Zhang Hong 張紘

Zhang Hong, courtesy name Zigang, was a man of Guangling. In his youth he went to the capital to study, and on returning to his home commandery he was recommended as Flourishing Talent and also summoned by the offices of the Excellencies, but he accepted none of these and fled the turmoil to Jiangdong. When Sun Ce launched his great enterprise, Zhang Hong at last entrusted himself to him, and Sun Ce submitted a memorial appointing him Colonel of Correct Counsel. Records, Wu 8 §2

Zhang Hong accompanied Sun Ce's campaign against Danyang. When Sun Ce went to the battle line in person, Zhang Hong remonstrated that the commander-in-chief is the source of strategy and the one on whom the lives of the three armies depend, and should not lightly expose himself; rather than facing petty bandits in person, he should value the qualities bestowed on him by Heaven. Records, Wu 8 §2

When Sun Ce occupied Kuaiji and replaced all the senior officials, Zhang Zhao of Pengcheng and Zhang Hong, Qin Song, Chen Duan and others of Guangling became his chief advisers. Qin Song and Chen Duan, men of the same commandery as Zhang Hong, were likewise treated well by Sun Ce and took part in his planning, but both died young. The Biography of Lu Ji tells how, when Sun Ce was at Wu and his honored guests Zhang Zhao, Zhang Hong and Qin Song argued that since the realm was not yet at peace it must be pacified by force, the young Lu Ji, from the lowest seat, declared loudly that one should cultivate civil virtue to win over distant peoples, and Zhang Zhao and the others found him remarkable. Records, Wu 1 §31Records, Wu 8 §10Records, Wu 12 §18–19

In the 4th year of Jian'an (199) Sun Ce sent Zhang Hong to carry a memorial to the palace at Xu, but the court kept him there and made him Attending Censor. The Privy Treasurer Kong Rong and others all became his friends. When Cao Cao heard that Sun Ce had died and wished to take advantage of the mourning to attack Wu, Zhang Hong remonstrated that exploiting another's mourning was against the ancient way, and that if the attack failed it would create enmity and throw away friendship, so it would be better to use the occasion to treat them generously. Cao Cao followed his advice and submitted a memorial making Sun Quan General Who Attacks Barbarians and concurrently Administrator of Kuaiji. Records, Wu 8 §3

Wishing Zhang Hong to help bring Sun Quan into allegiance with the court, Cao Cao sent him out as Chief Commandant of the Eastern Division of Kuaiji. As Chief Commandant of the Eastern Division of Kuaiji, Zhang Hong wrote to Kong Rong that Yu Fan had earlier been attacked by critics, but that a fine jewel only shines brighter the more it is cut and polished, so he could come to no harm. Later Sun Quan made Zhang Hong his Chief Clerk. Records, Wu 8 §4Records, Wu 12 §6

Zhang Hong accompanied Sun Quan's campaign against Hefei. When Sun Quan was about to lead light cavalry and charge the enemy in person, Zhang Hong remonstrated that weapons are instruments of ill omen and war a perilous affair; cutting down generals and seizing banners was the task of subordinate commanders, not fitting for the commander-in-chief, so he should restrain the valor of a Meng Ben or Xia Yu and embrace the strategy of a hegemon-king. Sun Quan accepted his words and desisted. The year after their return, when Sun Quan wished to take the field again, Zhang Hong remonstrated once more that he should rest his troops for a while, promote agriculture widely, entrust affairs to worthy men and honor leniency and kindness, and Sun Quan in the end did not set out. Records, Wu 8 §4–5

Zhang Hong devised the plan of moving the capital to Moling, and Sun Quan followed it. The Biography of the Lord of Wu records that in the 16th year of Jian'an (211) Sun Quan moved his seat of government to Moling, and the following year built a city wall at Shitou and renamed Moling as Jianye. Sun Quan had Zhang Hong return to Wu to bring his family, but Zhang Hong died of illness on the way. The Records do not give the year of his death. Records, Wu 8 §6Records, Wu 2 §17

When he was gravely ill, Zhang Hong gave his son Zhang Jing a letter to be left behind. It said that rulers fail to achieve good government not for lack of loyal ministers and wise counselors, but because the ruler cannot master his own feelings and so cannot use them; an enlightened ruler should seek the worthy as if hungry and thirsty, accept remonstrance without tiring of it, and attain the great magnanimity that bears with faults. He was sixty at the time, and Sun Quan wept on reading the letter. Records, Wu 8 §6–8

Zhang Hong wrote more than ten poems, rhapsodies, inscriptions and eulogies. His son Zhang Xuan rose to Administrator of Nan Commandery and Master of Writing. His grandson Zhang Shang won recognition under Sun Hao for his eloquence and rose to Palace Attendant and Prefect of the Palace Secretariat, but when, at a banquet conversation about the zither, he cited the story of Duke Ping of Jin, Sun Hao took it as a jibe at himself and was displeased. Later, when Zhang Shang was imprisoned for other matters, he was also called to account for this, sent to the locality of Jian'an to build ships, and executed there. Records, Wu 8 §9–10

In his assessment, Chen Shou said that Zhang Hong was orderly in his writing and upright in his intent, a fine vessel of his age, and that Sun Ce truly had good reason to treat him second only to Zhang Zhao. Records, Wu 8 §63