Han Ji

Historical Record

Han Ji, courtesy name Gongzhi, was a native of Duyang in Nanyang, a descendant of Han Xin the King of Han. His grandfather Han Shu had served as Grand Administrator of Hedong, and his father Han Chun had served as Grand Administrator of Nan Commandery ^c:6703. In his early years, a local strongman of the same county, Chen Mao, falsely accused Han Ji's father and elder brother, nearly bringing about their execution. Han Ji outwardly said nothing of the matter, but secretly amassed wealth and recruited desperadoes. In the end he hunted down and captured Chen Mao, sacrificed his severed head before his father's grave, and thereby rose to fame. He was once recommended as Filial and Incorrupt and summoned by the Minister of Works, but took up neither post. To escape the chaos of war, he changed his name and surname and went into seclusion in the mountains of Luyang. At the time, the local mountain dwellers had banded together to plunder; Han Ji exhausted his family fortune, provided oxen and wine, invited their chiefs, and laid out for them the consequences of their actions, in the end moving the mountain folk so that they did no harm ^c:6703.

Afterward, to avoid Yuan Shu's summons, he moved to the mountains of Shandu. Liu Biao, Governor of Jing Province, sought to engage him with courtesy, but Han Ji chose to flee and settled south in the borderlands of Chanling. He was beloved there, but Liu Biao came to deeply resent him for it. Fearing Liu Biao's wrath, Han Ji at last answered the summons and was appointed Chief of Yicheng ^c:6703.

After Cao Cao pacified Jing Province, he summoned Han Ji as Aide of the Grand Chancellor's Bureau. Later he was selected as Grand Administrator of Lecheng, then transferred to Supervising Metallurgist. At the time the foundries operated bellows driven by horses, and each smelting of one finished load required a hundred horses; using men to work the bellows instead consumed great manpower. Han Ji therefore harnessed the power of flowing water to invent the water-powered bellows, which were three times more efficient than before. In seven years in office he made the realm's implements abundant, and Cao Cao issued a decree commending him, further enfeoffing him as Commandant of the Directorate of Gold, ranked among the nine ministers ^c:6705.

After Emperor Wen of Wei, Cao Pi, took the throne, Han Ji was enfeoffed as Marquis of Yicheng Village. In the seventh year of Huangchu (226 CE), he was promoted to Grand Master of Ceremonies and advanced to Marquis of Nanxiang Village, with a fief of two hundred households ^c:6705. At the time Luoyang had only recently been rebuilt, its institutions not yet complete, while the spirit tablets of the ancestral temple still remained in Ye. Han Ji memorialized to request that the spirit tablets of the four temples at Ye be brought to Luoyang, that an ancestral temple be established at Luoyang, and personally presided over the seasonal sacrifices. He honored proper rites, abolished improper cults, and made many corrections. After eight years as Grand Master of Ceremonies, he resigned due to illness. In the spring of the second year of Jingchu (238 CE), an edict praised Han Ji as one who "cleansed his person and bathed in virtue, lofty in resolve and integrity, past eighty years of age, ever firmer in upholding the Way—he may be called genuine and sincere, growing ever more excellent with age," and appointed him Minister over the Masses ^c:6707. In the fourth month of summer that same year, Han Ji died. Before his death he left instructions to be shrouded and buried in seasonal clothing, to be interred in the earth, and stressed frugality so as not to burden the people. When Emperor Ming of Wei, Cao Rui, learned of this, he issued an edict commending his virtue of frugality and, by custom, bestowed what was required for the funeral ^c:6702, ^c:6707. His son Han Zhao inherited the rank, and after Han Zhao died, his son Han Bang succeeded to it. Han Bang, courtesy name Changlin, possessed talent and learning from youth, and later in the time of Emperor Wu of Jin served as Chief of Yewang and Grand Administrator of Xincheng, but was killed for some cause. Han Ji's second son Han Yao once served as Grand Administrator of Gaoyang; his son Han Hong served as Attendant Censor, and Han Hong's son Han Shou, courtesy name Dezhen, carried on the family tradition, loyal, sincere, and incorrupt, rising to Intendant of Henan and posthumously honored as General of Agile Cavalry. Han Shou's wife was the daughter of Jia Chong; since Jia Chong had no heir, Han Shou's son Han Mi was adopted as Jia Chong's successor, rising to Imperial Library Director and Palace Attendant. Han Mi's younger brother Han Wei likewise had standing and reputation, but in the end both were killed by Sima Lun, the Prince of Zhao, and the Han clan was thereby wiped out ^c:6707.

In the Novel

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Han Ji's image appears chiefly in Chapter Ninety-eight. In his office as Grand Master of Ceremonies, he was ordered by Emperor Ming of Wei, Cao Rui, to bear the imperial credentials and go to admonish Cao Zhen. At the time Cao Zhen was about to pursue Zhuge Liang, and Sima Yi, foreseeing that Zhuge Liang might have laid an ambush, advised Emperor Ming. Emperor Ming accepted Sima Yi's counsel and sent Han Ji to convey the edict, admonishing Cao Zhen on no account to give battle rashly but to hold firm, awaiting the Shu troops' withdrawal before striking ^c:6708.

When Sima Yi saw Han Ji off outside the city, he specially urged him that, on meeting Cao Zhen, he should not mention that this was Sima Yi's counsel, but say only that it was the Son of Heaven's edict, with caution as the best policy. At the same time, Sima Yi enjoined Han Ji that if a pursuit were to be made, one must choose someone careful and prudent, and on no account send a hot-tempered, impetuous man ^c:6708. This episode shapes Han Ji's image as a minister conveying imperial commands; he faithfully carried out the emperor's orders and indirectly brought about the realization of Sima Yi's scheme. Compared with the historical image of Han Ji as a capable statesman and incorrupt Minister over the Masses, the Novel's portrayal is rather one-dimensional, focusing chiefly on his role as a messenger in a particular military event, and not displaying his outstanding contributions in internal governance, economy, or character. His historical deeds—inventing the water-powered bellows, correcting the rites, honoring frugality—are all unmentioned in the Novel.

Key Relationships

* Cao Wei (serves): Han Ji was an important official of the Cao Wei regime. He first served as Aide of the Chancellor's Bureau under Cao Cao, then was enfeoffed as Commandant of the Directorate of Gold for the merit of inventing the water-powered bellows. After Cao Pi declared himself emperor, Han Ji was enfeoffed as a marquis, and finally, in Cao Rui's time, rose to Minister over the Masses, ranked among the Three Excellencies ^c:6705, ^c:6707.
* Chen Mao (enemy_of): Chen Mao was a local strongman of Han Ji's county who falsely accused Han Ji's father and brother, nearly bringing about their execution. Han Ji bore it in silence and avenged them, in the end capturing and killing Chen Mao and sacrificing his head to his father, thereby winning fame ^c:6703.
* Yuan Shu's Faction (defected_from): Han Ji once changed his name and surname to avoid Yuan Shu's summons, going into seclusion to escape the chaos ^c:6703.
* Liu Biao's faction (defected_from): Liu Biao, Governor of Jing Province, sought to engage Han Ji with courtesy, but Han Ji chose to flee, and only out of fear of Liu Biao's wrath answered the summons and served as Chief of Yicheng ^c:6703.
* Sima Yi (indirect cooperation): In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Han Ji, as an envoy, conveyed the edict by which Emperor Ming adopted Sima Yi's counsel, indirectly bringing about Sima Yi's military strategy ^c:6708 (Novel only).

Iconic Scenes

* Avenging His Father, Making His Name: Han Ji's father and brother were falsely accused by the local strongman Chen Mao and nearly lost their lives. Han Ji bore it in silence for years, secretly gathering strength, and finally captured and killed Chen Mao, sacrificing his head before his father's grave, his fame thereby spreading far ^c:6703. This event displays his patient yet decisive character.
* Inventing the Water-Powered Bellows, Benefiting State and People: While serving as Supervising Metallurgist, Han Ji improved the smelting apparatus, harnessing water power to invent the "water-powered bellows," which tripled smelting efficiency and greatly enriched the realm's implements, earning Cao Cao's commendation and enfeoffment as Commandant of the Directorate of Gold ^c:6705. This reflects his character of honoring rites and frugality and his practical innovation.
* Correcting the Rites, Honoring Frugality: While serving as Grand Master of Ceremonies, Han Ji strongly advocated moving the ancestral temple's spirit tablets from Ye to Luoyang, establishing a new temple and personally presiding over the sacrifices, in order to honor proper rites and abolish improper cults. Before his death he left instructions for a frugal burial that would not burden the people, and Emperor Ming, Cao Rui, greatly praised this, calling him one who "began well and ended fittingly" ^c:6707. This fully displays his character of honoring rites and frugality, ever firmer with age.
* Admonishing Cao Zhen by Imperial Order: In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Han Ji, by order of Emperor Ming of Wei, bore the imperial credentials to admonish Cao Zhen, keeping him from falling for Zhuge Liang's stratagem. Though this scene is unrecorded in the histories, it reflects his role as a messenger in a particular historical event ^c:6708 (Novel only).