Liu Biao
Yi Ji was from Shanyang Commandery (), which covered roughly the area around present-day Juye County, Shandong. At a young age, he became a subordinate of Liu Biao, who then held the appointment of General Who Guards the South () under the Han central government. Liu Biao later became the Governor of Jing Province (covering present-day Hubei and Hunan) so Yi Ji followed him to Jing Province. In the early 200s, when the warlord Liu Bei sought shelter under Liu Biao after his defeat by his rival Cao Cao, Liu Biao offered to let him stay in Xinye County in northern Jing Province. Yi Ji met Liu Bei several times around the time and became an acquaintance of Liu Bei.