| Occupation | RNOfficial · Privy Treasurer | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | R? N? Unverified | Native place | Henan Commandery Luoyang County |
| Died | R218 N(same) Unverified | Place of death | |
| Cause of death | RExecuted NExecuted Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R4 |
Geng Ji was Privy Treasurer at the Han court at the end of the Later Han. He has no biography of his own in the Records, and in Chen Shou's main text he appears once, in the entry for the 1st month of spring in the 23rd year of Jian'an (218) in the Annals of Emperor Wu. At that time, together with the Han Chief Imperial Physician Ji Ben, the Director of Rectitude Wei Huang and others, he rose in rebellion, attacked Xu and burned the camp of Wang Bi, Chief Clerk to the Chancellor, but was attacked and beheaded by Wang Bi and Yan Kuang, Agricultural General of the Household of Yingchuan. Records, Wei 1 §159
Chen Shou does not deal with Geng Ji in his assessment in the Annals of Emperor Wu. In the Romance he appears only in Chapter 69, in 1 of the 120 chapters, and the title of Chapter 69 ends with 'Five Ministers Die True to Their Integrity in Striking at the Traitor of the Han'. The Romance introduces him as a man of Luoyang with the courtesy name Jixing, and portrays him as a man who, resenting Cao Cao's use of the Son of Heaven's carriages and robes, rises together with Wei Huang, Jin Yi and others, is captured and is beheaded in the marketplace. Records, Wei 1 §173Romance, Ch. 69 §25 · 32 · 37–39
In the 1st month of spring in the 23rd year of Jian'an (218), the Han Chief Imperial Physician Ji Ben rose in rebellion together with the Privy Treasurer Geng Ji, the Director of Rectitude Wei Huang and others, attacked Xu and burned the camp of Wang Bi, Chief Clerk to the Chancellor. Wang Bi, together with Yan Kuang, Agricultural General of the Household of Yingchuan, attacked and beheaded them. Records, Wei 1 §159
This entry is the only place in Chen Shou's main text where Geng Ji appears. The Annals of Emperor Wu do not record his courtesy name, his origins, his career or why he rose in rebellion, and his name does not appear in the assessment of Records of Wei 1 either. Records, Wei 1 §159 · 173
In Chapter 69 of the Romance, Geng Ji is a man of Luoyang with the courtesy name Jixing who once served as a clerk in the Chancellor's office and was later transferred to Palace Attendant and Privy Treasurer, and he is on very close terms with the Director of Rectitude Wei Huang. Deeply resentful at seeing Cao Cao raised to the rank of king and using the Son of Heaven's carriages and robes when going out and coming in, he confers secretly with Wei Huang in the 1st month of spring in the 23rd year of Jian'an, saying that the traitor Cao Cao will surely usurp the throne and that as subjects of the Han they cannot side with evil men. When Wei Huang proposes drawing in Jin Yi, who is on close terms with Wang Bi, Geng Ji doubts that such a man would plot with them. Romance, Ch. 69 §25–26
The two go to Jin Yi's house, where Wei Huang, by way of pretence, asks Jin Yi to raise them up once the King of Wei receives the abdication, and when Jin Yi grows angry, Geng Ji chimes in that this is the will of Heaven and cannot be helped. Having confirmed that Jin Yi has a loyal and righteous heart, the two reveal the truth, and Jin Yi proposes to kill Wang Bi by acting together from inside and outside, seize his command and then join hands with Imperial Uncle Liu. When Jin Yi brings in Ji Miao and Ji Mu, the two sons of the Imperial Physician Ji Ping, whose father Cao Cao had killed, the five men swear an oath before Heaven and drink blood to seal their covenant. Geng Ji and Wei Huang each keep three to four hundred household servants and prepare weapons in advance. Romance, Ch. 69 §27–33
On the night of the fifteenth of the 1st month, when fire breaks out inside Wang Bi's camp after the second watch, Wang Bi mounts and goes out through the south gate, runs straight into Geng Ji, is struck in the shoulder by an arrow and flees toward the west gate. Alerted by Wang Bi, Cao Xiu holds off the rebels within the city, and Xiahou Dun, stationed five li outside the city, surrounds Xudu with a large army, and the fighting goes on until daybreak. When word comes that Jin Yi and the two Ji brothers have all been killed, Geng Ji and Wei Huang cut their way out through the city gate, but are surrounded by Xiahou Dun's army and captured. Romance, Ch. 69 §34 · 36–37
Cao Cao orders Geng Ji and Wei Huang, together with the old and young of the five families' kin, all to be beheaded in the marketplace. Dragged to the execution ground, Geng Ji cries out, 'Cao Aman! Since I could not kill you in life, in death I shall become a vengeful ghost and strike at the traitor!', and even when the executioner stabs his mouth with a knife and blood floods the ground, he keeps cursing until he dies. The Romance adds a poem by a later writer that begins, 'Geng Ji was devoted and loyal, Wei Huang was worthy.' Romance, Ch. 69 §38–40
Afterwards Cao Cao tells the officials who have been escorted to Ye Commandery that those who put out the fire when Geng Ji, Wei Huang and the others set Xudu ablaze should stand under the red banner, and those who did not should stand under the white banner. Saying that those under the red banner had in fact meant to help the rebels, he has them beheaded on the bank of the Zhang River, and more than three hundred die. Only then does Cao Cao grasp the meaning of the fire that Guan Lu had spoken of, and he offers him a reward, but Guan Lu does not accept it. Romance, Ch. 69 §41–42 · 44
Origins and career: In Chapter 69 of the Romance, Geng Ji is a man of Luoyang with the courtesy name Jixing who served as a clerk in the Chancellor's office and then became Palace Attendant and Privy Treasurer. Chen Shou's main text of the Annals of Emperor Wu in the Records calls him only 'the Privy Treasurer Geng Ji' and does not give his courtesy name, origins or career. Romance, Ch. 69 §25Records, Wei 1 §159
Who started the uprising: In Chapter 69 of the Romance, Geng Ji starts the affair in consultation with Wei Huang, and after Jin Yi is drawn in, the two sons of the Imperial Physician Ji Ping, Ji Miao and Ji Mu, join, while Ji Ping appears as a man already dead. In the Annals of Emperor Wu in the Records, the Han Chief Imperial Physician Ji Ben rose in rebellion together with the Privy Treasurer Geng Ji, the Director of Rectitude Wei Huang and others, and the names of Jin Yi and the two sons do not appear. Romance, Ch. 69 §25–31Records, Wei 1 §159
Reason for the uprising: In Chapter 69 of the Romance, Geng Ji plots the affair out of resentment at seeing Cao Cao raised to the rank of king and using the Son of Heaven's carriages and robes. The Annals of Emperor Wu in the Records state that in the 22nd year of Jian'an (217) the Son of Heaven allowed the King to set up the Son of Heaven's banners and to have the way cleared with calls when he went out and came in, and to wear a crown hung with twelve strings of beads and ride in the golden-root carriage, but they do not record why Geng Ji and the others rebelled. Romance, Ch. 69 §25Records, Wei 1 §157 · 159
Who put it down: In Chapter 69 of the Romance, Cao Xiu, alerted by the arrow-struck Wang Bi, holds off the rebels within the city, and Xiahou Dun surrounds Xudu with a large army and captures Geng Ji and Wei Huang. In the Annals of Emperor Wu in the Records, Wang Bi attacked and beheaded them together with Yan Kuang, Agricultural General of the Household of Yingchuan, and Cao Xiu and Xiahou Dun do not appear. Romance, Ch. 69 §36–37Records, Wei 1 §159
Death: In Chapter 69 of the Romance, Geng Ji is captured and beheaded in the marketplace, cursing Cao Cao to the end even as his mouth is stabbed. Chen Shou's main text of the Annals of Emperor Wu in the Records says only that Wang Bi and Yan Kuang attacked and beheaded the rebels. Romance, Ch. 69 §38–39Records, Wei 1 §159
Punishment of the officials: In Chapter 69 of the Romance, Cao Cao has more than three hundred officials who had come out to put out the fire beheaded on the bank of the Zhang River. This episode is not in Chen Shou's main text of the Annals of Emperor Wu in the Records. Romance, Ch. 69 §41–42Records, Wei 1 §159–161
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.
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.
RAs Privy Treasurer of the Han court, rose in arms against Cao Cao's side; the Wei record calls it a rebellionWei 1 §159
NRose in indignation at Cao Cao's usurping ways, cursed him even as he died, and was praised as a loyal subjectCh. 69 §25Ch. 69 §39Ch. 69 §40
RNo direct record — estimated from his part in the uprisingWei 1 §159
NShot Wang Bi in the shoulder with an arrow as he came out through the south gateCh. 69 §34
RAttacked Xu with Ji Ben and Wei Huang and burned Wang Bi's camp, but was put downWei 1 §159
NRose with three to four hundred household servants but was captured by Xiahou DunCh. 69 §33Ch. 69 §37
RNo direct record — estimated from his part in the uprisingWei 1 §159
NSounded out Jin Yi's true intentions together with Wei Huang and plotted the uprisingCh. 69 §28Ch. 69 §29
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Privy TreasurerWei 1 §159
NNo direct record — estimated from his career as a clerk in the Chancellor's office, Palace Attendant and Privy TreasurerCh. 69 §25
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Privy TreasurerWei 1 §159
NGathered household servants and rose, and the city rang with cries to support the Han houseCh. 69 §33Ch. 69 §36
RRose in arms at Xu but was soon put down and beheadedWei 1 §159
NLeft without anyone to help, was captured as he broke out through the city gateCh. 69 §37
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Privy TreasurerWei 1 §159
NNo direct record — estimated from his career as Palace Attendant and Privy TreasurerCh. 69 §25
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Privy TreasurerWei 1 §159
NTogether with Wei Huang, tested Jin Yi, then revealed the truth and drew him inCh. 69 §28
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Privy TreasurerWei 1 §159
NNo direct record — estimated from his official careerCh. 69 §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.
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Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).