Character Profile: Zhen Ji 甄姫
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| Name Hanzi: 甄姫 |
| Pronunciation: Jen Ji |
| Wade-Giles Spelling: Chên Chi |
| Japanese Name: Shinki |
| Style Name: n/a |
| Allegiance: Wei |
| Lifespan: unknown |
| Relations: first husband (Yuan Xi) second husband (Cao Pi) son (Cao Rui) daughter (Dong Xiang) |
This profile is a few years old. It will be re-written when I reach this character's death in my novel notes.
Former wife of Yuan Xi, the son of Yuan Shao. During the sack of Ye Jun Cao Cao's son Cao Pi discovered Lady Zhen and fell in love with her at first sight. When Cao Pi became the first emperor of Wei, she became his empress. Years later when Zhen Ji expressed discontent over her husband's preference for his other wife, he ordered her to commit suicide. She was described as "a woman of exquisite loveliness, with a complexion clear as jade touched with the tender bloom of a flower petal, a woman indeed beautiful enough to ruin a kingdom".
There is a tale not in the Three Kingdoms novel that says Zhen Ji was in fact in love with Cao Pi's brother Cao Zhi. They met in secret after she married Cao Pi. After Lady Zhen died, Cao Zhi dreamed that he saw his love at the River Luo, and wrote a poem about it. Due to this poem, she has become identified with the Goddess of the River Luo.
Last updated: 17 April 2008.