法苑珠林 44.45

44.45

Ruyi, prince of Han, was the fourth son of Emperor Gao of Han. Empress Lü had borne the eldest son, who was established as Crown Prince, but Ruyi's mother, Consort Qi, found favour with the Emperor. The Emperor repeatedly wished to depose the Crown Prince and establish Ruyi. The ministers disputed it, and so Ruyi was enfeoffed in Zhao. Empress Lü envied him on account of this. When Emperor Gao passed away, Empress Lü summoned Ruyi; once he arrived in Chang'an, she had him seized and killed. She also severed Consort Qi's hands and feet, calling her the "human swine." Later, when Empress Lü was returning from performing the lustration ritual at Ba River, she saw on the road an object like a blue-grey dog snatching at her armpit; it suddenly vanished. Divination concerning it declared: "Prince Ruyi of Zhao is causing haunting." She thereupon fell ill from the armpit injury and died (the above two verifications are from the Yuanhun zhi).