Chen Zhi

Historical Record

Chen Zhi, courtesy name Fengzong, was a native of Runan and the maternal grandson of Xu Jing's elder brother. He lost his father in childhood and grew up in Xu Jing's household. By the age of capping (twenty) he was already renowned, and he gradually rose to the post of Gentleman of the Selection Bureau. Chen Zhi was reserved and stern in bearing, with great dignity, and at the same time mastered many arts, being especially skilled in numerical and divinatory techniques. Fei Yi was greatly impressed by his ability, and so Chen Zhi rose above his peers to succeed Dong Yun in the inner court. After Lü Yi died, Chen Zhi also served concurrently as Director of the Masters of Writing in the capacity of Palace Attendant, and was additionally appointed General Who Guards the Army. Although the Grand General Jiang Wei ranked above Chen Zhi, Jiang Wei spent years leading troops abroad and seldom took part in court affairs personally, so Chen Zhi's power grew by the day. Chen Zhi was able to receive the will of the Latter Sovereign Liu Shan above and to deal with the eunuch Huang Hao and other castrated attendants below, deeply winning Liu Shan's trust and favor, so that his power even surpassed Jiang Wei's ^c:4129.

After Chen Zhi succeeded Dong Yun as Palace Attendant, he began to collude with Huang Hao, enabling Huang Hao to involve himself in court affairs. After Chen Zhi died, Huang Hao rose from Prefect of the Yellow Gate to Regular Palace Attendant and Commandant of Equipage, further manipulating the reins of power and ultimately bringing about the fall of Shu Han. The people of Shu all yearned for the uprightness of Dong Yun. When Deng Ai entered Shu and heard of Huang Hao's treachery, he had him arrested, intending to put him to death. However, Huang Hao bribed those around Deng Ai and in the end escaped death ^c:4128.

In the first year of Jingyao, Chen Zhi died. The Latter Sovereign Liu Shan deeply grieved over this, his words betraying sorrow, even to the point of shedding tears. He issued an edict for it, praising Chen Zhi as having "held office for a full cycle of years, gentle and excellent as a standard, capable and rigorous with order, harmonious and righteous in benefiting things, his many achievements truly manifest," and conferred upon him the posthumous title of "Marquis Zhong (the Loyal)." At the same time, Liu Shan bestowed upon Chen Zhi's son Chen Can the rank of Marquis Within the Passes and promoted his second son Chen Yu to Gentleman Attendant of the Yellow Gate. Ever since Chen Zhi gained favor, the Latter Sovereign Liu Shan's resentment toward Dong Yun deepened by the day, holding that Dong Yun had demeaned himself. This was chiefly because Chen Zhi flattered Liu Shan, while Huang Hao sowed discord and slandered in the midst of it ^c:4129.

In the Novel

(No novel material)

Key Relationships

* Shu Han (serves): Chen Zhi held important posts in the Shu Han regime, rising from Gentleman of the Selection Bureau through Palace Attendant and Director of the Masters of Writing, with the additional title of General Who Guards the Army—an important court official of the later Shu Han period. He deeply won the trust and favor of the Latter Sovereign Liu Shan and wielded conspicuous power ^c:4129.
* Huang Hao (friend/ally): There existed a relationship of mutual collusion between Chen Zhi and Huang Hao. After Chen Zhi became Palace Attendant, he and Huang Hao acted in concert, enabling Huang Hao to begin taking part in court affairs. Their cooperation had a profound impact on the political landscape of the later Shu Han period, ultimately leading to Huang Hao's monopoly of power and hastening the decline of Shu Han ^c:4128.
* Xu Jing (kin): Chen Zhi was the maternal grandson of Xu Jing's elder brother, and after losing his father in childhood he grew up in Xu Jing's household. This kinship provided shelter for Chen Zhi's early upbringing and may also have laid a certain foundation for his later official career ^c:4129.
* Liu Shan (sovereign and subject): Chen Zhi deeply won the trust and favor of the Latter Sovereign Liu Shan and was able to "receive the sovereign's will above." After his death, Liu Shan grieved deeply and conferred on him the posthumous title "Marquis Zhong," ample proof of his standing in Liu Shan's heart. Yet Chen Zhi's favor also caused Liu Shan to resent the upright Dong Yun ^c:4129.
* Jiang Wei (colleague/power rivalry): Although the Grand General Jiang Wei ranked above Chen Zhi, Jiang Wei spent years leading troops abroad and seldom took part in court affairs personally, so Chen Zhi's power grew by the day, even becoming "weightier than Jiang Wei's." This shows that in the later Shu Han period the center of court power had gradually shifted from the military to the inner court, with Chen Zhi playing a key role in it ^c:4129.
* Dong Yun (predecessor/contrast): Chen Zhi succeeded Dong Yun as Palace Attendant. After Chen Zhi gained favor, the Latter Sovereign Liu Shan's posthumous resentment of Dong Yun deepened by the day, holding that Dong Yun had "demeaned himself"—chiefly owing to Chen Zhi's flattery and Huang Hao's discord-sowing. The people of Shu also generally yearned for Dong Yun's uprightness, in stark contrast to Huang Hao's monopoly of power after Chen Zhi's death ^c:4128, ^c:4129.

Iconic Scenes

* Succeeding Dong Yun, Huang Hao taking part in government: Chen Zhi's succession to Dong Yun as Palace Attendant marked the beginning of a shift in the political climate of Shu Han. He colluded with Huang Hao, enabling Huang Hao to involve himself in affairs and laying the groundwork for Huang Hao's later monopoly of power. This event directly led to the corruption of later Shu Han politics and its ultimate fall ^c:4128.
* Power overshadowing the court, surpassing Jiang Wei: As Palace Attendant concurrently serving as Director of the Masters of Writing, with the added title of General Who Guards the Army, Chen Zhi's power was so great that it even surpassed that of the Grand General Jiang Wei, who campaigned abroad year-round. Able to "receive the sovereign's will above and deal with the castrated attendants below," he deeply won the trust and favor of the Latter Sovereign Liu Shan, displaying his enormous influence in the later Shu Han court ^c:4129.
* Posthumously titled "Marquis Zhong," mourned by Liu Shan: After Chen Zhi died in the first year of Jingyao, the Latter Sovereign Liu Shan showed great grief, even shedding tears, and issued an edict conferring on him the posthumous title "Marquis Zhong" in recognition of his achievements. This reflects not only how deeply Chen Zhi had won the sovereign's heart in life but also Liu Shan's preferences in employing men and his reliance on Chen Zhi ^c:4129.
* Huang Hao's monopoly of power, an indirect driver of Shu Han's fall: After Chen Zhi died, Huang Hao rose from Prefect of the Yellow Gate to Regular Palace Attendant and Commandant of Equipage, further manipulating the reins of power and ultimately bringing about the fall of Shu Han. Though Chen Zhi was already dead, his collusion with Huang Hao in life undoubtedly paved the way for Huang Hao's rise and Shu Han's decline, so that the people of Shu all yearned for the upright Dong Yun ^c:4128.
* Liu Shan's posthumous resentment of Dong Yun: Ever since Chen Zhi gained favor, the Latter Sovereign Liu Shan's resentment toward Dong Yun deepened by the day, holding that Dong Yun had "demeaned himself." This was not a fault of Dong Yun's own but the result of Chen Zhi's flattery and Huang Hao's discord-sowing. This scene reveals Chen Zhi's methods in political struggle and his influence over Liu Shan's judgment ^c:4129.