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Han Ji (died 10 April 238), courtesy name Gongzhi, was a Chinese politician who served in the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He previously served under the warlords Liu Biao and Cao Cao during the late Eastern Han dynasty.
When Han Ji was still young, Chen Mao (陳茂), a wealthy and influential man also from Duyang County, framed his father and elder brother(s) for committing capital offences. Han Ji's father and brother(s) were arrested and executed as a result.(同縣豪右陳茂，譖曁父兄，幾至大辟。) Sanguozhi vol. 24. Han Ji remained silent over the injustice suffered by his family while secretly plotting to take revenge against Chen Mao. He found employment, saved up his earnings, and used the money to hire assassins to assist him in taking revenge. They tracked down Chen Mao, killed him, cut off his head and placed it as an offering at the tomb of Han Ji's father. Han Ji became famous after this incident.(曁陽不以為言，庸賃積資，陰結死士，遂追呼尋禽茂，以首祭父墓，由是顯名。) Sanguozhi vol. 24.
Han Ji was later nominated as a xiaolian (civil service candidate) and offered a job in the office of the Minister of Works, but he rejected the offer. When chaos broke out throughout China in the 180s, he adopted a fake identity and went to live in the countryside of Luyang County (魯陽縣; present-day Lushan County, Henan).(舉孝廉，司空辟，皆不就。乃變名姓，隱居避亂魯陽山中。) Sanguozhi vol. 24. During this time, when he heard that the villagers were planning to become bandits because life was getting too hard for them, he used his personal wealth to host a feast for the village leaders and managed to convince them to abandon their plan to become bandits.(山民合黨，欲行寇掠。曁散家財以供牛酒，請其渠帥，為陳安危。山民化之，終不為害。) Sanguozhi vol. 24.
Sometime between 189 and 192, when the warlord Yuan Shu controlled Nanyang Commandery, he heard of Han Ji and summoned Han Ji to serve under him. Han Ji refused and went into hiding in the hills near Shandu County (山都縣; northwest of present-day Xiangyang, Hubei) to avoid Yuan Shu.(避袁術命召，徙居山都之山。) Sanguozhi vol. 24. When Liu Biao, the Governor of Jing Province (covering present-day Hubei and Hunan) tried to recruit him as a subordinate, Han Ji fled further south to Chanling County (孱陵縣; west of present-day Gong'an County, Hubei) to evade Liu Biao. He soon became a popular and respected figure among the locals; Liu Biao was very resentful when he heard about it. Han Ji, fearing that Liu Biao would retaliate against him, reluctantly agreed to serve under Liu Biao, who appointed him as the Chief (長) of Yicheng County (宜城縣; in present-day Xiangyang, Hubei).(荊州牧劉表禮辟，遂遁逃，南居孱陵界，所在見敬愛，而表深恨之。曁懼，應命，除宜城長。) Sanguozhi vol. 24.
Han Ji was subsequently reassigned to be an Internuncio (謁者) in charge of the cast iron industry.(... 徙監冶謁者。) Sanguozhi vol. 24. In older times, the bellows of every blast furnace was operated by 100 Draft horse. Later, the industry switched to using manual labour. When Han Ji took charge of the industry, he saw that manual labour was too inefficient and required too much manpower. He then introduced the use of hydraulic power to operate the bellows, a method devised by Du Shi in the early Eastern Han dynasty. After the changes, the amount of cast iron produced by the industry increased by three times as compared to before.(舊時冶，作馬排，每一熟石用馬百匹；更作人排，又費功力；曁乃因長流為水排，計其利益，三倍於前。) Sanguozhi vol. 24. Han Ji supervised the cast iron industry for seven years and performed well in office as the production levels of cast iron remained high, thus ensuring that Cao Cao's army had a steady supply of weapons and equipment. The Han imperial court issued an edict to praise Han Ji for his excellent performance and promote him to the position of Commandant for Metals (司金都尉), placing him just below the Nine Ministers in the Han bureaucratic hierarchy.(在職七年，器用充實。制書襃歎，就加司金都尉，班亞九卿。) Sanguozhi vol. 24.
In 226, Cao Pi promoted Han Ji to the position of Nine Ministers (太常), changed his peerage from "Marquis of Yicheng Village" to "Marquis of Nanxiang Village" (南鄉亭侯) and awarded him a marquisate of 200 taxable households.(黃初七年，遷太常，進封南鄉亭侯，邑二百戶。) Sanguozhi vol. 24.
Around the time, as Cao Pi had only recently designated Luoyang as the imperial capital of Wei, there were many imperial ceremonies, customs, rituals and protocol-related matters which had yet to be finalised. Besides, the Ancestral shrine of the Cao family was still in Ye (in present-day Handan, Hebei), the capital of the former vassal Kingdom of Wei during the Eastern Han dynasty. After assuming office as Minister of Ceremonies, Han Ji wrote a memorial urging the central government to construct a new ancestral temple in Luoyang and relocate the Spirit tablet from Ye to Luoyang, so that the emperor and his subjects could properly pay respects to their ancestors. Throughout his eight-year-long tenure as Minister of Ceremonies, Han Ji came up with a new set of ceremonies, customs, rituals and protocol for the Cao Wei state, and abolished old practices from the Han dynasty which were no longer relevant. He retired in 234 due to poor health(時新都洛陽，制度未備，而宗廟主祏皆在鄴都。曁奏請迎鄴四廟神主，建立洛陽廟，四時蒸嘗，親奉粢盛。崇明正禮，廢去淫祀，多所匡正。在官八年，以疾遜位。) Sanguozhi vol. 24. and was given an honorary position as a Palace Counsellor (太中大夫).
On 12 February 238, during the reign of Cao Pi's successor Cao Rui, the imperial court issued an edict which read: "Palace Counsellor Han Ji has bathed himself in virtue and conducted himself with integrity and honesty. Although he is already over 80 years old, he still commits himself firmly to upholding righteousness and moral principles. This is what it means to become more principled and more faithful as one grows older. He is hereby conferred the appointment of Minister over the Masses."(景初二年春，詔曰：「太中大夫韓曁，澡身浴德，志節高絜，年踰八十，守道彌固，可謂純篤，老而益劭者也。其以曁為司徒。」) Sanguozhi vol. 24.
Han Ji's second son, Han Yao (韓繇), served as the Administrator of Gaoyang Commandery (高陽郡; around present-day Gaoyang County, Hebei). Han Yao's son, Han Hong (韓洪), served in the Censorate. Han Hong's son, Han Shou (韓壽), had the courtesy name Dezhen (德貞).(曁次子繇，高陽太守。繇子洪，侍御史。洪子壽，字德貞。) Chuguo Xianxian Zhuan annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 24.
Like his great-grandfather Han Ji, Han Shou was known for conducting himself with virtue and integrity. He was appointed as a Regular Mounted Attendant (散騎常侍) after Emperor Hui of the Jin dynasty came to the throne, and was subsequently promoted to the position of Intendant of Henan (河南尹). After he died of illness, the Jin government posthumously awarded him the appointment of General of Agile Cavalry (驃騎將軍).(晉諸公贊曰：自曁已下，世治素業，壽能敦尚家風，性尤忠厚。早歷清職，惠帝踐阼，為散騎常侍，遷守河南尹。病卒，贈驃騎將軍。) Jin Zhugong Zan annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 24. Han Shou married Jia Chong's daughter, Jia Wu, and had a son, Jia Mi (韓謐), with her. As Jia Chong died without any sons to succeed him, his peerage was passed on to Han Mi, his maternal grandson. Han Mi was appointed as Palace Attendant by the Jin government as soon as he reached adulthood, and was known for being arrogant but more talented than his father Han Shou.(壽妻賈充女。充無後，以壽子謐為嗣，弱冠為祕書監侍中，性驕佚而才出壽。) Jin Zhugong Zan annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 24.
Han Shou had another son, Han Wei (韓蔚), who also had quite a reputation in the Jin government. Han Wei was executed by the prince Sima Lun, probably during the fall of his brother and their maternal aunt Jia Nanfeng during Sima Lun's coup in 300. With Han Wei's death, Han Ji's family line came to an end.(少子蔚，亦有器望，並為趙王倫所誅。韓氏遂滅。) Jin Zhugong Zan annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 24.
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