| NAME | |
|---|---|
| Chinese Name | 吉平, 吉平, Jí Píng |
| Other name | Cát Bình |
| INFORMATION | |
| Birth Place | Luoyang, Henan Commandery (河南尹洛阳; Lạc Dương, Hà Nam Doãn) |
| Died | 200 |
| Death Reason | Committed suicide by smashing his head against a stone pillar after enduring torture by Cao Cao (曹操, Tào Tháo) (200 AD) |
| FAMILY | |
| Children | |
| CAREER | |
| Allegiance | Han Dynasty |
| Battles | Clothing Belt Edict Incident |
Biography & Historical Record
Ji Ping (died 200 AD), historical name Ji Ben or Ji Pi, was an imperial physician who served the Eastern Han dynasty under Emperor Xian of Han. Renowned across the imperial capital for his extraordinary medical expertise and unwavering loyalty to the Han house, he held the prestigious title of Imperial Physician (Thái y lệnh).
In 200 AD, Ji Ping became a core member of the historic ‘Clothing Belt Edict’ conspiracy led by Imperial Relative Dong Cheng. The secret plot aimed to assassinate the despotic Prime Minister Cao Cao, who held Emperor Xian hostage and exercised autocratic control over the imperial court. Possessing direct physical access to Cao Cao to treat his severe, chronic migraines, Ji Ping offered a bold strategy: he would mix lethal poison into Cao Cao’s medicine during his next medical examination, ending the tyrant’s life without military force. However, before the plan could be executed, Dong Cheng’s disgruntled household servant Qin Qingtong fled to Cao Cao’s estate and betrayed the entire conspiracy. Knowing the plan in advance, Cao Cao summoned Ji Ping under the pretense of seeking treatment for a sudden headache. When Ji Ping attempted to force Cao Cao to drink the poisoned brew, Cao Cao swatted the bowl away and ordered his guards to seize him. Ji Ping was subjected to brutal torture, including having his fingers severed and his tongue cut out, but he fearlessly berated Cao Cao until his final moments, when he committed suicide by smashing his head against a stone pillar in Cao Cao’s courtyard. Following his death, Cao Cao executed his sons Ji Miao and Ji Mu along with over 700 relatives of the co-conspirators.
Role in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
In Luo Guanzhong’s historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Ji Ping’s tragic heroic martyrdom is immortalized in Chapter 23. Visiting the bedridden Dong Cheng, who was sick with anxiety over the secret imperial decree, Ji Ping discovers Dong Cheng muttering ‘Kill Cao Cao!’ in his sleep. Ji Ping bites his own finger to draw blood, swearing a solemn oath of loyalty to the Han dynasty. Touched by his sincerity, Dong Cheng reveals the blood-inscribed edict from Emperor Xian. Ji Ping then devises the plan to poison Cao Cao’s migraine potion. When Qin Qingtong exposes the conspiracy, Cao Cao feigns illness and summons Ji Ping. Demanding that Ji Ping taste the medicine first according to imperial court etiquette, Cao Cao corners him. In desperation, Ji Ping lunges forward to pour the poison down Cao Cao’s throat, but Cao Cao knocks the bowl to the floor, where the liquid instantly corrodes the stone tiles. Bound and tortured mercilessly over several days, Ji Ping endures having all ten fingers severed without revealing his comrades. When taunted again by Cao Cao, Ji Ping tricks his guards into untying his chains, shouts a final curse against Cao Cao, and smashes his skull against a stone pillar, dying instantly.
Ji Ping (吉平) — Literary Timeline
200 AD
Swearing Oath and The Poison Plot
Treats Dong Cheng for illness and discovers the secret blood edict; bites his finger to swear an oath to the Han house and proposes poisoning Cao Cao’s migraine medicine.
200 AD
Confrontation at Cao Cao’s Palace
Summoned by Cao Cao after being betrayed by Qin Qingtong; attempts to force the poison into Cao Cao’s mouth before being disarmed and captured.
200 AD
Heroic Torture and Martyrdom
Endures severe whipping and the mutilation of his ten fingers while fiercely mocking Cao Cao; tricks his guards to unbind his chains and smashes his head against a stone pillar to commit suicide.
Key Relationships
Family
- Ji Miao (吉邈, Cát Mạc) — Eldest son who was executed by Cao Cao following the failure of the Clothing Belt Edict conspiracy in 200 AD.
- Ji Mu (吉穆, Cát Mục) — Second son who was executed alongside his brother and father for their involvement in the anti-Cao Cao plot in 200 AD.
Friends
- Dong Cheng (董承, Đổng Thừa) — Imperial Relative and leader of the Clothing Belt Edict conspiracy; Ji Ping pledged his loyalty to him and the Han house after discovering the secret blood edict.
- Wang Zifu (王子服, Vương Tử Phục) — A fellow loyalist and co-conspirator who joined the secret alliance to eliminate Cao Cao.
- Wu Zilan (吴子兰, Ngô Tử Lan) — A co-conspirator and member of the anti-Cao Cao faction involved in the Clothing Belt Edict.
- Chong Ji (种辑, Chủng Tập) — A fellow official and loyalist co-conspirator who participated in the plot against Cao Cao.
- Wu Shuo (吴硕, Ngô Thạc) — A co-conspirator who worked with Ji Ping and others to restore imperial authority.
Enemies
- Cao Cao (曹操, Tào Tháo) — The Prime Minister and primary antagonist; Ji Ping attempted to assassinate him with poison in 200 AD, leading to his brutal torture and execution.
- Qin Qingtong (秦庆童, Tần Khánh Đồng) — A servant of Dong Cheng whose betrayal of the Clothing Belt Edict to Cao Cao led to the exposure and death of Ji Ping.
Other
- Emperor Xian of Han (汉献帝, Hán Hiến Đế) — The Han sovereign whose secret blood edict served as the moral justification for Ji Ping’s failed assassination attempt and ultimate martyrdom.
- Liu Bei (刘备, Lưu Bị) — A member of the imperial blood edict alliance who was involved in the broader conspiracy against Cao Cao.
- Ma Teng (马腾, Mã Đằng) — A regional warlord and member of the imperial blood edict alliance who conspired against Cao Cao.
In Novel
Chapter 23
- Ji Ping (吉平, Cát Bình): Ji Ping is the imperial physician secretly involved in Dong Cheng's conspiracy to assassinate Cao Cao. He agrees to poison Cao Cao but the plan is exposed after Qin Qingtong reveals the conspiracy. Cao Cao captures Ji Ping and tortures him, but Ji Ping refuses to confess or betray his fellow conspirators.
Chapter 24
- Ji Ping (吉平, Cát Bình): Ji Ping remains under interrogation and continues to resist Cao Cao. He attempts to commit suicide rather than reveal the conspiracy, but Cao Cao keeps him alive long enough to extract information. Ji Ping eventually dies after enduring the torture, becoming one of the novel's clearest examples of loyalty to the Han court.
In History
Summary
- Ji Ping (吉平, Cát Bình) represents a naming tradition for the historical Han imperial physician Ji Ben (吉本). The historical record itself is inconsistent about the name.
- In the Records of the Three Kingdoms, the physician is generally recorded as Ji Ben; Book of the Later Han and Later Han Ji preserve forms related to Ji Ping.
Year: 218 AD — Xu Capital Rebellion
- Ji Ben was an imperial physician who joined a conspiracy against Cao Cao in Xu. The rebellion was associated with Geng Ji, Wei Huang, and other participants.
- The revolt was suppressed, and Ji Ben and the other conspirators were executed.
Historical Name and Novel Name
- The novel uses Ji Ping (吉平) as the physician's name and expands his role into a dramatic assassination attempt against Cao Cao.
- Modern historical references therefore commonly identify Ji Ping with Ji Ben, while noting the textual name discrepancy rather than treating them as two separate people.
Historical Record
- Ji Ping is not best classified as a wholly fictional character. He corresponds to the historical physician Ji Ben, although the form and details used by the novel are literary.
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