Chi Jian

Chi Jian was from Gaoping County (高平縣; northwest of present-day Weishan County, Shandong) and was very poor in his youth. His great-grandfather was Chi Lü, a rival of the Han dynasty scholar Kong Rong and a minister of Cao Cao. Chi Jian was determined to better his livelihood, so he began reading the scriptures and whenever he farmed, he would chant what he had learnt.[1] Eventually, he landed an office serving under the Prince of Zhao, Sima Lun. However, he disliked the prince's growing imperial ambition and soon resigned. When Sima Lun usurped the throne in 301, Chi Jian refused to return to his service despite the lofty titles he was handing out. The same year, Sima Lun would be killed, and Chi Jian returned to the government to serve Liu Shi (劉寔).

Prince of Donghai and the emperor's regent, Sima Yue, appreciated Chi Jian's talents and wanted him as his Registrar but he refused. He also turned down an offer from Sima Yue's powerful general Gou Xi, who wanted him as Assistant Officer of the Household. Chi Jian did not wish to join any of them as he knew about the rift between the two men and that war could break out at any moment. Because of this, he decided to retire from the government.[2]

In 311, the barbarian forces of Han Zhao took over Luoyang and captured the emperor. Meanwhile, Chi Jian was captured by Chen Wu (陳午) of the Qihuo, a group of loyalists to Sima Yue who continued to exist even after his death. Chen Wu wanted to employ Chi Jian and make him their leader but Chi managed to escaped. After Chen Wu was defeated, Chi Jian decided to return to his hometown. The people of Gaoping all wished to escape the chaos in the north, and Chi Jian agreed to lead them to safety. Chi Jian and his followers fled to Mount Yi in 313, where they defended themselves from enemies.[3]

Sima Rui came into contact with Chi Jian, who he appointed as Inspector of Yanzhou although Chi Jian was effectively an independent warlord. He survived constant raids against Shi Le and Xu Kan but with no aid from the capital and a famine in his region, his people were beginning to feel overwhelmed. To make matters worse, his people only grew in numbers rather than diminish, giving him more mouths to feed. He eventually retreated to Hefei with his followers in 322 as Later Zhao forces engulfed the region. Despite his failings, Chi Jian was praised for his virtuous character, and was appointed a Master of Writing in the government.[4]

By the time Chi Jian reached Hefei, Sima Rui (who ascended the throne in 318 as Emperor Yuan of Jin) had just been defeated by his advisor Wang Dun. He grew ill from this and died the following year, leaving the throne to his son Emperor Ming of Jin. Emperor Ming wanted someone to counter Wang Dun from the outside, so he made Chi Jian as Inspector of Yanzhou and Commander of military affairs north of the Yangzi. However, Wang Dun suspected this and instead petitioned to have made Prefect of the Masters of Writing instead. Later that year, Emperor Ming summoned Chi Jian to the capital.

On the way, Chi Jian visited Wang Dun's base, where they discussed about the old Western Jin dynasty in the north. Wang Dun criticised the minister Yue Guang for his lack of talent while praising his counterpart Man Fen (滿奮). Chi Jian defended Yue Guang, saying that he had been a loyal man who tried to protect the Crown Prince Sima Yu while Man Fen betrayed him to Sima Lun. Wang Dun responded to him that Man Fen only did so under pressure, and Chi Jian replied that a real man remains true to himself in both life and death. Wang Dun was offended by his implied insult, and apprehended Chi Jian in his house for some time. He eventually released him to continue his way to Jiankang, despite his advisors' urge to kill him. When Chi Jian reached Jiankang, he began making plans with the emperor.[5]

In 324, Emperor Ming was ready to campaign against Wang Dun. He appointed Chi Jian as Guard General and Commander of military affairs in the imperial train but he declined them. Instead, he advise him to call Su Jun and Liu Xia (劉遐) to join his war against Wang Dun. Emperor Ming defeated Wang Dun's forces the same year, although Wang Dun died from natural causes before his rebellion ended. Chi Jian told Emperor Ming that Wang Dun's remains should be given back to his family members to display himself as righteous.[6] Later, Chi Jian would advocate in punishing Wang Dun's partisans against Wen Jiao and Wang Dao, but both times Emperor Ming found himself in support of forgiving them.

Emperor Ming died at a young age in 325. He was succeeded by his still young child, Emperor Cheng of Jin guided by his brother-in-law Yu Liang. Months prior his death, he appointed Chi Jian as General of Chariots and Cavalry, Commander of military affairs in the three provinces of Xuzhou, Yanzhou, and Qingzhou, and Inspector of Yanzhou.[7] After his death, Chi Jian held a series of important appointments for the next two years.

In 327, a rebellion broke out led by Su Jun and Zu Yue. Chi Jian offered to send reinforcements from Xuzhou to the capital but Yu Liang turned him down. The capital was lost to rebel forces the following year and Su Jun became the de facto head of state.[8] Yu Liang slipped away to Xunyang (尋陽, in present-day Huangmei County, Hubei) where he met Wen Jiao and conspired with him to reclaim the capital. He also got Chi Jian to join them, making him Minister of Works.

Chi Jian proposed a strategy to Wen Jiao. There was a rumour that Su Jun was intending to bring the emperor east to Kuaiji. He tells him that the loyalists should occupy strategic locations around the area and fortify them while scorching the fields. That way, when Su Jun arrives, it would be difficult for him to attack and there would be no rations for his army. Chi Jian led the eastern army over to Daye (大業, in present-day Suzhou, Jiangsu), Qu'a (曲阿縣; present-day Danyang, Jiangsu), and Chengting (庱亭, in present-day Wujin County, Jiangsu) where they set up barricades to weaken Su Jun's assaults.[9]

Surely enough, Su Jun arrived at Daye, where he besieged the commander Guo Mo. However, disaster struck for the loyalists as Guo Mo secretly abandoned his men to fend off Su Jun for themselves. Chi Jian's generals panicked and his advisor Cao Na (曹納) suggested to him that they fall back to Guangling. Chi Jian was determined to stand his ground and scolded Cao Na for recommending him a retreat.[10] Fortunately, loyalist forces led by Tao Kan, Wen Jiao, Yu Liang and Zhao Yin (趙胤) led their troops to Su Jun's base in Shitou. Su Jun lifted the siege in Daye and faced Tao Kan, and he was finally killed in battle.

That would not be the end of the rebellion as Su Jun's brother, Su Yi (蘇逸), was chosen by the rebels as their new leader. The rebellion continued on into next year. Su Yi would be killed while fleeing from Shitou as the loyalist army approached it. Chi Jian provided the final blow to the rebellion as he sent his general Li Hong (李閎) to annihilate Han Huang and the remaining rebels at Mount Pingling (平陵山, in present-day Liyang, Jiangsu), thus ending the rebellion.[11] For his efforts, Chi Jian was made Palace Attendant, Minister of Works, and Duke of Nanchang County by Emperor Cheng.

Chi Jian lived for another decade serving the Jin dynasty diligently. In the beginning 331, Chi Jian repelled a Later Zhao invasion in Lou County (婁縣; in present-day Kunshan, Jiangsu) led by Liu Zheng. Later in 335, he sent his general Chen Guang (陳光) to defend Jiankang from a Later Zhao invasion although the invasion proved to be a false flag.[12] In 338, he would receive his highest position yet as Grand Commandant.[13]

That year and the following, Chi Jian would find himself opposing Yu Liang's decision to take extreme measures in the court. Yu Liang wanted to lead armies against Wang Dao as he believed that he was harbouring corruption in the government. Yu Liang invited Chi Jian to join him but he sternly rejected it, so Yu Liang called off his plans.[14] The next year, Yu Liang wanted to campaign against Later Zhao, even getting the approval of Wang Dao and the emperor but Chi Jian warned them that Jin should conserving their resources until they were prepared enough to march north, and once again Yu Liang's plans were thwarted.[15]

Chi Jian grew deathly ill that same year. He wrote a memorial of resignation to Liu Xia (劉遐), demanding that Cai Mo be the one to succeed his offices. Chi Jian soon died and was posthumously named as Wencheng ('文成', 'the Cultured and Accomplished').[16]

• Fang, Xuanling (ed.) (648). Book of Jin (Jin Shu).
• Sima, Guang (1084). Zizhi Tongjian.