Cheng Ji

Historical Record

Cheng Ji, styled Jiran, was a native of Langzhong County in Baxi Commandery. While Liu Zhang governed Yi Province, he served as magistrate of Hanchang County. At that time the fierce Cong people dwelt within Hanchang County; they had once helped Gaozu pacify Guanzhong. Pang Xi, Administrator of Baxi, seeing the realm in turmoil, judged that the commandery needed an armed force, and so recruited and organized his own personal troops. Someone slandered Pang Xi to Liu Zhang, saying he meant to rebel, which made Liu Zhang suspicious of him. When Pang Xi learned of this, he was greatly afraid, and planning to protect himself, he sent Cheng Ji's son Cheng Yu to convey his intent and request that Cheng Ji supply him with troops for self-defense. Cheng Ji answered him clearly: "The commandery's recruiting of personal troops was never meant for rebellion. Even if someone stirs up trouble, what matters is to keep one's loyalty. To harbor a treacherous heart merely out of fear—this is not something I, Cheng Ji, can countenance." He likewise admonished his son Cheng Yu: "I, Cheng Ji, have received the favor of the provincial governor and ought to give him my loyalty. You, as a commandery officer, ought also to serve the Administrator—you must never harbor disloyal intent on my account." Pang Xi sent word to Cheng Ji: "Your son is in the commandery. If you do not obey the Administrator's orders, calamity will fall on your clan!" Cheng Ji answered firmly: "Of old, Yue Yang as a general drank the broth made of his own son—not that father and son were without feeling, but that the great cause required it. Now, even were I to drink my son's broth again, I would surely drink it." Pang Xi, knowing that Cheng Ji could not be turned to his use, sincerely apologized to Liu Zhang and thereby escaped disaster. When Liu Zhang heard of this, he promoted Cheng Ji to Administrator of Jiangyang.^[1]

After Liu Bei took the post of Governor of Yi Province, he summoned Cheng Ji to serve as Libationer of the Attendant Officers. Later Cheng Ji followed Liu Bei in the campaign against Eastern Wu. At the Battle of Xiaoting, the great Shu Han army met a crushing defeat, and Cheng Ji retreated upstream along the river with the army. Someone advised him: "The pursuing troops have arrived—better to cast off the boats and flee light, that you may escape." Cheng Ji resolutely answered: "I, Cheng Ji, have been in the army and have never yet fled before the enemy—how much less now, following the Son of Heaven on campaign and facing peril!" The pursuers soon caught up with Cheng Ji's boat; Cheng Ji himself took up a long halberd and fought the enemy, even sinking some of their boats. But the Wu troops were many and swarmed upon him, surrounding him together, and in the end Cheng Ji fought to the death.^[1]

In the Novel

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the figure of Cheng Ji centers chiefly on the latter part of the Battle of Xiaoting, where he is fashioned into a loyal and valiant Shu Han official, unyielding and ready to die rather than surrender. At the moment of Liu Bei's great defeat, Cheng Ji, as Libationer, still attended at Liu Bei's side. In one passage, as Liu Bei pondered a plan to break Wu within the imperial encampment, he suddenly noticed the central-army banner before his tent fall over of itself though there was no wind, and asked Cheng Ji what this portended. Cheng Ji surmised it might be Wu troops coming to raid the camp, while Liu Bei held that the Wu troops had all been killed and dared not come again. Cheng Ji then further suggested that this might be a probe by Lu Xun.^[2] This dialogue, though unrecorded in the histories, displays Cheng Ji's image in the novel as an adviser able to judge the course of battle.

At the rout of Liu Bei's great army, Cheng Ji's end differs from the histories, but his stern, principled integrity is further heightened. In the novel, Cheng Ji rode alone to the riverside, trying to rally the navy to resist the enemy, but the navy scattered in flight. When the Wu troops then pursued, Cheng Ji's subordinate generals urged him to withdraw at once. Cheng Ji angrily rebuked them: "Since I went forth with my lord on campaign, I have never once faced the enemy and fled!" Before the words were out, the Wu troops had arrived, surrounding him on all sides; with no way to escape, Cheng Ji at last drew his sword and cut his own throat.^[3] This episode diverges from the histories' account of Cheng Ji fighting to the death with his halberd, but it likewise stresses his loyal spirit of not fleeing the enemy, and by the more tragic manner of suicide intensifies his image of loyal sacrifice.

Key Relationships

* Liu Zhang: During Liu Zhang's rule, Cheng Ji served as magistrate of Hanchang County, and on account of his loyalty and uprightness was later promoted by Liu Zhang to Administrator of Jiangyang.^[1]
* Pang Xi: Pang Xi was Cheng Ji's political adversary and also a touchstone of his stern character. Pang Xi once tried to win Cheng Ji over, but Cheng Ji firmly refused, putting the great cause first and refusing to be used by him.^[1]
* Liu Bei: Cheng Ji was an important official under Liu Bei, serving as Libationer of the Attendant Officers and following Liu Bei in the campaign against Eastern Wu. In the end he fought to the death for Liu Bei and Shu Han at the Battle of Xiaoting.^[1]
* Shu Han: Cheng Ji was a loyal subject of Shu Han, giving his life at last for the Shu Han regime; in the rout at the Battle of Xiaoting he chose to perish together with his state.^[1]

Signature Scenes

* Refusing Pang Xi's Levy: When Pang Xi, fearing Liu Zhang's suspicion, sought to protect himself and sent Cheng Ji's son Cheng Yu to ask Cheng Ji for aid in hopes of obtaining troops, Cheng Ji sternly refused and admonished his son not to betray the great cause for private feeling, even declaring, "now even were I to drink my son's broth, I would surely drink it," showing his stern character unmoved by private feeling.^[1] This scene fully displays Cheng Ji's loyalty and principle.
* Fighting to the Death at the Battle of Xiaoting: At the rout of the Shu Han army at the Battle of Xiaoting, Cheng Ji, faced with pursuers, refused the advice to "cast off the boats and flee light," insisting, "I have been in the army and never fled before the enemy—how much less now, following the Son of Heaven and facing peril!" He himself took up a halberd to fight the enemy until, his strength spent, he died.^[1] This scene is the concentrated expression of Cheng Ji's stern, principled integrity, and the most tragic moment of his life.
* Suicide for His Country at the Battle of Xiaoting (novel only): In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, at the rout of the Battle of Xiaoting, with the Wu troops in pursuit and the navy scattered, Cheng Ji angrily rebuked his subordinate general's advice to flee and at last drew his sword and cut his own throat, dying for his country.^[3] Though this differs from the histories' account of fighting to the death, it likewise shapes his image of preferring death to surrender and becomes an important touch in the novel's rendering of the tragic atmosphere.