Zhang Heng 張衡
| Occupation | RNOccultist | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | Native place | Pei Commandery Feng County Unverified | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R3 |
Profile
Zhang Heng was the son of Zhang Ling. He has no biography of his own in the Records and appears once, at the opening of the account of Zhang Lu in the Biographies of the Two Gongsuns, Tao and the Four Zhangs in Records of Wei 8. Zhang Lu's grandfather Zhang Ling, living as a sojourner in Shu, studied the Way on Mount Huming and composed Daoist writings; he had those who received the Way from him contribute five pecks of rice, and so they were called the 'rice bandits'. Records, Wei 8 §61
When Zhang Ling died, Zhang Heng practiced his Way, and when Zhang Heng died, Zhang Lu in turn practiced it. Chen Shou's main text does not record his courtesy name, his deeds or the year of his death, and he does not appear in the assessment of Records of Wei 8 either. In the Romance only his name appears, in a single chapter, Chapter 59, in the passage setting out Zhang Lu's background, and no chapter has his name in its title. Records, Wei 8 §61 · 71Romance, Ch. 59 §45
In the Records
Records of Wei 8 gives Zhang Lu's courtesy name as Gongqi and says he was a man of Feng County in Pei State, and it records his background starting from his grandfather Zhang Ling. Zhang Ling, living as a sojourner in Shu, studied the Way on Mount Huming and composed Daoist writings with which he beguiled the common people. Those who received the Way from him had to contribute five pecks of rice, and so people called them the 'rice bandits'. Records, Wei 8 §61
When Zhang Ling died, his son Zhang Heng practiced his Way. When Zhang Heng died, Zhang Lu in turn practiced it. These two short statements are all that Chen Shou's main text records about Zhang Heng; how he practiced the Way and when he died are not recorded. Records, Wei 8 §61
Zhang Lu, who succeeded Zhang Heng, became Major Supervising Righteousness under Liu Yan, Governor of Yi Province, and went with the Major of a Separate Command Zhang Xiu (張脩) to attack Su Gu, Administrator of Hanzhong, but he ambushed and killed Zhang Xiu and took over his followers. When Liu Yan died and his son Liu Zhang succeeded him, Liu Zhang, holding that Zhang Lu was not obedient, killed Zhang Lu's mother and all his household. Zhang Lu then took Hanzhong, taught the people by the Way of spirits and styled himself 'Lord Teacher'. Records, Wei 8 §61–62
Those who came to study the Way were at first called 'spirit soldiers', and once they had received the Way and their faith was firm they were called 'libationers'; the sick were made to confess their own faults. Chen Shou wrote that on the whole it resembled the Yellow Turbans. Zhang Lu appointed no senior officials and had the libationers govern, and he held Ba and Hanzhong for nearly thirty years. Records, Wei 8 §62–63
In the assessment of Records of Wei 8, Chen Shou said that Zhang Yan, Zhang Xiu (張繡) and Zhang Lu abandoned banditry, joined the ranks of meritorious officials and preserved the sacrifices of their ancestral temples. Zhang Heng's name does not appear in the assessment. Records, Wei 8 §71
In the Romance
In Chapter 59 of the Romance, when Cao Cao withdraws his army and returns to the capital and his prestige spreads at court and beyond, the news alarms Zhang Lu, Administrator of Hanning. Here the Romance sets out Zhang Lu's background. Zhang Lu was a man of Feng County in Pei State, and his grandfather Zhang Ling composed Daoist writings on Mount Huming in Xichuan with which he beguiled people, and everyone revered him. Romance, Ch. 59 §44–45
After Zhang Ling died, his son Zhang Heng carried it on. Following this, the Romance says that those among the common people who wished to study the Way offered five pecks of rice and were called the 'rice bandits', and continues that when Zhang Heng died, Zhang Lu carried it on. After that it records how Zhang Lu styled himself 'Lord Teacher' in Hanzhong and set up spirit soldiers, libationers and great libationers at the head of a parish, and the method of praying for the sick. This passage is the only place in the Romance where Zhang Heng appears. Romance, Ch. 59 §45–46
Where the Romance differs
Five pecks of rice: Chapter 59 of the Romance, after stating that Zhang Ling died and his son Zhang Heng practiced the Way, records that common people who wished to study the Way offered five pecks of rice and were called the 'rice bandits'. Records of Wei 8 in the Records says that those who received the Way from Zhang Ling contributed five pecks of rice and so were called the 'rice bandits', and only after that records that when Zhang Ling died, Zhang Heng practiced the Way. Romance, Ch. 59 §45Records, Wei 8 §61
Written by 3KDEX (not yet reviewed) — The tags at the end of each paragraph link to the exact passage in the Records volume or Romance chapter it is based on.
Abilities
The Records score (Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms, main text) is the baseline. Each ability compares how the Romance redrew the same person, and the evidence from both sources explains the difference.
- LEA3535±0
- STR3131±0
- INT4040±0
- POL4242±0
- CHA4848±0
- VIR4040±0
- ADP4242±0
- SCH4545±0
- DIP3838±0
- DIS3636±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
No ability differs by 10 or more — the Romance portrays this person much as the Records do.
10 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated from the brief record that he carried on the WayWei 8 §61
NNo direct record — estimated from the brief record that he carried on the WayCh. 59 §45
RNo direct record — estimated from the brief record that he carried on the WayWei 8 §61
NNo direct record — estimated from the brief record that he carried on the WayCh. 59 §45
RNo direct record — estimated from the brief record that he carried on the WayWei 8 §61
NNo direct record — estimated from the brief record that he carried on the WayCh. 59 §45
RNo direct record — estimated from the brief record that he carried on the WayWei 8 §61
NNo direct record — estimated from the brief record that he carried on the WayCh. 59 §45
RCarried on Zhang Ling's Way — a sect that took five pecks of riceWei 8 §61
NCarried on Zhang Ling's Way after his deathCh. 59 §45
RNo direct record — estimated from the brief record that he carried on the WayWei 8 §61
NNo direct record — estimated from the brief record that he carried on the WayCh. 59 §45
RNo direct record — estimated from the brief record that he carried on the WayWei 8 §61
NNo direct record — estimated from the brief record that he carried on the WayCh. 59 §45
RNo direct record — estimated from the brief record that he carried on the WayWei 8 §61
NNo direct record — estimated from the brief record that he carried on the WayCh. 59 §45
RNo direct record — estimated from the brief record that he carried on the WayWei 8 §61
NNo direct record — estimated from the brief record that he carried on the WayCh. 59 §45
RNo direct record — estimated from the brief record that he carried on the WayWei 8 §61
NNo direct record — estimated from the brief record that he carried on the WayCh. 59 §45
Records Romance Unverified No direct record; scored from their actions (evidence grade C)
3KDEX scoring — the Records use the main text of Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms; the Romance uses the 120-chapter Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Click a source tag to open that passage in the reader.
Romance chapters (1)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Family
| Parents | Zhang Ling Romance |
|---|---|
| Children | Zhang Lu Novel & History, Zhang Wei Romance |
Based on Wikidata items for the historical and Romance figures. Relations without the Unverified badge were also confirmed in the Records.