Empress Gi

Empress Gi or Empress Ki (; 1315–1369), also known as Empress Qi or Öljei Khutuk (Mongolian: Өлзийхутаг; ), was a Goryeo-born empress consort of the Yuan dynasty. She was one of the primary empresses of Toghon Temür (Emperor Huizong), and the mother of Biligtü Khan (Emperor Zhaozong), who would become an emperor of the Northern Yuan dynasty. Gi was originally from an aristocratic family of the Goryeo dynasty, and first served as a concubine of Toghon Temür. During the last years of the Yuan dynasty, she became one of its most powerful women and political figures, controlling the country economically and politically, and ruling with de facto imperial powers.

Biography Empress Gi was born in Haengju (행주, 幸州; modern Goyang), Goryeo to a lower-ranked aristocratic family of bureaucrats. Her father was Ki Cha-o. Lady Gi's maternal great-grandmother was Princess Consort Im of the Jangheung Im clan, one of the prominent clans in Goryeo Kingdom. In 1333, the teenaged Lady Gi was among the concubines sent to Yuan by the Goryeo king, who had to provide a certain number of beautiful teenage girls to serve as concubines of the Yuan emperor every three years. It was considered prestigious to marry Goryeo women. Extremely beautiful and skilled at dancing, conversation, singing, poetry, and calligraphy, Lady Gi quickly became the favorite concubine of Toghon Temür. When Toghon Temür tried to promote Lady Gi to secondary wife, which was contrary to the standard practice of only taking secondary wives from the Mongol clans, it created such opposition at court to this unheard of promotion for a Goryeo woman that he was forced to back down.

The collapse of Yuan dynasty in 1368 forced her to flee to Yingchang's city (now Inner Mongolia). She was shortly captured and died a year before her husband in 1369.

Family Father Ki Cha-o (1266–1328) Mother Lady Yi of the Iksan Yi clan Siblings Older brother: Ki Sik ; died prematurely Older brother: Ki Ch'ŏl (? – 1356) Older brother: Ki Wŏn Older brother: Ki Chu Older brother: Ki Yun Husband Toghon Temür (25 May 1320 – 23 May 1370) Issue Son: Biligtü Khan Ayushiridara (必里克圖汗; 23 January 1340 – 28 April/26 May 1378) Daughter-in-law - Empress Gwon of the Andong Gwon clan (? – 1378/22 May 1410); daughter of Gwon Gyeom (? – 1356) Prince Maidilibala (26 March 1363 – 16 May 1375) Princess Ariun (; 14 September 1377 – 15 February 1423) Grandson-in-law: Jorightu Khan Yesüder (卓里克圖汗; 1358–1392)

In popular culture Portrayed by Kim Hye-ri in 2005 MBC TV series Shin Don. Portrayed by Hyun Seung-min and Ha Ji-won in 2013–2014 MBC TV series Empress Ki.