In 202 BC, Chu State and Han State battled decisively in Gaixia, now known as Chenghou Village on the north bank of Tuohe River in the southern part of Lingbi County. With inadequate soldiers, Xiang Yu became trapped and exhausted his provisions. As he drank wine in the camp and faced his beloved concubine, Yu Ji, and his gallant horse, Wu Zhui, he began to chant in a heroic but mournful tone. After singing, Xiang Yu started crying. Yu Ji understood the sudden change in the war situation and knew that nothing could be done. She sang with Xiang Yu the words, "The Han troops have captured most of the territory. We are under fire from all quarters. My King's will and spirit are exhausted. Why do I have to live in the world any longer?" After singing these words, Yu Ji killed herself with her own sword. Xiang Yu broke out of the trap but was finally defeated in Wujiang (now known as He County in Anhui Province), and committed suicide.
The tomb of Yu Ji in Lingbi contains just a woman’s body. Although she died during the Han Dynasty, Yu Ji was buried with no coffin or funerary objects—even though during the Han Dynasty, people had elaborate funerals and most tombs contained funerary objects—because of the chaos caused by the war, or perhaps for another reason. Only a few stone blocks covered her body. After her funeral and when the people in the Han Dynasty realized that dead people were worth respecting and commemorating, they built an offering table on the tomb. A wall was built to protect the tomb, as it has attracted many tourists since the Han Dynasty.