Zhang Cheng 張承

Zhang Cheng's courtesy name was Gongxian. His elder brother Zhang Fan was a man of Xiuwu County in Henei Commandery; their grandfather Zhang Xin had been Minister over the Masses of the Han, and their father Zhang Yan Grand Commandant. Zhang Cheng too was well known; summoned as Upright and Correct, he was appointed Gentleman Consultant and transferred to Chief Commandant of Yique. Records, Wei 11 §16

When Dong Zhuo brought disorder, Zhang Cheng wanted to gather a following and attack Dong Zhuo together with the rest of the realm. At that time his younger brother Zhang Zhao, then a Gentleman Consultant, happened to arrive from Chang'an and said that if he tried to attack Dong Zhuo now he would be outnumbered, and that with a plan made in a single morning he would be sending men from the fields to fight, soldiers he had not cared for beforehand and troops who were untrained, so that success would be hard. Dong Zhuo relied on his troops and lacked righteousness, so he could not last long; it would be better to choose someone to rely on and wait for the right moment to act. Zhang Cheng agreed, laid down his seal and ribbon, returned home by byways, and took refuge from the disorder in Yang Province together with Zhang Fan. Records, Wei 11 §16–17

Yuan Shu invited them with full courtesy, but Zhang Fan pleaded illness and did not go, sending Zhang Cheng to meet Yuan Shu instead. Yuan Shu asked what he thought of his wish, with his broad lands and his many officers and people, to seek good fortune like Duke Huan of Qi and to follow in the footsteps of Emperor Gaozu. Zhang Cheng replied that everything depended on virtue and not on strength: if one could use virtue to unite the hopes of the realm, it would not be hard to accomplish the work of a hegemon or king even starting as a common man, but if one rashly usurped and imitated, acting against the times, the people would abandon him, and who could then raise him up? Yuan Shu was displeased. Records, Wei 11 §18–19

At this time, when Cao Cao was about to attack Ji Province, Yuan Shu again asked Zhang Cheng his view, saying that the Duke Cao, trying to oppose a host of 100,000 with a few thousand worn-out soldiers, could be said not to know his own strength. Zhang Cheng said that although the virtue of the Han had declined, the Mandate of Heaven had not yet changed, and that the Duke Cao, holding the Son of Heaven and issuing orders to the realm, could stand against even a host of a million. Yuan Shu's face changed and he was displeased, and Zhang Cheng left him. Records, Wei 11 §19

When Cao Cao had pacified Ji Province he sent an envoy to welcome Zhang Fan. Zhang Fan, ill, stayed at Pengcheng and sent Zhang Cheng to Cao Cao, who memorialized the throne to make Zhang Cheng Grandee Remonstrant. When Zhang Fan's son Zhang Ling and Zhang Cheng's son Zhang Jian were captured by bandits east of the mountains, Zhang Fan went straight to the bandits and asked for the two boys back. When the bandits returned only Zhang Ling, Zhang Fan asked them to exchange Zhang Ling for Zhang Jian, saying that he pitied Zhang Jian for being so young, and the bandits, thinking his words righteous, returned both boys to him. Records, Wei 11 §20–21

Zhang Fan died in the 17th year of Jian'an (212). When the state of Wei was first founded, Zhang Cheng served as Libationer and Military Adviser to the Chancellor and concurrently as Administrator of Zhao Commandery, and his government and moral instruction prevailed widely. When Cao Cao was about to campaign in the west, he summoned Zhang Cheng to take part in military affairs, but Zhang Cheng fell ill and died on reaching Chang'an. Chen Shou's main text does not record the year of his death. Records, Wei 11 §22

In his assessment, Chen Shou said that Yuan Huan, Bing Yuan and Zhang Fan walked the path of purity themselves and advanced and withdrew in accordance with the Way, and then said that Zhang Cheng's reputation and conduct were second only to Zhang Fan's, so that he could be called a worthy younger brother. Records, Wei 11 §111