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Yu Ji 于吉 | |
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 A Qing dynasty illustration of Gan Ji | |
| Born | Unknown |
| Died | 200 |
| Other names | Gan Ji (干吉) |
| Occupation | Taoist priest |
| Part of a series on |
| Taoism |
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Gan Ji (died 200), rendered also as Yu Ji, was a Taoist priest who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. As a Taoist clergy, Gan Ji helped to cure the diseases of the people and saved many lives. He was widely respected in Wu County and Kuaiji, this caused Sun Ce to be jealous of his fame and reputation among the locals. He was eventually executed by Sun Ce under the pretext of confusing the people's heart.
Life
[edit]Gan Ji was born in Langya Commandery (琅琊郡, present-day southeastern Shandong). He first lived further in the east before travelling to Wu County and Kuaiji. When he arrived, he helped the locals with harvest, promoted Taoist culture by reading texts and burning incense. Furthermore, he also made talismans to treat diseases among the common people. Therefore, he became popular with the residents of Wu and Kuaiji. Many joined him to become his disciples. During a meeting, when Sun Ce gathered his officers and officials at the top of the county's tower. They noticed that Gan Ji was walking by the road in a splendid attire while carrying a small pouch in his hand. Seeing him, around two-thirds of Sun Ce's retainers left the tower to pay their respect to Gan Ji. Although those in charge of the assembly tried to, they couldn't stop them. Sun Ce was furious and imprisoned Gan Ji.[1]
The people who served as Gan Ji's disciples sent their wives to plead for his case with Sun Ce's mother and saved him. Lady Wu told her son: "Master Gan assists the army and provides good fortune. He heals and saves the officers and soldiers; do not kill him." However, Sun Ce answered: "This man is a sorcerer who can deceive and confuse the masses. Because of him, the officers stopped caring for the rules between a sovereign and his ministers. Going as far as to ignore me to pay their respect to him. He must be killed."[2]
When Sun Ce's officers heard about his decision to execute Gan Ji. They also sent letters to explain the situation and pleaded to save his life. Sun Ce told them: "During ancient times, Zhang Jin served as the Governor of Jiao Province yet he abandoned the common teaching, abolished the ancestral customs and laws so he could promote the Tao's evil precepts. Proclaiming it was to help others yet in the end he was killed by the southerners. This is the just result of his actions. All of you do not understand this. Now Gan Ji is already a dead man, don't waste paper and brush for this."[3]
Thereafter, Sun Ce beheaded Gan Ji and had his head hung in the market. However, the disciples of Gan Ji didn't believe that he was dead. Only that his soul left his body. They would continue to offer sacrifices to him and promote his teachings.[4][5]
According to the Book of Later Han, during the reign of Emperor Shun of Han (r. 125–144), Gong Chong (宮崇), one of Gan Ji's disciples, submitted the Taiping Qingling Shu (太平清領書) to the emperor; although there is no certitude that this is the same Gan Ji.
In Romance of the Three Kingdoms
[edit]Some believe that the character Yu Ji (于吉) in the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a misspelling of Gan Ji.[6] In the novel, Yu Ji wandered around the Jiangdong region, chatting with soldiers and civilians, making everyone believe that he was a magician and healer. The warlord of Jiangdong, Sun Ce, heard of Yu Ji's magic and grew suspicious of him, thinking that he was casting spells on people. Sun Ce accused Yu Ji of sorcery and had him executed after Yu Ji stated that he cured people of diseases for free. However, Yu Ji's spirit returned to haunt Sun Ce and eventually caused him to die from shock.
In popular culture
[edit]In the video games Dynasty Warriors 5 and 7, there is a stage based on Sun Ce's confrontation with Yu Ji, a fictional event. In the stage Sun Ce has to fight Yu Ji clones, as well as a Da Qiao and Sun Jian clone.
The 1983 Hong Kong film The Weird Man by the Shaw Brothers Studio is loosely based on the story of Yu Ji and Sun Ce. Yu Ji was put to death by Sun Ce and he later comes back as a ghost and wreaks havoc on Sun Ce for revenge by possessing his army and his wife. He also helped Sun Ce kill Xu Gong while killing Sun Ce in the process. In this film, he is seen as the hero while Sun Ce is portrayed as the anti-hero. The Weird Man was remade in 1993 as Ninja in Ancient China which also combined some concepts from another Shaw Brothers movie the Five Elements Ninjas.
A fictionalized version of Yu Ji appears as the central antagonist in the 2023 video game Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ (《三國志孫策傳》引《江表傳》曰：時有道士琅邪于吉，先寓居東方，往來吳會，立精舍，燒香讀道書，製作符水以治病，吳會人多事之。策嘗於郡城門樓上集會諸將賔客，吉乃盛服杖小函，漆畫之，名為仙人鏵，趨度門下。諸將賔客三分之二下樓迎拜之，掌賔者禁呵不能止。策即令收之。) Jiang Biao Zhuan annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 46.
- ^ (諸事之者，悉使婦女入見策母，請救之。母謂策曰：「于先生亦助軍作福，醫護將士，不可殺之。」策曰：「此子妖妄，能幻惑衆心，遠使諸將不復相顧君臣之禮，盡委策下樓拜之，不可不除也。」) Jiang Biao Zhuan annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 46.
- ^ (諸將復連名通白，事陳乞之，策曰：「昔南陽張津為交州刺史，舍前聖典訓，廢漢家法律，甞著絳帕頭，鼓琴燒香，讀邪俗道書，云以助化，卒為南夷所殺。此甚無益，諸君但未悟耳。今此子已在鬼籙，勿復費紙筆也。」) Jiang Biao Zhuan annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 46.
- ^ (即催斬之，梟首於巿。諸事之者，尚不謂之死而雲屍解焉，復祭祀求福。) Jiang Biao Zhuan annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 46.
- ^ Seiwert, Hubert Michael (2003). Popular Religious Movements and Heterodox Sects in Chinese History. Brill. p. 69. ISBN 9004131469.
- ^ Bokenkamp, Stephen R. (1997). Early Daoist Scriptures (reprint, revised ed.). University of California Press. ISBN 052092312X.
- Chen, Shou (3rd century). Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).
- Fan, Ye (5th century). Book of the Later Han (Houhanshu).
- Luo, Guanzhong (14th century). Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguo Yanyi).
- Pei, Songzhi (5th century). Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi zhu).