Early life

Li Qi was the fourth son of Li Xiong, Cheng Han's founding emperor, by his concubine Consort Ran, but was raised by Li Xiong's wife Empress Ren. When he was young, he was known for being intelligent and charismatic. When Li Xiong asked his sons to scout the population for talented people to serve as officials, Li Qi was the most successful for finding talents, so many Cheng Han officials were people who were discovered by Li Qi.

Li Xiong had named his brother Li Dang (李蕩)'s son Li Ban as his crown prince and heir, but after Li Xiong's death in 334 and succession by Li Ban, Li Qi and his brother Li Yue (李越) were disgruntled, and they secretly plotted against Li Ban. Li Ban's younger brother Li Wu (李玝), who had heard rumors of the conspiracy, suggested to Li Ban that he immediately send Li Yue and Li Qi away from the capital, back to their defense posts, but Li Ban did not have the heart to send away Li Xiong's sons before their father was buried. Instead, he sent Li Wu away to try to decrease the friction. In the winter, during one night when Li Ban was on mourning watch before Li Xiong's casket, Li Yue assassinated Li Ban and his older brother Li Du (李都), and made Li Qi emperor, after forging an edict from Empress Dowager Ren accusing Li Ban of crimes.

The officials initially offered the throne to Li Yue, but Li Yue, because Li Qi was considered talented and was raised by Empress Dowager Ren, offered the throne to him instead. Li Qi therefore took the throne.

Reign

Li Qi largely entrusted the affairs of state to his brother Li Yue, whom he created the Prince of Jianning. He also trusted Jing Jian (景騫), Yao Hua (姚華), Tian Bao (田褒), and the eunuch Xu Fu (許涪), rarely consulting other officials, none of whom was particularly talented or honest. The peaceful order that Li Xiong established began to deteriorate.

In 335, Li Ban's uncle Luo Yan (羅演) and the official Shangguan Dan (上官澹) planned to assassinate Li Qi and replace him with Li Ban's son. The conspiracy was discovered, and Li Qi not only executed Luo and Shangguan, but also Li Ban's mother Lady Luo.

In 336, Li Qi, jealous of the talents of his nephew Li Zai (李載), the Duke of Wuling, falsely accused Li Zai of treason and executed him.

Both Li Qi and Li Yue became apprehensive of their father's cousin Li Shou the Prince of Han (the son of Li Xiong's uncle Li Xiang (李驤)), the most honored Cheng Han general. Li Shou was aware of this and was afraid that he would be the next target of execution, and so whenever he visited the capital Chengdu from his defense post of Fucheng (涪城, in modern Mianyang, Sichuan), he would order his subordinates to falsely report invasions by either Later Zhao or Jin, so that he could quickly return. By 338, under the advice of the hermit Gong Zhuang (龔壯), he planned an attack on Chengdu with his advisors Luo Heng (羅恆) and Jie Siming (解思明), with the pledge that after success, he would become a Jin vassal. He then forged a letter from his brother-in-law Ren Diao (任調) stating that Li Qi was planning to execute Li Shou, and he showed the letter to his soldiers. The soldiers believed him, and they then made a surprise attack on Chengdu, catching Li Qi unprepared. Li Shou's heir apparent Li Shi, an officer in the capital guards, opened the city gates and welcomed Li Shou in. Li Shou arrested Li Yue and other officials Li Qi trusted and forced Li Qi to order their execution. He then forged an edict from Empress Dowager Ren deposing Li Qi and demoting him to the title Duke of Qiongdu. Li Shou, after some hesitation about whether to take the throne or whether to become a Jin vassal, eventually took the throne and changed the name of the state to Han, showing a break from Li Xiong's regime.

Li Qi, depressed about being a duke of a small county, committed suicide later in 338.

Personal information

• Father

　• Li Xiong (Emperor Wu)

• Biological mother

　• Consort Ran

• Adoptive mother

　• Empress Ren, Li Xiong's wife

• Wife

　• Empress Yan (created 334)

生平

早年

李期聰慧好學，二十歲時就能作文章，輕財物而好施捨，虛心招納人才。初任建威將軍，其父李雄讓兒子們和宗室的子弟們各自憑恩德信義聚集徒眾，多的不到數百人，可是李期單單招到了上千人。他推薦的人，李雄多半任用，所以長史、列署有不少出自他的門下。

登位

玉衡二十四年（334年），李雄死，由兄子太子李班繼位。李雄之子李越回成都奔喪時與李期殺掉李班。

眾人原本擁戴李越繼位，但李越因為李期多才多藝、並由皇后任氏（李雄正妻）養大而讓李期繼位。李期即位改元玉恆。李期即位後，首先誅殺李班的弟弟（一作哥哥）李都，派堂叔李壽到涪城討伐李都之弟李玝，李玝棄城投降東晉。李期封李壽為漢王，任命他為梁州刺史、東羌校尉、中護軍、錄尚書事；封兄長李越為建寧王，任命為相國、大將軍、錄尚書事。立妻子閻氏為皇后。任命衛將軍尹奉為右丞相、驃騎將軍、尚書令，王瑰為司徒。李期自認為圖謀大事已經成功，不重視各位舊臣，在外則信任尚書令景騫、尚書姚華、田褒。田褒沒有別的才能，李雄在位時期，曾勸其立李期為太子，所以李期非常寵幸厚待他。對內則相信宦官許涪等人。國家的刑獄政事，很少讓卿相過問，獎賞和刑罰，都由這幾個人決定，於是國家的法紀紊亂。竟然誣陷尚書僕射、武陵公李載謀反，致使李載被下獄而死。在此之前，東晉建威將軍司馬勛屯兵漢中，李期派李壽攻陷漢中，於是設置守官，設防於南鄭。

李雄的兒子李霸、李保都無病而死，都說是李期毒死了他們，於是大臣們心懷恐懼，人人不能心安。李期誅殺夷滅了很多人家，抄沒他們的婦女和財物來充實自己的後庭，宮內宮外人心惶惶，路上相見也只敢用目光打招呼，勸諫的人都定了罪，人人只想苟且免禍。李期又毒死李壽的養弟安北將軍李攸，和李越、景騫、田褒、姚華商議襲擊李壽等人，打算燒毀市橋而發兵。李期又多次派中常侍許涪到李壽那裡去，察看他的動靜。

李攸死後，李壽非常害怕，又疑心許涪往來頻繁的情況。於玉恆四年（338年），率領一萬步兵、騎兵，從涪城出發前往成都，聲稱景騫、田褒擾亂朝政，所以發動晉陽兵士，以清除李期身邊的惡人。李壽到達成都，李期、李越沒料到他會來，一向不加防備，李壽於是佔領成都，駐兵到宮門前。李期派侍中慰勞李壽，李壽上奏章說李越、景騫，田褒、姚華、許涪、征西將軍李遐、將軍李西等人都心懷奸詐擾亂朝政，圖謀傾覆社稷，大逆不道，罪該誅殺。李期順從了李壽的意見，於是殺死李越、景騫等人。李壽假託太后任氏的名義下令，將李期廢為「邛都縣公」，幽禁在別宮內。李期嘆息說天下的君主竟然成了一個小小的縣公，真是生不如死。同年（338年），李期自縊而死，時年25歲，諡號幽公。

妻子

• 閻皇后