Zhang Shang

Historical Record

Zhang Shang, courtesy name unknown, was a grandson of Zhang Hong, the famous man of letters of Wu, and son of Zhang Xuan, Grand Administrator of Nan Commandery and Master of Writing ^c:1639. Zhang Shang himself possessed outstanding talent; during the reign of Sun Hao, he won Sun Hao's regard for his quick wit and remarkable ability and was promoted to Palace Attendant and Director of the Secretariat ^c:1639.

However, Zhang Shang's talent and outspoken character also brought disaster upon him. Sun Hao once ordered Zhang Shang to play the zither; Zhang Shang declined on the grounds that he "had never been able to," but after Sun Hao required him to learn it, he then expounded at length on the subtleties of the zither at a banquet. He cited the story of Duke Ping of Jin and Music Master Kuang, implying that Sun Hao's virtue was too slight to be worthy of hearing the "pure jue" tone, which displeased Sun Hao ^c:1639.

In addition, in several conversations with Sun Hao, Zhang Shang displayed extraordinary wit and an unyielding character. For example, when Sun Hao asked whether the line in the Book of Songs, "drifting is that cypress boat," referred only to boats of cypress wood, Zhang Shang cleverly replied: "The Songs say 'juniper oars and pine boat,' so pine too can make a boat." When Sun Hao asked about the size of birds, Zhang Shang was able to cite "among the large there is the bald stork, among the small there is the wren" to correct Sun Hao's understanding. Sun Hao was suspicious by nature and resented anyone surpassing him; Zhang Shang's remarks repeatedly exceeded his expectations, and his resentment gradually deepened. In the end, Sun Hao used Zhang Shang's remark comparing himself to Confucius (Kong Qiu) as a pretext to arrest him and throw him into prison ^c:1639.

Although the Master of Writing Cen Hun led more than a hundred ministers and nobles to kowtow and plead for him, and Zhang Shang's death sentence was thereby commuted and he was banished to Jian'an to build ships, before long he was nonetheless put to death by Sun Hao's order ^c:1639. Zhang Shang's life displays his outstanding talent and upright character, but also reflects how, under the rule of a despotic ruler, even a man of brilliant talent could not escape a tragic fate.

In the Novel

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhang Shang's image differs from the historical record; he is portrayed as a general of the Jin army rather than an official of Wu. In Chapter 120 of the novel, the Jin Commander-in-Chief Du Yu led troops to attack Jiangling, and the Wu general Lu Jing met the enemy by the waterway. When Lu Jing saw fire rise on the south bank of the river and the banner of "Du Yu, General Who Guards the South of Jin" fluttering on Mount Ba, he was greatly alarmed and meant to go ashore to flee for his life. At this moment the Jin general Zhang Shang galloped up and cut Lu Jing down from his horse ^c:1640.

This episode is not recorded in the histories; it is a literary creation by Romance of the Three Kingdoms to enrich the war scenes and highlight the valor of the Jin army. The novel's Zhang Shang is a brave and skilled martial general; though his appearance is brief, he slays a Wu general at the critical moment and earns merit toward the Jin army's victory. This is utterly different from the historical Zhang Shang's image as a Palace Attendant and Director of the Secretariat of Wu, renowned for his literary and rhetorical talent. The personal fate and character of the novel's Zhang Shang are also entirely unrelated to the tragic end recorded in the histories.

Key Relationships

* Zhang Xuan (parent_of): The histories record that Zhang Shang was the son of Zhang Xuan ^c:1639. Zhang Xuan was pure, upright, and of high conduct, but his talent fell short of his father Zhang Hong's.
* Sun Hao (serves): Zhang Shang served as Palace Attendant and Director of the Secretariat during Sun Hao's reign in Wu, winning Sun Hao's regard for his quick wit. However, because of his outspokenness and outstanding talent, he ultimately angered Sun Hao and was imprisoned and put to death ^c:1639.
* Lu Jing (enemy_of): In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhang Shang, as a Jin general, slew the Wu general Lu Jing at the Battle of Jiangling, which is his main deed in the novel ^c:1640 (novel only).

Iconic Scenes

* Angering the ruler in debate with Sun Hao: In several conversations with Sun Hao, Zhang Shang, with his extraordinary wit and outspoken character, repeatedly refuted Sun Hao's views, even citing allusions to subtly mock Sun Hao's slight virtue. Although these words and deeds displayed his talent, they thereby angered the suspicious Sun Hao, who resented anyone surpassing him, and ultimately led to his imprisonment and execution ^c:1639. This is Zhang Shang's most iconic scene in the histories, displaying his scholarly integrity and tragic fate.
* Slaying Lu Jing at Jiangling: In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhang Shang, as a Jin general, in the campaign of Du Yu's attack on Jiangling, galloped up and slew the fleeing Wu general Lu Jing, contributing to the Jin army's victory ^c:1640 (novel only). This scene shapes Zhang Shang into a brave and skilled martial general, forming a sharp contrast with his image as a civil official in the histories.