Chen Zhi 陳祗

Chen Zhi, courtesy name Fengzong, was a man of Runan and the grandson, through his daughter, of Xu Jing's elder brother. He lost his father young and grew up in Xu Jing's household. Around the age of twenty he became known, and was gradually promoted until he reached Gentleman of the Selection Bureau; he held himself to strict standards and had a dignified bearing. Records, Shu 9 §34

Because he had many skills and was adept at the arts of calculation, Fei Yi thought him quite extraordinary, and so Chen Zhi, skipping the usual order, succeeded Dong Yun in attending within the palace. Dong Yun died in the 9th year of Yanxi (246), and as long as he lived the eunuch Huang Hao's rank never rose above Assistant of the Yellow Gate. Chen Shou wrote that when Chen Zhi replaced Dong Yun as Palace Attendant, he and Huang Hao worked hand in glove, and only then did Huang Hao begin to take part in government. Records, Shu 9 §34 · 29 · 31 · 33

When the Director of the Imperial Secretariat Lü Yi died in the 14th year of Yanxi (251), Chen Zhi, while Palace Attendant, also acted as Director of the Imperial Secretariat and was given the additional title of General Who Guards the Army. The General-in-Chief Jiang Wei ranked above Chen Zhi, but he was always away leading the army and seldom attended to court affairs in person. Chen Zhi served the sovereign's wishes above and associated with the eunuchs below, and enjoyed deep trust and favor, so that his power outweighed Jiang Wei's. Records, Shu 9 §41–42 · 34–35

As the army went out on campaign again and again and the people withered and grew exhausted, Qiao Zhou debated the advantages and harms of this with the Director of the Imperial Secretariat Chen Zhi, and then withdrew and wrote it down as the Treatise on Rival States. Also, Pang Tong's son Pang Hong, who was upright, plain-mannered and passed judgment on others' merits and faults, slighted and looked down on the Director of the Imperial Secretariat Chen Zhi, was held down by Chen Zhi, and died while serving as Administrator of Fuling. Records, Shu 12 §61Records, Shu 7 §11

When Chen Zhi died in the 1st year of Jingyao (258), the Later Sovereign, Liu Shan, grieved deeply and wept whenever he spoke of him. He issued an edict praising Chen Zhi, saying that in his twelve years in office his gentle and fine virtue had been a model, that his handling of affairs had been solemn and orderly, and that he had brought harmony through righteousness and benefited all things; and, saying that one who has a good name in life should be given a fine posthumous name in death, he gave him the posthumous name Marquis Zhong. He granted his son Chen Can the rank of Marquis Within the Passes and selected his second son Chen Yu to be Gentleman of the Yellow Gate. Dong Jue, the Supervisor of the Imperial Secretariat, succeeded Chen Zhi as Director of the Imperial Secretariat. Records, Shu 9 §35Records, Shu 5 §63

The Biography of Zhao Yun records that in the time of the Former Sovereign (Liu Bei) only Fa Zheng received a posthumous name, while in the time of the Later Sovereign, Zhuge Liang, whose merit and virtue overshadowed the age, and Jiang Wan and Fei Yi, who bore the heavy burdens of the state, received posthumous names; Chen Zhi, enjoying favor, was granted a special and exceptional honor, and Xiahou Ba, having come over from afar, also received a posthumous name. Thereupon posthumous names were conferred on Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Ma Chao, Pang Tong, Huang Zhong and Zhao Yun. Records, Shu 6 §41

After Chen Zhi died, Huang Hao rose from Prefect of the Yellow Gate to Regular Palace Attendant and Chief Commandant of Imperial Carriages, wielded power as he pleased and in the end brought about the downfall of the state, and there was no one in Shu who did not miss Dong Yun. Chen Shou wrote that after Chen Zhi won favor the Later Sovereign's resentment of Dong Yun grew deeper by the day, so that he thought Dong Yun had slighted him, and that this was because Chen Zhi flattered the one man, the sovereign, and Huang Hao contrived to sow discord and let it seep in little by little. Records, Shu 9 §33 · 36

In the assessment of Records of Shu 9, Chen Shou called Dong He, Liu Ba, Ma Liang, Chen Zhen and Dong Yun all among the finest ministers of Shu, and said that Lü Yi won renown when governing commanderies but saw his reputation damaged when at court. He did not assess Chen Zhi separately. Records, Shu 9 §45