Liu Xiang (; died 179 BC), formally King Ai of Qi () was a

Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...

king of Qi and a key player during the

Lü Clan Disturbance Lu, Lü, or LU may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Lu (duo), a Mexican band ** ''Lu'' (album) * Character from Mike, Lu & Og * Lupe Fiasco or Lu (born 1982), American musician * Lu Watters (1911-1989), American musician * Lu Gambino (1923 ...

(180 BC). He was a grandson of

Emperor Gaozu of Han Emperor Gaozu of Han (2561 June 195 BC), also known by his given name Liu Bang, was the founder and first emperor of the Han dynasty, reigning from 202 to 195 BC. He is considered by traditional Chinese historiography to be one o ...

and the eldest son of

Liu Fei, Prince of Qi Liu Fei (), formally King Daohui of Qi (; died November 190 BC) was the eldest son of Liu Bang, Emperor Gaozu of Han, and Consort Cao—initially his mistress when they lived in the same village. After Liu Bang decisively defeated Xiang Yu in t ...

by Consort Si. With Liu Fei's death in 189 BC, Emperor Hui allowed Liu Xiang to inherit the title of "Prince of Qi". During the Lü Clan Disturbance, Liu Xiang led the Qi forces and also seized the forces of the nearby Principality of Langye, and was ready to march to the capital

Chang'an Chang'an (; zh, t=長安, s=长安, p=Cháng'ān, first=t) is the traditional name of the city now named Xi'an and was the capital of several Chinese dynasties, ranging from 202 BCE to 907 CE. The site has been inhabited since Neolithic time ...

to claim the imperial throne for himself, assisted by his brothers Liu Zhang and

Liu Xingju Liu Xingju (劉興居) (died September 177 BC8th month of the 3rd year of Emperor Wen's reign, per vol.14 of ''Zizhi Tongjian''. The month corresponds to 14 Sep to 12 Oct 177 BCE in the proleptic Julian calendar.) was an important political figure d ...

. After the officials in the capital overthrew the Lü clan and deposed

Emperor Houshao of Han Emperor Houshao of Han (; – 14 November 180 BC), personal name Liu Hong (劉弘), was the fourth emperor of the Han dynasty. He was a son of Emperor Hui and a unknown wife of him, likely by a concubine—although there is some controver ...

, however, they instead invited his uncle Prince Liu Heng of Dai (later Emperor Wen) to be emperor. Liu Xiang acquiesced and did not fight Emperor Wen for the throne, and he withdrew his forces back to his territory, though in fact he should be the

heir presumptive An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of a person with a better claim to the position in question. This is in contrast to an heir app ...

after the extinction of the male line of

Emperor Hui of Han Emperor Hui of Han (; 210 BC – 26 September 188 BC), born Liu Ying (), was the second emperor of the Han dynasty. He was the second son of Emperor Gaozu, the first Han emperor, and the only son of Empress Lü from the powerful Lü clan. Em ...

. Before he had died, Liu Xiang had hundreds of Tiny Terracotta Warriors made to protect him in the afterlife just like Qin Shi Huangdi.

References

179 BC deaths Han dynasty imperial princes Year of birth unknown {{China-royal-stub