Consort Yu
| Consort Yu | |
|---|---|
A portrait of Consort Yu from Baimei Xinyong Tuzhuan (百美新詠圖傳) by Yan Xiyuan
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| Concubine of Xiang Yu | |
| Born | (unknown) |
| Died | 202 BC |
| Names | |
| Traditional Chinese | 虞姬 |
| Simplified Chinese | 虞姬 |
| Pinyin | Yú Jī |
| Wade–Giles | Yü Chi |
| Other names |
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Consort Yu (died 202 BC), personal name Yu Miaoyi, also known as "Yu the Beauty", was the concubine of the warlord Xiang Yu, who competed with Liu Bang (Emperor Gao), the founder of the Han dynasty, for supremacy over China in the Chu–Han Contention (206–202 BC).
Consort Yu's birth date is unknown and there are two accounts of her origin. The first said she was from Yanji Town (顏集镇) in Shuyang County, while the other claimed that she was from Suzhou, but both pointed that she was born in present-day Jiangsu.
In 209 BC, Xiang Yu and his uncle Xiang Liang started a revolution to overthrow the Qin dynasty. Consort Yu's elder brother, Yu Ziqi, was serving in Xiang Liang's army as a general then. Consort Yu met Xiang Yu, fell in love with him and became his concubine. Since then, she had been following Xiang Yu on his military campaigns and refused to remain behind.
In 202 BC, Xiang Yu was besieged in the Battle of Gaixia by the combined forces of Liu Bang (King of Han), Han Xin and Peng Yue. The Han army started to sing folk songs from Xiang Yu's native land of Chu to create a false impression that they had captured Chu. The morale of Xiang Yu's troops plummeted and several soldiers deserted. In despair, Xiang Yu indulged in alcohol and sang the Song of Gaixia to express his sorrow. Consort Yu performed a sword dance and sang a verse in return. To prevent Xiang Yu from being distracted by his love for her, Consort Yu committed suicide with Xiang Yu's sword after singing. She was buried at Gaixia.
A "Consort Yu Tomb" stands in present-day Lingbi County, Anhui.
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