Zhang Ji was from Zuli County (), Wuwei Commandery (), which is in present-day
Jingyuan County, Gansu. He started his career as a subordinate of
Niu Fu, a son-in-law of the warlord
Dong Zhuo, who controlled the Han central government and the figurehead
Emperor Xian from 189 to 192. In 192, Niu Fu ordered Zhang Ji to join
Li Jue and
Guo Si in leading troops to attack the general
Zhu Jun at Zhongmu County () and pillage Chenliu () and Yingchuan () commanderies. After Dong Zhuo was assassinated in
Chang'an in 192, Li Jue, Guo Si, Zhang Ji and other former followers of Dong Zhuo requested amnesty from
Wang Yun, who replaced Dong Zhuo as the new head of the central government. However, Wang Yun refused and wanted to have all of them executed. Heeding
Jia Xu's advice, Li Jue, Guo Si, Zhang Ji and Dong Zhuo's former followers led their troops to attack Chang'an and succeeded in driving away
Lü Bu and seizing control of the central government. Zhang Ji was then appointed as General Who Guards the East () and ordered to station at a military garrison in
Hongnong Commandery (). He was also enfeoffed as the Marquis of Pingyang (). In 195, when internal conflict broke out between Li Jue and Guo Si in Chang'an, Zhang Ji succeeded in mediating the conflict and persuading both sides to make peace. Zhang Ji also suggested letting Emperor Xian leave Chang'an and return to the old imperial capital,
Luoyang. Emperor Xian then promoted Zhang Ji to General of Agile Cavalry (). However, Zhang Ji later had disagreements with the generals
Yang Feng and
Dong Cheng, who were escorting Emperor Xian back to Luoyang, so he allied with Li Jue and Guo Si to attack Yang Feng and Dong Cheng in an attempt to capture Emperor Xian and bring him back to Chang'an. However, the emperor had already escaped and taken shelter under the warlord
Zhang Yang. In 196, Zhang Ji led his troops out of the
Guanzhong region and moved to
Nanyang Commandery () in northern
Jing Province. He then attempted to conquer Rang County (穰縣; present-day
Dengzhou,
Henan), but was killed by a stray arrow in the midst of battle. Zhang Ji's nephew,
Zhang Xiu, made peace with
Liu Biao, the Governor of Jing Province, who allowed him to stay at Wan County (宛縣; or Wancheng 宛城; present-day
Wancheng District,
Nanyang, Henan). Zhang Xiu became a minor warlord in his own right. Zhang Ji's widow, who is called Lady Zou () in the 14th-century historical novel
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, was taken by the warlord
Cao Cao as a concubine. ==See also==