Ji Yan

Ji Yan, courtesy name Zixiu, was from Wu Commandery and served Wu. He appears in relevant accounts in the Records of the Three Kingdoms; the Romance of the Three Kingdoms does not mention him.

Achievements

• Zhang Wen recommended Ji Yan for the post of Selection Bureau Gentleman, and he was later promoted to Minister of the Secretariat. (Recorded in the sources)^[1]
• Ji Yan considered the staff of the gentlemen’s offices to be a mixed lot. He impeached officials across the bureaucracy, reviewed the three offices, demoted many, and reassigned those who were greedy and unscrupulous to military posts and camp offices. (Recorded in the sources)^[1]
• Lu Mao wrote to urge Ji Yan to temper his approach with leniency. Zhu Ju also remonstrated with him, arguing that the realm was not yet settled and that merit should outweigh faults, but Ji Yan did not heed their advice. (Recorded in the sources)^[2][3]
• People of the time accused Ji Yan and Xu Biao, a fellow Selection Bureau Gentleman, of appointing people out of personal favor and showing unfair likes and dislikes. Both were found guilty and took their own lives. (Recorded in the sources)^[1]

Relationships

• Zhang Wen recommended Ji Yan for service and appointed him Selection Bureau Gentleman.^[1]
• Xu Biao and Ji Yan both served as Selection Bureau Gentlemen; they were found guilty and took their own lives together.^[1]
• Lu Mao wrote to remonstrate with Ji Yan.^[2]
• Zhu Ju once remonstrated with Ji Yan.^[3]