Liang Ji (梁冀) (died 9 September 159), courtesy name Bozhuo (伯卓), was a Chinese military general and politician. As a powerful consort kin, he dominated government in the 150s together with his younger sister, Empress Liang Na. After his sister's death, Liang Ji was overthrown in a coup d'etat by Emperor Huan, with the support of the eunuch faction, in 159. The Liang clan and the clan of his wife, Sun Shou (孫壽), were slaughtered.
Family background and early career
Liang Ji was the oldest son of Liang Shang () -- an honest official who was also the Marquess of Chengshi, being a grandson of a brother of Consort Liang, the mother of Emperor He. Liang Ji's younger sister, Liang Na, became Emperor Shun's consort in 128, and was created empress in March 132.
After Empress Liang became empress, Emperor Shun entrusted her father Liang Shang with great power. In 133, Emperor Shun offered to create Liang Ji a marquess, but Liang Shang humbly declined that honor on his son's behalf. In 135, Emperor Shun made Liang Shang Grand Marshal (), over his own repeated objection. Liang Shang was a mild-mannered and honest man, although lacking in abilities. He did, however, trust other capable and honest officials, and during his term of office, the political scene was a lot cleaner than before.
It was probably during this time that Liang Ji married his wife, Sun Shou. She was often described by traditional historians as a temptress who was able to induce Liang to be devoted to her sexually (although somewhat contradictorily, the traditional historians also described both heterosexual and homosexual affairs for Liang Ji, including one with his servant Qin Gong (), who was described as having a ménage à trois-type relationship with both Liang and Sun), and she was described to have invented a good number of sexually explicit clothing items.
In 136, because both his father and his brother-in-law trusted him, Liang Ji was made the mayor of the capital Luoyang. However, what neither of them knew was that Liang Ji was violent, corrupt, and treacherous. On one occasion, one of Liang Shang's trusted advisors, Lü Fang (), the magistrate for Luoyang County (one of the subdivisions of the Luoyang municipality of which Liang Ji was mayor) warned Liang Shang about Liang Ji's corruption, and Liang Shang rebuked his son. Liang Ji then sent assassins out and killed Lü, but appeared to be so mournful about it that he recommended Lü's brother Lü Yu () to succeed Lü Fang and permitted Lü Yu to arrest and execute all who were suspected in the assassination, leading to the deaths of hundreds of people.
As Grand Marshal under Emperor Shun
In September 141, Liang Shang died. Liang Ji inherited his march. Later that year, Emperor Shun made him Grand Marshal, succeeding his father, and made his younger brother Liang Buyi () -- an honest and humble man, relative to his brother—mayor of Luoyang. As Grand Marshal, Liang Ji gradually eliminated the opposition and consolidated his power, often through violent, illicit, or treacherous means. For example, in 142, because he was criticized by the lower-level official Zhang Gang (), he intentionally made Zhang the governor of Guanglin Commandery, at that time overrun by agrarian rebels, believing that Zhang would surely be killed by these rebels. (However, Zhang was eventually able to convince these rebels to surrender, and governed the commandery with efficiency and honesty.)
As Grand Marshal under Emperors Chong and Zhi
Emperor Shun died in 144. His infant son Liu Bing (), by Consort Yu, became emperor (as Emperor Chong), and Empress Liang became empress dowager and regent. Empress Dowager Liang appeared to be diligent in governing over the empire, and she trusted several key officials with integrity to advise her on important affairs. However, she also trusted her brother Liang Ji greatly, and Liang Ji used her position to further consolidate his own. However, she was willing to go against his advice on a number of occasions, and she, for example, protected the honest official Li Gu () against Liang Ji's demands to execute Li, in 145.