Chen Ji 陳紀
| Occupation | ROfficial · Administrator of Jiujiang NGeneral | Faction | Yuan Shu faction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | Native place | Danyang Commandery | |
| Died | Place of death | NShouchun County | |
| Cause of death | NExecuted Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R2 |
Profile
Chen Ji was a man of Danyang whom Yuan Shu appointed instead to the post of Administrator of Jiujiang, which he had promised to entrust to Sun Ce. He has no biography of his own in the Records, and his name appears twice in the account of Sun Ce in the Biographies of Sun Jian and Sun Ce (Records of Wu 1). Later, when Yuan Shu had Sun Ce attack Lu Kang, he said that he had always regretted wrongly appointing Chen Ji and failing to carry out his original intention. Chen Shou's text does not record his courtesy name, his later career or his death. Records, Wu 1 §26–27
In the Romance he appears in Chapter 17 as a senior general leading the third column when Yuan Shu, having proclaimed himself emperor, attacks Xu Province along seven routes. In the same chapter he holds Shouchun together with Li Feng, Yue Jiu and Liang Gang, is captured and is beheaded in the marketplace. Of the 120 chapters he appears only in this one, and his name is in no chapter title. Romance, Ch. 17 §3 · 25 · 30
In the Records
In the 1st year of Xingping (194), when Sun Ce followed Yuan Shu, Yuan Shu thought him most remarkable and returned Sun Jian's troops to him, and he often sighed, 'If I had a son like Young Master Sun, what regret would I have in dying?' Yuan Shu at first promised to make Sun Ce Administrator of Jiujiang, but soon afterward appointed Chen Ji of Danyang instead. Records, Wu 1 §25–26
Later, planning to attack Xu Province, Yuan Shu demanded 30,000 hu of rice from Lu Kang, Administrator of Lujiang, and when Lu Kang refused he was furious and sent Sun Ce to attack him. At this time Yuan Shu said to Sun Ce, 'I wrongly appointed Chen Ji before and have always regretted that my original intention was not fulfilled. If you take Lu Kang now, Lujiang will truly be yours.' Sun Ce attacked Lu Kang and took his city, but Yuan Shu once again made his own former subordinate Liu Xun administrator, and Sun Ce was all the more disappointed. Records, Wu 1 §26–27
These two passages are the only places in Chen Shou's text where Chen Ji's name appears, and his courtesy name, later career and death are not recorded. The Annals of Emperor Wu record that in the 9th month of autumn in the 2nd year of Jian'an (197), when Yuan Shu invaded Chen, Cao Cao campaigned east against him and attacked and beheaded all the generals Yuan Shu had left behind when he abandoned his army and fled — Qiao Rui, Li Feng, Liang Gang and Yue Jiu; Chen Ji does not appear here either. Records, Wu 1 §26–27Records, Wei 1 §43–44
In the Romance
In Chapter 17 of the Romance, Yuan Shu in Huainan, with broad lands and abundant grain and also the imperial seal that Sun Ce had left with him as a pledge, establishes the title Zhongshi and proclaims himself emperor. Enraged at the news that Lü Bu has sent Han Yin under escort to Xudu and that Cao Cao has beheaded him, Yuan Shu makes Zhang Xun General-in-Chief and has a great army of over 200,000, divided into seven columns, attack Xu Province; Chen Ji, as a senior general, becomes the third column, holding the right. Romance, Ch. 17 §1 · 3
When Lü Bu has men scout the enemy, Chen Ji's army is coming to attack Yidu, and the troops of the seven columns advance fifty li a day, plundering along the way. Having received word from Han Xian and Yang Feng that they will act as insiders, Lü Bu divides his troops into five columns and has Chen Gong lead one force to Yidu to hold off Chen Ji. That night Han Xian and Yang Feng set fires and let Lü Bu's troops in, throwing Zhang Xun's army into great disorder, and Yuan Shu gathers his defeated troops and flees back to Huainan. The Romance does not depict any fighting between Chen Ji and Chen Gong. Romance, Ch. 17 §5 · 10–11 · 13 · 15
When Cao Cao, together with Sun Ce, Liu Bei and Lü Bu, attacks from all sides and the vanguard Qiao Rui is speared to death by Xiahou Dun, Yuan Shu follows the advice of Yang Dajiang: he divides 100,000 troops among four men — Li Feng, Yue Jiu, Liang Gang and Chen Ji — to hold Shouchun firmly, and crosses the Huai with the rest of his officers and men and the gold, jade and treasures of his storehouses. When Li Feng and the others shut the gates and do not come out, Cao Cao's army holds its position for over a month until its grain is nearly exhausted; Cao Cao beheads the granary officer Wang Hou to quell the soldiers' resentment and then orders that if the city is not taken within three days, all will be beheaded. Romance, Ch. 17 §24–26 · 28–29
Cao Cao's soldiers vie to scale the walls, cut through the gate and smash the locks, and pour in; Li Feng, Chen Ji, Yue Jiu and Liang Gang are all taken alive, and Cao Cao has them all beheaded in the marketplace. Romance, Ch. 17 §30
Where the Romance differs
His post: In Chapter 17 of the Romance, Chen Ji appears as a senior general leading the third column when Yuan Shu attacks Xu Province. In the Records he is a man of Danyang whom Yuan Shu appointed instead to the post of Administrator of Jiujiang that he had promised to Sun Ce, and Chen Shou's text has no record of him leading troops. Romance, Ch. 17 §3Records, Wu 1 §26–27
Yuan Shu's regret: In the Records, when Yuan Shu has Sun Ce attack Lu Kang, he says he has always regretted wrongly appointing Chen Ji and failing to carry out his original intention. In the Romance, Chen Ji's name appears only in the passages on the attack on Xu Province and the defense of Shouchun in Chapter 17, and neither the matter of Sun Ce and the Jiujiang post nor these words of Yuan Shu appear. Romance, Ch. 17 §3 · 30Records, Wu 1 §26–27
The attack on Xu Province: In Chapter 17 of the Romance, Chen Ji takes charge of the third of the seven columns and marches to attack Yidu, and Lü Bu sends Chen Gong to hold him off. The record of Lü Bu in Records of Wei 7 states only that Yuan Shu joined forces with Han Xian, Yang Feng and others and sent his senior general Zhang Xun to attack Lü Bu, and that Han Xian and Yang Feng went over to Lü Bu's side so that Zhang Xun was heavily defeated; neither the seven-column formation nor Chen Ji appears. Romance, Ch. 17 §3 · 5 · 11Records, Wei 7 §24
Death at Shouchun: In Chapter 17 of the Romance, Chen Ji holds Shouchun together with Li Feng, Yue Jiu and Liang Gang, is captured and is beheaded in the marketplace. The Annals of Emperor Wu in the Records state that in the 9th month of autumn in the 2nd year of Jian'an (197) Cao Cao beheaded all the generals Yuan Shu had left behind when he abandoned his army and fled — Qiao Rui, Li Feng, Liang Gang and Yue Jiu — and Chen Ji is not on this list. Chen Shou's text does not record Chen Ji's death. Romance, Ch. 17 §25 · 30Records, Wei 1 §43–44Records, Wu 1 §26–27
Written by 3KDEX (not yet reviewed) — The tags at the end of each paragraph link to the exact passage in the Records volume or Romance chapter it is based on.
Abilities
The Records score (Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms, main text) is the baseline. Each ability compares how the Romance redrew the same person, and the evidence from both sources explains the difference.
Records total384 / 1000Rank 704 of 996 · Top 71%Romance total358 / 1000Rank 828 of 1,113 · Top 75%
Romance adaptation index−26Romance total − Records total
- LEA4245+3
- STR3840+2
- INT3833−5
- POL4533−12
- CHA3835−3
- VIR4042+2
- ADP3835−3
- SCH3531−4
- DIP3531−4
- DIS3533−2
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
9 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Administrator of Jiujiang under Yuan ShuWu 1 §26
NLed one of the seven columns against Yidu and shared in holding ShouchunCh. 17 §5Ch. 17 §25
Records Romance Unverified No direct record; scored from their actions (evidence grade C)
3KDEX scoring — the Records use the main text of Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms; the Romance uses the 120-chapter Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Click a source tag to open that passage in the reader.
Romance chapters (1)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Allegiance history
- Yuan Shu faction · Records · 「術初許策爲九江太守，已而更用丹楊陳紀」 · s27 「前錯用陳紀」