of the Secretariat and direct the government. Although Liang Ji outwardly declined honors, the source states that his extravagance and violence increased.
Emperor Chong died in 145. Liang Ji installed Liu Zuan, son of Liu Hong, Prince Xiao of Bohai and titled Prince of Le'an, as Emperor Zhi. Although very young, Emperor Zhi understood Liang Ji’s arrogance. During an audience he stared at Liang Ji and called him “this domineering general.” Liang Ji hated him for it and ordered poison mixed into a bowl of food presented to the emperor. When the poison took effect, Emperor Zhi suffered intense pain and urgently summoned Grand Commandant Li Gu. The emperor was still able to say that he had eaten the food and that water might save him. Liang Ji, standing nearby, objected that water might cause vomiting. Before the discussion ended, Emperor Zhi died. Li Gu wept over the body and sought to investigate the physicians. Liang Ji feared exposure and thereafter hated Li Gu.
Installing Emperor Huan and Persecuting Li Gu and Du Qiao
After Emperor Zhi’s death, Li Gu, Minister over the Masses Hu Guang, Minister of Works Zhao Jie, and Grand Minister of Agriculture Du Qiao supported the older and respected Prince Liu Suan of Qinghe. Liang Ji instead wanted Liu Zhi, Marquis of Liwu, because his sister Liang Nüying was Liu Zhi’s wife. The palace eunuch Cao Teng had once visited Liu Suan and felt slighted by his reception, so he secretly advised Liang Ji to support Liu Zhi as a means of preserving wealth and power. At the next conference Liang Ji spoke aggressively; Hu Guang, Zhao Jie, and others yielded, while Li Gu and Du Qiao maintained their position. Liang Ji abruptly ended the meeting and persuaded Empress Dowager Liang Na to dismiss Li Gu, after which Liu Zhi was enthroned as Emperor Huan.
Liang Ji then instructed eunuchs Tang Heng and Zuo Guan to accuse Li Gu and Du Qiao before Emperor Huan of having opposed his accession. In the eleventh lunar month of 147, Liu Wen of Qinghe became involved with the rebel Liu Wei of Nanjun and proclaimed that the Prince of Qinghe should rule the empire. After the plot failed, Liang Ji used it to accuse Li Gu and Du Qiao of collusion and asked the empress dowager to arrest them. She knew Du Qiao to be loyal and refused. Liang Ji first imprisoned Li Gu. Li Gu’s student Wang Diao submitted a petition while in chains, and Zhao Cheng and dozens of others also petitioned at the palace gate. The empress dowager ordered Li Gu pardoned. When he left prison, the streets and lanes of Luoyang reportedly shouted “long live.” Liang Ji, alarmed that Li Gu’s moral reputation might become a danger, revived the earlier charges, had him imprisoned again, and Li Gu died in prison. Du Qiao was then threatened, refused to submit, and was likewise imprisoned and killed.
Liang Ji exposed their corpses at a crossroads north of the city and prohibited mourning. Li Gu’s students Guo Liang and Dong Ban nevertheless went to mourn and keep vigil. Du Qiao’s former subordinate Yang Kuang disguised himself and guarded the bodies for twelve days. The empress dowager eventually pardoned them and permitted the burial of Li Gu and Du Qiao.
Autocracy and Extravagance
Liang Ji controlled the court for nearly twenty years. His personal staff grew to twice the scale of a normal office of one of the Three Excellencies, and prominent men such as Zhu Mu, Zhou Jing, Cui Shi, Zhao Qi, and Ying Feng served in or passed through his establishment. In 147, Emperor Huan increased Liang Ji’s fief by thirteen thousand households and expanded the number of distinguished candidates his office could recommend. Liang Buyi was made Marquis of Yingyin, Liang Meng Marquis of Xiping, and Liang Yin Marquis of Xiangcheng, each with ten thousand households.
Tribute from the empire was reportedly sent first to Liang Ji’s residence, with inferior goods then forwarded to the emperor. People seeking office or remission of punishment gathered at his gate carrying money. Liang Ji sent agents beyond the frontier to obtain rare foreign objects and even acquired renowned “sweat-blood” horses. When traveling he requisitioned large numbers of female performers and attendants.
Liang Ji built an enormous residence in Luoyang, while his wife Sun Shou constructed another mansion across the street. The two competed in extravagance. Their halls and bedchambers were linked by hidden passages; pillars and walls were carved and coated with metal and lacquer; windows bore elaborate patterns and images of clouds and immortals. Pavilions, suspended bridges, stone steps, precious metals, jewelry, and foreign curios filled the complex. They built extensive gardens, raised artificial hills, created valleys and slopes, and stocked the landscape with unusual birds and tame animals. Liang Ji and Sun Shou rode together under ornate canopies while musicians and entertainers filled the roads, sometimes continuing their revels day and night. Visitors could not obtain access without bribing gatekeepers, who accumulated large fortunes.
Liang Ji also expanded parks on a scale compared in the source to imperial gardens: west to Hongnong, east to Xingyang, south to Luyang, north to the Yellow and Qi rivers, nearly a thousand li across. He built another hare park west of Luoyang extending for dozens of li and compelled local laborers to construct towers and pavilions over several years. Live hares were marked as protected property, and people who killed them could face death. A Western Regions merchant who unknowingly killed one hare caused a chain of prosecutions that resulted in more than ten deaths.
When two of Liang Ji’s younger brothers secretly sent men hunting in Shangdang, he arrested their guests and killed more than thirty without survivors. He also established another estate west of Luoyang where criminals and fugitives were sheltered and free commoners were abducted into slavery, numbering several thousand; these people were euphemistically called “self-purchased persons.”
Marriage and Family Scandals
Liang Ji’s wife Sun Shou was described as beautiful and adept at stylized expressions and fashions, including “sorrowful eyebrows,” “weeping makeup,” the “fallen-horse hairstyle,” bent-waist walking, and a “toothache smile,” all used to please him. She was intensely jealous and could control Liang Ji, who both favored and feared her. Liang Ji had an affair with You Tongqi, a beauty presented to Emperor Shun by his father Liang Shang. While Liang Ji was away, Sun Shou seized You, cut her hair, scarred her face, and beat her. Liang Ji later continued the affair and fathered Liang Boyu, whom he hid in a concealed wall. When Sun Shou learned of this, she had her son Liang Yin exterminate You’s family. Liang Ji also favored a household slave named Qin Gong, who rose to become director of the imperial granary. Qin Gong had an affair with Sun Shou and gained great influence; provincial inspectors and high-ranking officials went to pay him respect.
Following Sun Shou’s advice, Liang Ji removed many Liang relatives from office, outwardly presenting this as modesty while promoting members of Sun’s family instead. More than ten members of the Sun clan obtained posts as palace attendants, ministers, commandants, administrators, and senior officials. The source accuses them of corruption and violence, sending private agents to register wealthy households, fabricating charges, imprisoning and torturing people, and forcing them to pay for release; those unable to pay could die or be exiled.
A wealthy man in Fufeng, Shisun Fen, was known as miserly. Liang Ji gave him four horses and asked to borrow fifty million cash. Shisun Fen lent only thirty million. Liang Ji became furious and reported to local officials that Shisun Fen’s mother had once been a warehouse slave in his household who stole white pearls and purple gold before fleeing. Shisun Fen and his brothers were arrested and tortured to death, and property worth more than 170 million was confiscated.
Fall
In the eighth lunar month of 159, the second year of Yanxi, Empress Liang Nüying died. Liang Ji sought to adopt Emperor Huan’s favored consort Deng Meng as his daughter and have her take the Liang surname in order to preserve the family’s position as imperial relatives. Deng Meng’s brother-in-law Bing Zun, a court gentleman, opposed Liang Ji. Liang had Bing Zun assassinated and also plotted to kill Deng Meng’s mother, Lady Xuan. Her home stood in Yanxi Ward next to the residence of the palace eunuch Yuan She. Assassins climbed onto Yuan She’s roof intending to enter Lady Xuan’s house, but Yuan discovered them and sounded drums to summon people. Lady Xuan immediately reported the plot to Emperor Huan. Furious, the emperor secretly conspired with five eunuchs—Shan Chao, Xu Huang, Ju Yuan, Zuo Guan, and Tang Heng—to eliminate Liang Ji.
Suspicious of the eunuchs, Liang Ji sent the palace attendant Zhang Yun into the palace overnight. Ju Yuan arrested Zhang on the accusation of plotting disorder. On September 9, Emperor Huan ordered Ju Yuan to lead more than a thousand stable cavalry, Tiger Guards, Feathered Forest guards, and armed palace guards together with metropolitan commandant Zhang Biao to surround Liang Ji’s residence. Yuan Xu, Minister of the Household, confiscated Liang Ji’s General-in-Chief seal and reduced him to Marquis of Bijing Township. Realizing there was no escape, Liang Ji and Sun Shou committed suicide the same day. Apart from the illegitimate son Liang Boyu, members of both families were executed and exposed in the marketplace. Dozens of others were killed and more than three hundred officials dismissed. The confiscated property was reportedly worth more than three billion, approximately half the Eastern Han government’s annual tax income, allowing the court to reduce taxes across the empire by half.