Duke Jing of Qi (died 490 BCE), named Chujiu, was the half-brother of Duke Zhuang of Qi and a ruler of the State of Qi during the Spring and Autumn Period. He reigned for fifty-eight years, with the renowned minister Yan Ying (Yanzi) assisting in governance, which kept domestic order relatively stable, making him the longest-reigning ruler of Qi.
Originally, Duke Jing of Qi was not the legitimate eldest son of Duke Ling of Qi; the legitimate eldest son was his brother Guang. Cui Wuzi, named Cui Zhu, served as a minister of Qi, repeatedly achieved military merits, gained deep trust from Duke Ling of Qi, and often participated in diplomatic affairs with Crown Prince Guang. In 552 BCE, Duke Ling of Qi died, and Cui Zhu installed the eldest son Guang as Duke Zhuang of Qi. After Duke Zhuang of Qi ascended the throne, he heavily relied on Cui Zhu, and their ruler-minister relationship was extraordinary. Because Duke Zhuang frequently visited Cui Zhu's residence, he soon became infatuated with Cui Zhu's wife, Tang Jiang, and had an affair with her. After learning of this, Cui Zhu, in 548 BCE, conspired with Qing Feng to assassinate Duke Zhuang. To protect his family, Cui Zhu installed the younger brother of Duke Zhuang of Qi, Chu Jiu, as ruler, who became Duke Jing of Qi. During Duke Jing's reign, the Cui and Qing clans were successively destroyed, and the Chen clan's power rose.
Duke Jing of Qi always dreamed of restoring the glorious hegemony achieved by Duke Huan of Qi. In his early years, he was diligent in governance, good at accepting remonstrations, and cared for his subjects. He appointed Yan Ying (a wise minister) as Prime Minister of Qi, and gradually the state's power recovered. In diplomatic relations with other states, Duke Jing was careful to maintain dignity without arrogance, especially toward Jin, his rival for hegemony, upholding Qi's status as a major power with reason and propriety. In the thirty-first year of Duke Jing of Qi (517 BCE), Confucius arrived in Qi. Duke Jing asked Confucius about governance, and Confucius replied, "Let the ruler be a ruler, the minister a minister, the father a father, and the son a son." Duke Jing could not employ Confucius, who then returned to the State of Lu. In the forty-eighth year of Duke Jing of Qi (500 BCE), Duke Jing of Qi and Duke Ding of Lu met at Jiagu (present-day Jiagu Valley in Laiwu, Shandong), with Confucius serving as Master of Ceremonies. Confucius thwarted Duke Jing's plot to kidnap Duke Ding of Lu and used diplomatic means to force Qi to return the land it had previously seized from Lu.
After his diligent early governance, the State of Qi grew powerful. However, Duke Jing of Qi then began to indulge in pleasure, living extravagantly, delighting in dogs, horses, music, and women, and building grand palaces. He even took two-thirds of the people's income for his own enjoyment, disregarding their suffering, leading to widespread resentment and hardship. Historical records note that Duke Jing of Qi "was fond of constructing palaces, amassing dogs and horses, living extravagantly, imposing heavy taxes and severe punishments" (Records of the Grand Historian: The Hereditary House of Qi). Even amid internal and external troubles, he showed no compassion for the people and insisted on contending with the State of Jin for the empty title of hegemon. The Analects, Book 16 (Ji Shi), records: "Duke Jing of Qi had a thousand teams of four horses each, yet on the day of his death, the people found no virtue in him worthy of praise."