Zhang Chai was a minister and regent of China's Later Zhao dynasty during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. He was a close ally to Shi Hu (Emperor Wu)'s empress, Empress Liu, who helped her establish themselves as the paramount leaders of Zhao through her son Shi Shi following the death of Shi Hu in 349. The pair attempted to centralize their power and eliminate their rivals, but a popular coup led by Shi Zun saw their reign barely lasting a month as they were removed and subsequently executed. Despite the coup, it would soon be known as the beginning of a bigger power struggle within the Shi family over the throne that led to the destruction of Later Zhao in 351 in the hands of Ran Min.
Zhang Chai | |
|---|---|
| 張豺 | |
| General Who Awes the Rong (戎昭將軍) | |
| In office ?–349 | |
| Monarch | Shi Hu |
| Grand Guardian (太保) | |
| In office 349–349 | |
| Monarch | Shi Shi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Unknown Guangping County, Hebei |
| Died | 16 June 349 |
| Relations | Zhang Xiong (brother) |
Early life and career
editZhang Chai was a man from Guangping County in Julu Commandery. In 312, Zhang Chai and a fellow townsman named You Lun (游綸) gathered a large host of people and staged a revolt in the city of Yuanxiang (苑鄕, in present-day Hebei and Beijing), which was at the time under Han-Zhao. Zhang Chai and You Lun surrendered to the Youzhou warlord and Jin general Wang Jun and in response, the Han general Shi Le sent his army to besiege Yuanxiang.[1] Wang Jun directed his army to attack Shi Le's capital in Xiangguo, forcing Shi Le to take his focus away from Yuanxiang. However, Shi Le managed to turn back Wang Jun's army, so Zhang Chai and You Lun surrendered back to Han that same year.[2]
Shi Le broke away from Han-Zhao in 319 and established his own state of Later Zhao. Zhang Chai appears to have followed Shi Le during the split. In 329, he participated in Shi Hu's campaign against Liu Yin and Liu Xi in Shanggui. The campaign was a victory for Shi Hu and resulted in the complete destruction of Han-Zhao. During the campaign, Zhang Chai captured the Han-Zhao emperor Liu Yao's daughter, the Princess of Anding, who was only twelve years old at the time. Zhang introduced her to Shi Hu, who made her one of his concubines and eventually grew to be one of Shi Hu's favourite wives. She had a son with Shi Hu, who they named Shi Shi.[3]
Supporting Shi Shi to the throne
editIn 348, Shi Hu was troubled with a succession issue. He had just executed his heir, Shi Xuan (石宣), who plotted to assassinate him before he was discovered. At the suggestion of Zhang Ju, Shi Hu considered making either Shi Bin (石斌) or Shi Zun as his new heir. Zhang Chai, who was serving as the General Who Awes the Rong at the time, proposed against it, stating, "The Duke of Yan (Shi Bin) had a lowborn mother, and he has already committed a transgression. The Duke of Pengcheng’s (Shi Zun) mother (Zheng Yingtao) had been demoted before due to the incident with your original Crown Prince (Shi Sui (石邃), who was also executed by Shi Hu). If she becomes Empress again, I fear she might still hold a grudge. I pray Your Majesty reconsider."[4]
Under the guise of concern, Zhang Chai actually wanted Shi Shi installed because he was still a child. Zhang Chai was confident that Shi Hu was about to die soon, and supporting Shi Shi would greatly increase his personal power. He further adds, "When Your Majesty chose your heirs before, their mothers were all of common blood, and that was why disasters happened one after another. So this time, you should choose as your crown prince a son who is both filial and born of noble blood." Shi Hu agreed and made Shi Shi his Crown Prince and Lady Liu as his Empress. When a petition was published to have the ministers support Shi Shi to the throne, one minister, Cao Mo (曹莫), refused to sign the petition. When Shi Hu sent Zhang Chai to ask why, he expressed his belief that it was not proper to have a child be emperor.[5]
The following year in 349, Zhang Chai's instincts proved to be correct, as Shi Hu became deathly ill. Shi Hu started appointing regents to guide Shi Shi, them being Shi Bin, Shi Zun and Zhang Chai. Zhang Chai was appointed Grand General Who Guards And Protects, General Who Leads The Army, and Supervisor of the Masters of Writing. Both Zhang and Empress Liu saw Shi Bin as a potential rival for them once Shi Hu dies. They sent a messenger to Shi Bin falsely informing him to enjoy himself in Xianngguo, stating that Shi Hu was now recovering from his illness. Once Shi Bin started participating in excessively indulgent activities, Empress Liu and Zhang Chai forged an edict denouncing him as an unfilial son and had him confined in his home, where Zhang had his brother Zhang Xiong (張雄) watch the prince with his soldiers. Zhang Chai later sent a false edict to his brother telling him to kill Shi Bin.[6]
Another false edict was forged by the Empress, this time solidifying Zhang Chai's power over the court. The Empress made Zhang Chai Grand Guardian and Commander of all military affairs, and chief of affairs of the Masters of Writing. He was to hold so much power that it was comparable to that of Huo Guang during the Han dynasty.[7]
Brief control over the government
editShi Hu died on the 25th of May in 349. Because of her son's inexperience and young age, Empress Dowager Liu received the audience in the imperial audience hall next to the emperor, taking control of the court and government affairs and making Zhang Chai the Prime Minister. However, Zhang Chai objected and instead suggested that Shi Zun and the Prince of Yiyang, Shi Jian be made Prime Ministers of the Left and Right respectively to appease them, which she agreed.[8]
One of Zhang Chai's first goal was to eliminate the Minister of Works, Li Nong. He planned to execute him but one of the conspirators, Zhang Ju was a friend of Li Nong, so he leaked the plot to him, giving Li ample time to flee to Guangzong. Li Nong then fled to Shangbai (上白, in modern-day Guangzong County, Hebei) where he defended himself with soldiers from the Qihuo, so the Empress Dowager ordered Zhang Ju to besiege Li Nong with capital troops. Meanwhile, Zhang Chai appointed Zhang Li (張離) as Grand General Who Guards The Army and Chief of all military affairs to act as his adjutant.[9]
Shi Hu's generals and ministers all despised Zhang Chai and the Empress Dowager for their grasp over the court, and the attack on Li Nong only assured their resentment. A group of powerful generals, including Pu Hong, Yao Yizhong and Shi Min, were returning from quelling Liang Du's rebellion in the west when they came across Shi Zun on their way back home. They convinced him to lead them in deposing Shi Shi, the Empress Dowager and Zhang Chai in exchange that they support him in becoming the new emperor. Shi Zun agreed and raised he troops in Licheng (李城, in modern-day Pingyi County, Shandong) to march over to Yecheng. He then sent out a proclamation calling out Zhang Chai's crimes, sending Zhang Chai into panic and causing him to recall the troops from Shangbai.[10]
Shi Zun and his army reached Tangyin on June 12 with Shi Min serving the vanguard. Zhang Chai intended to march out and face him, but many of his troops defected in support of the prince as they thought he had come to mourn his late father. Zhang Chai tried to kill as many defectors that he can but most of them escaped to the opposing side. Even his adjutant Zhang Li decided to defect and opened the gates for Shi Zun to enter. The Empress Dowager was distressed and urged Zhang to grant him high-ranking offices. An edict was made appointing Shi Zun as Prime Minister along with many other offices, but he continued his advance into Ye.[11]
Shi Zun reached Anyang Point on June 15, and Zhang Chai fearfully went out to welcome him but was arrested by Shi Zun instead. On June 16, Shi Zun reached the palace and carried out the mourning ceremony. Zhang Chai was executed at the Pingle (平樂) market square in Ye along with his family members to the third degree. After Shi Zun ascended the throne, Shi Shi and the now-deposed Lady Liu were also executed. Despite their removal, Later Zhao was thrown into civil war between Shi Zun and his brothers who supposedly sought to avenge Shi Shi, and Shi Zun himself would only rule for 183 days before he was removed by Shi Min, starting Later Zhao's swift decline.[12]
References
edit- ^ (廣平游綸、張豺擁衆數萬，據苑鄕，受王浚假署；石勒遣夔安、支雄等七將攻之，破其外壘。浚遣督護王昌帥諸軍及遼西公段疾陸眷、疾陸眷弟匹磾、文鴦、從弟末柸部衆五萬攻勒於襄國。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 88
- ^ (游綸、張豺請降於勒。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 88
- ^ (初，戎昭張豺之破上邽也，獲劉曜幼女，年十二，有殊色，季龍得而嬖之，生子世，封齊公。) Book of Jin, Volume 107
- ^ (趙王虎議立太子，太尉張舉曰：「燕公斌有武略，彭城公遵有文德，惟陛下所擇。」虎曰：「卿言正起吾」戎昭將軍張豺曰：「燕公母賤，又嘗有過；彭城公母前以太子事廢，今立之，臣恐不能無微恨。陛下宜審思之。」) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 98
- ^ (豺以虎老病， 欲立世爲嗣，冀劉氏爲太后，己得輔政，乃說虎曰：「陛下再立太子，其母皆出于倡賤，故禍亂相尋；今宜擇母貴子孝者立之。」虎曰：「卿勿言，吾知太子處矣。 」虎再與群臣議于東堂。虎曰：「吾欲以純灰三斛自滌其腸，何爲專生惡子，年逾二十輒欲殺父！今世方十歲，比其二十，吾已老矣。」乃與張舉、李農定議，令公 卿上書請立世爲太子。大司農曹莫不肯署名，虎使張豺問其故，莫頓首曰：「天下重器，不宜立少，故不敢署。」虎曰：「莫，忠臣也，然未達朕意；張舉、李農知 朕意矣，可令諭之。”遂立世爲太子，以劉昭儀爲後。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 98
- ^ (時熒惑犯積屍，又犯昴、月，及熒惑北犯河鼓。未幾，季龍疾甚，以石遵為大將軍，鎮關右，石斌為丞相、錄尚書事，張豺為鎮衛大將軍、領軍將軍、吏部尚書，並受遺輔政。劉氏懼斌之輔政也害世，與張豺謀誅之。斌時在襄國，乃遣使詐斌曰：「主上患已漸損，王須獵者，可小停也。」斌性好酒耽獵，遂遊畋縱飲。劉氏矯命稱斌無忠孝之心，免斌官，以王歸第，使張豺弟雄率龍騰五百人守之。...張豺使弟雄等矯季龍命殺斌...) Book of Jin, Volume 107
- ^ (劉氏又矯命以豺為太保、都督中外諸軍、錄尚書事，加千兵百騎，一依霍光輔漢故事。) Book of Jin, Volume 107
- ^ (己巳，虎卒，太子世即位，尊劉氏爲皇太后。劉氏臨朝稱制，以張豺爲丞相；豺辭不受，請以彭城王遵、義陽王鑒爲左右丞相，以慰其心，劉氏從之。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 98
- ^ (於是世即偽位，尊劉氏為皇太后，臨朝，進張豺為丞相。豺請石遵、石鑒為左右丞相，以尉其心，劉氏從之。豺與張舉謀誅李農，而舉與農素善，以豺謀告之。農懼，率騎百餘奔廣宗，率乞活數萬家保于上白。劉氏使張舉等統宿衛精卒圍之。豺以張離為鎮軍大將軍、監中外諸軍事、司隸校尉，為己之副。鄴中群盜大起，迭相劫掠。) Book of Jin, Volume 107
- ^ (石遵聞季龍之死，屯於河內。姚弋仲、苻洪、石閔、劉甯及武衛王鸞、甯西王午、石榮、王鐵、立義將軍段勤等既平秦、洛，班師而歸，遇遵于李城，說遵曰：「殿下長而且賢，先帝亦有意于殿下矣。但以末年惛惑，為張豺所誤。今上白相持未下，京師宿衛空虛，若聲張豺之罪，鼓行而討之，孰不倒戈開門而迎殿下者邪！」遵從之。洛州刺史劉國等亦率洛陽之眾至於李城。遵檄至鄴，張豺大懼，馳召上白之軍。) Book of Jin, Volume 107
- ^ (丙戌，遵軍于蕩陰，戎卒九萬，石閔爲前鋒。豺將出拒之，耆舊、羯士皆曰：「彭城王來奔喪，吾當出迎之，不能爲張豺守城也！」逾城而出；豺斬之，不能止。張離亦帥騰二千，斬關迎遵。劉氏懼，召張豺入，對之悲哭 曰：「先帝梓宮未殯，而禍難至此！今嗣子沖幼，托之將軍，將軍將若之何？欲加遵重位，能弭之乎？」豺惶怖不知所出，但雲「唯唯」。乃下詔，以遵爲丞相，領大司馬、大都督、督中外諸軍，錄尚書事，加黃鉞、九錫。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 98
- ^ (遵至安陽亭，張豺懼而出迎，遵命執之。於是貫甲曜兵，入自鳳陽門，升于太武前殿，擗踴盡哀，退如東閣。斬張豺于平樂市，夷其三族。假劉氏令曰：「嗣子幼沖，先帝私恩所授，皇業至重，非所克堪。其以遵嗣位。」遵偽讓至於再三，群臣敦勸，乃受之，僭即尊位於太武前殿，大赦殊死已下，罷上白圍。封世為譙王，邑萬戶待以不臣之禮，廢劉氏為太妃，尋皆殺之。世凡立三十三日。) Book of Jin, Volume 107
- Fang, Xuanling (ed.) (648). Book of Jin (Jin Shu).
- Sima, Guang (1084). Zizhi Tongjian.