Life

Zhang Ji was from Zuli County (祖厲縣), Wuwei Commandery (武威郡), 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 (中牟縣) and pillage Chenliu (陳留) and Yingchuan (潁川) 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 (鎮東將軍) and ordered to station at a military garrison in Hongnong Commandery (弘農郡). He was also enfeoffed as the Marquis of Pingyang (平陽侯).

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 (驃騎將軍). 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 (南陽郡) 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 (鄒氏) in the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, was taken by the warlord Cao Cao as a concubine.

生平

牛輔部下

初平三年（192年），張濟被牛輔派往與李傕及郭汜領數萬兵討伐朱雋於中牟，戰勝，大掠陳留、潁川諸郡。

屯兵弘農

在董卓與牛輔被殺之後，李傕等人乞求王允赦免，被拒絕。眾人聽從賈詡之見，率軍攻入長安，殺王允，迫走呂布，被封為鎮東將軍、平陽侯，屯弘農。

和解鬥爭

興平二年（195年），樊稠被李傕殺害，郭汜懷疑李傕欲毒害自己而與李傕互相攻打。天子遣使議和二人，遭拒。後楊奉領兵叛逃李傕，令其勢力大減，張濟來到和解二人，李傕便答允。

失去天子

張濟提議天子往東遷，天子亦欲回洛陽，令眾人護送。漢獻帝以張濟為驃騎將軍，開府如三公。張濟因與楊奉、董承不合，再度與郭汜、李傕聯合欲劫回天子，大敗楊定等，但天子成功逃出，為張楊迎接。

建安元年（196年），張濟自關中引兵入荊州界，至南陽，攻穰城（在今河南省鄧州市），中流矢而死。

家庭

• 張繡，張濟從子，張濟死後領導餘眾。

• 張濟妻，姓名不詳，三國演義為鄒氏，曹操納之，張繡以此不滿，叛變，大敗曹操。

• 張姜子，張濟之妹，僅見于道教類書籍（最早見于陶弘景《真誥》、後多被引用，比如陳寅恪《柳如是別傳》等），略云：「張姜子，西州人，張濟妹也。」。

評價

• 李贄：「張濟可用。」

• 鐘伯敬：「張濟還有手段。」

• 蔡東藩《後漢演義》：「張濟楊奉董承，亦無一非賊。」