Chen Ji (129 – July 199
[According to the "Stele of Master Chen, Minister Herald of Later Han" by Handan Chun (recorded in volume 19 of ''Gu Wen Yuan''), Chen Ji died of illness, aged 71 (by East Asian reckoning), in the 6th month of the 4th year of the ''Jian'an'' era of Liu Xie's reign. This corresponds to 11 July to 9 August 199 on the Julian calendar. (《古文苑卷十九·後漢鴻臚陳君碑》邯鄲淳撰：不幸寢疾，年七十有一，建安四年六月卒。)]),
courtesy name Yuanfang, was an official and scholar who lived during the
Eastern Han dynasty of China.
Life
Chen Ji was from Xu County (),
Yingchuan Commandery (), which is present-day
Xuchang
Xuchang (; postal: Hsuchang) is a prefecture-level city in central Henan province in Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the northwest, Kaifeng to the northeast, Zhoukou to the east, Luohe to the southeast, and Pi ...
,
Henan
Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...
. His father
Chen Shi was a notable official who served from the reign of
Emperor Huan ( 146–168) well into the early reign of
Emperor Ling ( 168–189).
Due to the
Disasters of the Partisan Prohibitions in 166 and 169, Chen Ji did not enter government service and instead spent his time reading and writing. In 184, when the
Yellow Turban Rebellion
The Yellow Turban Rebellion, alternatively translated as the Yellow Scarves Rebellion, was a peasant revolt in China against the Eastern Han dynasty. The uprising broke out in 184 CE during the reign of Emperor Ling. Although the main rebelli ...
broke out, Emperor Ling issued a general amnesty to everyone affected by the Disasters of the Partisan Prohibitions. Chen Ji then received invitations from the four highest-ranked officials in the central government – General-in-Chief,
Minister Over the Masses Situ was one of the highest ranking government offices in ancient China. Established in the Western Zhou dynasty, it was originally written as (), meaning Administrator of Land.
During the Han dynasty, the title became written with the different c ...
,
Minister of Works and Grand Commandant – to join their administrative staff. However, he declined all of them.
In 189, the warlord
Dong Zhuo
Dong Zhuo () (died 22 May 192), courtesy name Zhongying, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty. At the end of the reign of the Eastern Han, Dong Zhuo was a general and powerful minist ...
took advantage of the political chaos in the aftermath of Emperor Ling's death to lead his troops into the imperial capital
Luoyang
Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang ...
and seize control of the central government. He also deposed
Emperor Shao and replaced him with
Emperor Xian
Emperor Xian of Han (2 April 181 – 21 April 234), personal name Liu Xie (劉協), courtesy name Bohe, was the 14th and last emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty in China. He reigned from 28 September 189 until 11 December 220.
Liu Xie was a so ...
, who remained a figurehead ruler under his control. Dong Zhuo then sent an invitation to Chen Ji, requesting him to come to Luoyang to serve as General of the Household for All Purposes (). Fearing that he would be killed if he refused, Chen Ji accepted the invitation. He was later reassigned to be a Palace Attendant ().
In 190, Dong Zhuo appointed Chen Ji as the Chancellor () of
Pingyuan State (). Before Chen Ji left to assume his new office, Dong Zhuo sought his opinion on relocating the imperial capital from Luoyang to
Chang'an
Chang'an (; ) is the traditional name of Xi'an. The site had been settled since Neolithic times, during which the Yangshao culture was established in Banpo, in the city's suburbs. Furthermore, in the northern vicinity of modern Xi'an, Qin S ...
, in the light of
an invasion by a coalition of warlords from the east of
Hangu Pass. Chen Ji objected to this idea. Dong Zhuo was very displeased but he did not harm Chen Ji because of Chen Ji's high standing in the imperial court. Some officials suggested appointing Chen Ji as
Minister Over the Masses Situ was one of the highest ranking government offices in ancient China. Established in the Western Zhou dynasty, it was originally written as (), meaning Administrator of Land.
During the Han dynasty, the title became written with the different c ...
. When Chen Ji heard about it, he quickly left Luoyang for Pingyuan State to avoid getting caught up in politics.
In 196, when Emperor Xian appointed
Yuan Shao
Yuan Shao (, ; died 28 June 202), courtesy name Benchu (), was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty. He occupied the northern territories of China during the civil wars that occurred t ...
as Grand Commandant, Yuan Shao refused to accept the appointment because Grand Commandant ranked lower than General-in-Chief, the appointment held by his rival
Cao Cao. Yuan Shao then offered the appointment of Grand Commandant to Chen Ji instead, but Chen Ji declined. Emperor Xian then appointed Chen Ji as Minister Herald (). Chen Ji died in office in 199 at the age of 71 (by
East Asian age reckoning
Countries in the East Asian cultural sphere (China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and their diasporas) have traditionally used specific methods of reckoning a person's numerical age based not on their birthday but the calendar year, and what age one is ...
). His son,
Chen Qun, served in the Han central government under the premiership of the warlord
Cao Cao throughout the final years of the Eastern Han dynasty and later served in the