Ji Ping
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Ji Ping, (吉平, Wade-Giles: Chi P'ing) (? - 200 AD), was a Chinese physician who served the Later Han Dynasty during the Three Kingdoms era. Ji Ping is also known as Chi T'ai in C.H. Brewitt-Taylor's texts. In the year 200, While tending to the ill Dong Cheng, he overheard Cheng speaking in his sleep of having the Prime Minister, Cao Cao, assassinated. Cao Cao had taken the young and naive Emperor Xian hostage, utilising his authority to further his own ends, much to the disgust of loyalist Han servants such as Dong Cheng. After Cheng had awoken, Ping requested that he be allowed to participate in Cheng's plot, stating that "Although I am a physician, I am also a man, and I never forget my emperor. You have seemed sad for many days, but I have never ventured to ask the reason. Now you have shown it in your dream, and I know your real feelings. If I can be of any use, I will help. Nothing can daunt me."
Initially, Cheng was hesitant, believing that Ping may betray him and his fellow conspirators to Cao Cao. Such was his hatred of the ruthless Cao Cao, Ping bit off his finger and signed an oath of allegiance in his own blood to prove his loyalty, winning Cheng's trust. Although Cheng now had faith in Ping, many of his allies and comrades had recently been murdered and chased away by Cao Cao, leaving Cheng feeling the situation to be hopeless. Ping, however, had been attending to Cao Cao's increasingly serious headaches for an extended period of time. As Cao Cao's physician, Ping informed Cheng that, upon Cao's next request for treatment, he would simply concoct a poisonous mixture which he would then add to Cao's regular medicinal potion. Cheng praised the physician as a hero, stating that he would be "the savior of the dynasty" were he able to accomplish such a feat.
However, one of Cheng's disgruntled young servants, bitter after being disciplined for conversing with a concubine, met with Cao Cao, and informed him of his master's plot. Cao Cao, wishing to test his physician's loyalty, feigned a headache and sent for Ji Ping, awaiting him in his bed. As Ping prepared the remedy, Cao Cao made an unusual request that his physician first test the mixture to ensure its quality, and that he would then swallow the remainder as per usual. Ping, sensing that his ploy had been discovered, wrenched Cao Cao's head forward by the ear and attempted to force the deadly substance down his throat. Cao Cao frantically pushed the poisonous mixture away from his face, where it fell to the floor and spilt. Cao's guards, who had been awaiting his signal, rushed forth and seized Ping who cursed at Cao Cao's cunning trap.
Ji Ping was then tightly bound and brought before Cao Cao once more. Even in capture, Ping maintained a bold front, refusing to cower or display weakness in the face of his opponent. Cao Cao offered to spare Ping's life, provided that he betray his co-conspirators identities. Ping sneered at this gesture, stating "You are a rebel; you flout your Prince and injure your betters. The whole empire wishes to kill you. Do you think I am the only one? I have failed, and I can but die." Cao Cao, enraged at his would-be assassin's determinaton, ordered his troops beat Ping to within an inch of his life, in an attempt to loosen his tongue. The guards then dogged him for two entire watches, only ceasing when Cao Cao feared that the relentless abuse would kill his prisoner. It is said that Ji Ping's skin hung in tatters, his flesh was battered beyond repair, and that the blood from his wounds poured down the steps as if water, and yet, Ping refused to betray Cheng and his allies. Cao Cao, although infuriated, order that the prisoner be allowed to rest somewhat before his next ordeal.
Cao Cao, already aware of Ping's fellow conspirator's names, having been divulged by Cheng's servant, ordered a banquet be prepared, of which he invited all involved to attend. During the feast, Ping was once again brought out before all in attendance, and ordered to relinquish all knowledge of the assassination details. Refusing to do so, Ping was once again beaten to a pulp by Cao's troops while Cheng's allies looked on in fear. After being beaten and revived with ice water several times, and only opening his mouth to spit abuse at Cao Cao and his men, Cao grew tired of Ping's strength. No longer caring to gather solid evidence to implicate Cheng's colleagues in the ploy, Cao had them all seized and imprisoned despite passionate denials by each of the men involved. Cao Cao then confronted Dong Cheng at his residence, as Cheng had claimed to be too ill to attend the banquet. Cao Cao once again brought forth the battered and broken figure of Ji Ping, still cursing Cao Cao's name, and ordered that he once again be beaten. However, Cao Cao's troops explained that there was not a single part of Ping's body that could be beaten any further, so Cao ordered that his men take a knife and cut off all of Ping's remaining nine fingers. After this was done, Ping shouted "Still I have a mouth that can swallow a traitor and a tongue that can curse him." Cao Cao then ordered that Ping's tongue be cut out, and after this, Ping finally pleaded for mercy, asking that Cao Cao remove his bonds so that he may divulge the plot details. Upon removing Ping's restraints, the ruined physician rose to his feet, turned and faced the Emperor's palace, bowed down and said "It is Heaven's will that thy servant has been unable to remove the evil." With all the might left in his body, Ping smashed his head against the ground, killing himself.
Despite Ping's unwavering loyalty, the details of the plot and the pledge signed by each of the conspirators was discovered when Cao's troops ransacked Cheng's residence. Cao had all involved put to death. The famous poet, Mi Heng, wrote a poem in Ji Ping's honour, it reads:
There lived in Han a simple physician. No warrior, yet brave Enough to risk his very life His Emperor to save. Alas! He failed; but lasting fame Is his; he feared not death; He cursed the traitorous Prime Minister Unto his latest breath.
It can be argued that Ji Ping's assassination attempt was not a complete failure. This event left Cao Cao extremely paranoid and distrusting of physicians. Many years later, as Cao Cao's headaches grew in intensity and began to occur at great lengths, his subordinates begged that he allow a physician to attend him. Cao Cao eventually agreed, requesting the brilliant Hua Tuo, who had been hailed by king and peasant alike as the greatest physician in the known lands. When Hua Tuo suggested that Cao Cao's skull be broken open so that he may alleviate the pain by draining fluids that he suspected were causing swelling, Cao was so incensed that he had Hua Tuo imprisoned for even suggesting such a thing, where Hua would later die. Soon after, Cao Cao also died of a suspected brain tumour, a tumour which he would allow no physician to treat due to the events of Ji Ping's attempted assassination. Had this not happened, Cao Cao may have perhaps been cured of his illness and lived for an even longer period of time.
