Although the existence of the Yuan Dynasty was short-lived, in addition to the differences between the Mongols and the Central Plains, there are also some less glorious historical fragments. Emperor Yuan Shun at the end of the Yuan Dynasty was not an impressive ruler, and his Goryeo Empress Empress Qi was a controversial woman in the Yuan court.
Empress Qi, formerly known as Kudu, was born in a Goryeo aristocracy. Goryeo was a vassal state of the Yuan Dynasty at the time, and every year it had to pay tribute to the Yuan Dynasty with treasures and women. Empress Qi was originally just a little woman who served tea and poured water, but because of her good looks and wit and cunning, she quickly attracted the attention of Emperor Yuan Shun and became his favorite concubine. However, she was jealous of the Empress of Yuanshun, Kipcha Tana, and was brutally treated and even whipped.
In 1335, the relatives of Kipchak Tana Lost plotted a rebellion, which led to a change in the status of Empress Qi. Although Emperor Yuan Shun was angry, he was helpless because the rebels held great power in the court. As a result, Kipchak Tanamori was deposed as empress and expelled from the court. After the Empress left, Empress Qi's status rose rapidly. Although she was not named the Empress of the Main Palace, Empress Qi became the most favored woman in fact.
However, she was too arrogant, excluded dissidents, formed factions for personal gain, and even instructed her son to be involved in the civil strife of the Goryeo family many times, which led to the continuous decline of the Yuan Dynasty's national power. In 1365 AD, the Empress Boyan Hudu of the Zhenggong died, and Emperor Yuan Shun named Empress Qi as the main palace. However, the good times were short-lived. In 1368 AD, Zhu Yuanzhang's army broke through Dadu, and the Yuan Dynasty fell. Empress Qi went into exile with Emperor Yuan Shun, but died soon after due to disappointment and illness.
Perhaps, if Empress Qi had died a few years early, the decline of the Yuan Dynasty might not have been so fast.