Zhang Ji

Historical Record

Zhang Ji, courtesy name Jingzhong, served as magistrate of Wen County during the Taihe era of Emperor Ming of Wei, and was renowned for his outstanding governance. When Zhuge Liang led his troops out on campaign, Zhang Ji submitted a memorial proposing strategy; the Director of the Secretariat, Sun Zi, deemed him resourceful, and so he was summoned and appointed Commandant of Cavalry to take part in the military operations against Shu. After the campaign ended, he entered court as a Gentleman of the Secretariat, and his excellent performance won the esteem of Emperor Ming. The Emperor once considered Zhang Ji a man of outstanding talent fit for great responsibility, but a physiognomist declared that his office would not exceed the two-thousand-bushel rank, which left the Emperor rather puzzled.^[1]

During the Jiaping era, Zhang Ji's daughter was made Empress, and he was therefore summoned to the capital and appointed Grandee of the Palace with the privilege of Specially Advanced rank; his wife, Lady Xiang, was also enfeoffed as Township Lady of Ancheng. However, while Zhang Ji had been Administrator of Dongguan, he had been stingy with money yet vain about his power, and when he suddenly left his commandery to return to the capital because his daughter had been made Empress, he returned home gloomy and unhappy.^[1]

Zhang Ji was on close private terms with the Director of the Secretariat, Li Feng; the two were from the same commandery and both were discontented with the political situation of the time. Although Li Feng was favored by the Grand General Sima Shi, in his heart he inclined toward Xiahou Xuan, and so he conspired with Zhang Ji to install Xiahou Xuan in the regency. Li Feng used his power at court, and because his son had married a princess and he was on close terms with Zhang Ji, Zhang Ji trusted him completely. They planned, in the second month of the sixth year of Jiaping, to take advantage of an occasion when an Honored Consort was being installed—when the Emperor would preside in person and there would be palace troops at the various gates—to kill the Grand General Sima Shi, install Xiahou Xuan as regent, and appoint Zhang Ji General of Agile Cavalry.^[2]

Li Feng also secretly contacted the Inspector of the Yellow Gates Su Shuo, the Director of the Yongning Office Yue Dun, and the Supervisor of the Attendant Cavalry Liu Xian, among others, using Sima Shi's severity to intimidate them into joining the conspiracy. Zhang Ji even sent his son Zhang Miao to befriend Li Feng and join in the planning of the uprising. However, the Grand General Sima Shi became aware of it and summoned Li Feng. Unaware of the deception, Li Feng went to the summons and was immediately killed. After the affair came to light, Zhang Ji, together with Xiahou Xuan, Su Shuo, Yue Dun, Liu Xian, and others, was all arrested and handed over to the Commandant of Justice. The Commandant of Justice Zhong Yu memorialized that Li Feng and the others had plotted to coerce the Emperor and had presumed to kill the prime minister, which was the crime of grand treason and should be punished according to law. After the nobles, court ministers, and the Commandant of Justice held a joint trial, all agreed that Li Feng and the others, having received special favor, yet harbored treacherous hearts, contrived rebellion, and sought to overthrow the imperial house and imperil the altars of state. In the end, Zhang Ji, together with Li Feng, Xiahou Xuan, Yue Dun, Liu Xian, and the others, was all exterminated to the third degree of kinship, while their remaining relatives were exiled to Lelang Commandery.^[2]

In the Novel

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhang Ji is portrayed as a key figure discontented with Sima Shi's monopoly of power and actively involved in the anti–Sima Shi faction. He first appears in Chapter 108, by which time he was already Grandee of the Palace, and is noted as having once predicted to Sima Shi that Zhuge Ke would soon die, on the grounds that "his might overawes his lord—how can he last long?" This was later borne out, demonstrating Zhang Ji's insight.^[3]

In Chapter 109, Zhang Ji's role becomes more prominent. The Wei sovereign Cao Fang lived in trembling fear under Sima Shi's monopoly of power; Sima Shi even ascended the hall wearing his sword, showing disrespect to Cao Fang. Cao Fang withdrew to the rear hall, leaving only three men: the Chamberlain for Ceremonials Xiahou Xuan, the Director of the Secretariat Li Feng, and the Grandee of the Palace Zhang Ji. As the father of Empress Zhang and Cao Fang's father-in-law, Zhang Ji deliberated countermeasures together with Cao Fang. Cao Fang took Zhang Ji by the hand and wept as he denounced Sima Shi's arrogance, and Zhang Ji, together with Li Feng and Xiahou Xuan, declared his willingness to be of one mind in punishing the traitor to repay His Majesty.^[4]

In the novel, the conspiracy of Zhang Ji, Li Feng, and Xiahou Xuan is depicted more directly and emotionally, highlighting their loyalty to the Cao-Wei altars of state and their discontent with Sima Shi's monopoly of power. Compared with the historical record, the novel places greater emphasis on Zhang Ji's identity as the "imperial father-in-law" and his intimate relationship with the Emperor, making his participation in the anti–Sima Shi faction more reasonable and intense. The novel does not describe in detail his arrest and execution, but focuses on the planning stage and on his interactions with Cao Fang, Li Feng, and Xiahou Xuan. The novel's depiction casts Zhang Ji as a far-sighted, bold, and courageous loyal minister who dared to resist a powerful minister, which differs from the historical sources' description of him as "stingy with money yet vain about power," placing more emphasis on his political aspiration and loyalty. The novel also does not mention the historical account in which Li Feng once secretly ordered his younger brother Yi to seek to enter court with troops, but places the focus directly on the inner-palace conspiracy.^[2]

Key Relationships

* Sima Shi (enemy_of): Zhang Ji was Sima Shi's political enemy, conspiring with Li Feng, Xiahou Xuan, and others to overthrow Sima Shi's rule and replace him with Xiahou Xuan as regent.^[2] In the novel, Zhang Ji directly took part in the conspiracy of Cao Fang, Li Feng, Xiahou Xuan, and others against Sima Shi, vowing to punish the traitor.^[4]
* Zhang Ji (kin_of): The historical sources record that Zhang Ji was a descendant of Zhang Ji; specifically, as the grandnephew of the heir, he was originally Marquis of Changling Pavilion with a fief of three hundred households, in order to maintain the sacrifices to the heir.^[2]
* Cao Wei (serves): Zhang Ji was an official of Cao Wei, having served as magistrate of Wen County, Commandant of Cavalry, Gentleman of the Secretariat, Administrator of Dongguan, and Grandee of the Palace, among other posts.^[1] In the end, because of his conspiracy against Sima Shi, he was seen as loyal to the Cao-Wei altars of state, but under Sima Shi's rule his act was characterized as "grand treason."^[2]
* Li Feng (enemy_of): Zhang Ji and the Director of the Secretariat Li Feng were co-conspirators, on close private terms, jointly planning to overthrow Sima Shi's rule. Li Feng was one of the central figures of the entire conspiracy.^[2] The novel also emphasizes the alliance between Zhang Ji and Li Feng, jointly devising strategy for Cao Fang.^[4]
* Xiahou Xuan (ally_of): Zhang Ji and Xiahou Xuan were important members of the conspiratorial faction, planning to install Xiahou Xuan in the regency.^[2] In the novel, Xiahou Xuan, together with Zhang Ji and Li Feng, also pledged loyalty to Cao Fang, vowing to attack Sima Shi.^[4]
* Cao Fang (kin_of): Zhang Ji was Cao Fang's father-in-law, his daughter having been made Empress, so he was related to Cao Fang by marriage. In the novel, Cao Fang even took Zhang Ji by the hand and wept as he denounced Sima Shi's monopoly of power, showing the intimacy and trust between the two.^[4]

Iconic Scenes

* Predicting the death of Zhuge Ke: Zhang Ji once predicted to Sima Shi that Zhuge Ke would soon die, on the grounds that "his might overawes his lord—how can he last long?" Zhuge Ke was indeed later killed, confirming Zhang Ji's insight, and Sima Shi accordingly praised Zhang Ji's wisdom as surpassing that of Zhuge Ke.^[3] (unique to the novel) In the historical sources, Zhang Ji also predicted to Grand General Sima that Zhuge Ke was bound to die, saying, "His might overawes his lord, his merit overshadows the whole state—how can he hope not to die?" and when Grand General Sima heard of Ke's death, he likewise praised Zhang Ji's wisdom.^[1]
* Conspiring with Li Feng and Xiahou Xuan against Sima Shi: Zhang Ji, together with the Director of the Secretariat Li Feng and the Chamberlain for Ceremonials Xiahou Xuan, discontented with Sima Shi's monopoly of power, secretly planned, in the second month of the sixth year of Jiaping, to take advantage of the installation of an Honored Consort to kill the Grand General Sima Shi, install Xiahou Xuan as regent, and appoint Zhang Ji General of Agile Cavalry.^[2] In the novel, this scene is depicted as Cao Fang in the rear hall conferring secretly with Zhang Ji, Li Feng, and Xiahou Xuan; Cao Fang took Zhang Ji by the hand and wept as he denounced Sima Shi's arrogance, and all three declared their willingness to be of one mind in punishing the traitor.^[4]
* Arrest and extermination of the three degrees of kinship: After the conspiracy was exposed, Li Feng was killed, and Zhang Ji, together with Xiahou Xuan, Su Shuo, Yue Dun, Liu Xian, and others, was arrested and handed over to the Commandant of Justice. In the end, Zhang Ji was sentenced for the crime of grand treason and, together with his co-conspirators, was exterminated to the third degree of kinship.^[2] The novel does not describe this scene in detail, but his end is consistent with the historical record, namely that he died and his clan was exterminated because of his conspiracy against Sima Shi.