[ One of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove. He was also one of the compilers of the Wei shu.
Officer Details
Wade-Giles: Juan Chi
Simplified Chinese: 阮籍
Birthplace: Chen Liu [陈留] in He Nan [河南]
Family and Relationships
Ruan Xian (Nephew)
Biography
Ruan Ji hailed from Chenliu in Henan and was one of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo grove. His father, Ruan Yü, was one of the Seven Scholars of the Jian’an Reign (建安七子) (1). He held some minor positions in the Wei government but quit whenever he sensed trouble was coming. At one point he was drafted by Cao Shuang, but refused to go as he knew Cao Shuang wouldn’t last long.
1: Under the last emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty.
Ruan Ji had a daughter whom Sima Zhao wanted to wed to Sima Yan. To avoid the marriage Ruan Ji remained drunk for sixty days, eventually causing Sima Zhao to call off the marriage because he could not communicate with the bride-to-be’s father. The Sima family tried multiple times to recruit or consult Ruan Ji, but whenever they tried he would get himself drunk and refuse to cooperate. Eventually Sima Zhao compelled him to write (proving to be talented despite drunkenness), his works including the “petition” for elevating Sima Zhao to Duke of Jin. For reasons such as this Sima Zhao protected him from the Jin traditionalists, who could not stand his wild antics, and tolerated his wild behavior.
Ruan Ji was one of the compilers behind the historic text, Wei Shu.