Zhang Cheng 張承

Zhang Cheng was the eldest son of Zhang Zhao, and his courtesy name was Zhongsi. From his youth he was known for his talent and learning, and he was on friendly terms with Zhuge Jin, Bu Zhi and Yan Jun. When Sun Quan became General of Agile Cavalry, he was summoned as Clerk of the Western Bureau, and he went out as Commandant of the Western Region of Changsha, where he subdued and pacified the mountain bandits and obtained fifteen thousand picked troops. Records, Wu 7 §16 · 20

He later became Area Commander of Ruxu and General Who Displays Might, was enfeoffed as Marquis of a Chief District, and commanded five thousand personal troops. He was robust, resolute, loyal and outspoken, and good at judging people; he raised up Cai Kuan of Pengcheng and Xie Jing of Nanyang when they were orphaned, humble youths, and later Cai Kuan rose to Minister of the Guards and Xie Jing became Administrator of Yuzhang. When Lu Su's posthumous son Lu Shu grew up, Zhang Cheng, then Area Commander of Ruxu, said that he would eventually reach high office, and Lu Shu became General of Illustrious Martial Might and Area Commander of Wuchang during the Yong'an era. Records, Wu 7 §20Records, Wu 9 §53

When Zhuge Ke was young, everyone marveled at his brilliant talent, but Zhang Cheng said that the one who would ultimately ruin the Zhuge family was Yuanxun (Zhuge Ke). Zhang Cheng worked hard at helping people advance and treated others sincerely, so that among those of promise there was none who did not visit his gate. Records, Wu 7 §21

When Zhang Cheng lost his wife, Zhang Zhao wished to seek Zhuge Jin's daughter for him, but because Zhang Cheng and Zhuge Jin were close friends, he found this awkward. Sun Quan heard of it and encouraged the match, and so Zhang Cheng at last became Zhuge Jin's son-in-law. Sun Quan took their daughter as a wife for his son Sun He, and repeatedly ordered Sun He to show respect to Zhang Cheng and observe the courtesies due from a son-in-law. Later, Lu Jing and his wife, Sun Hao's full younger sister, were both Zhang Cheng's grandchildren through his daughter. Records, Wu 7 §21–22Records, Wu 13 §89

When Ling Tong died, Sun Quan grieved deeply and had Zhang Cheng compose an inscription and an elegy for him. Yan Jun discussed Guan Zhong and Ji Lu together with Pei Xuan and Zhang Cheng, and these writings were handed down to later generations. Records, Wu 10 §78Records, Wu 8 §14

In the 5th month, in summer, of the 3rd year of Jiahe (234), Sun Quan stationed Lu Xun, Zhuge Jin and others at Jiangxia and Miankou, sent Sun Shao, Zhang Cheng and others toward Guangling and Huaiyang, and personally led a great army to besiege the new city of Hefei. At this time Zhuge Liang, the Chancellor of Shu, advanced to Wugong. When Emperor Ming of Wei set out eastward, Sun Quan withdrew and returned before the emperor even reached Shouchun, and Sun Shao also pulled back his troops. Records, Wu 2 §77–78

When Zhang Zhao died in the 5th year of Jiahe (236), his eldest son Zhang Cheng had already been enfeoffed as a marquis in his own right, so his youngest son Zhang Xiu succeeded to the title. Records, Wu 7 §16

When Lü Dai, though eighty years old, was still handling state affairs in person, the General Who Displays Might Zhang Cheng wrote him a letter saying that just as Dan, Duke of Zhou, and Shi, Duke of Shao, had assisted the Zhou in ancient times, so now did he and Master Lu (Lu Xun). He also said that since Lü Dai always leapt onto his horse by himself without using a mounting step, he surpassed Lian Po. Records, Wu 15 §42–43

In the 4th year of Chiwu (241), in the letter he submitted before his death, the Crown Prince Sun Deng named Zhuge Jin, Bu Zhi, Zhu Ran, Quan Cong, Zhu Ju, Lü Dai, Wu Can, Kan Ze, Yan Jun, Zhang Cheng and Sun Yi as men loyal to the state and well versed in the essentials of government. Records, Wu 14 §12 · 14

Zhang Cheng died in the 7th year of Chiwu (244) at the age of sixty-seven and was given the posthumous name Marquis Ding. His son Zhang Zhen succeeded him, and Zhang Zhen died together with Zhuge Ke when Zhuge Ke was executed. Records, Wu 7 §21–22

Zhou Zhao of Yingchuan wrote a piece praising Bu Zhi, Yan Jun and others, naming Gu of Yuzhang, Commissioner Zhuge, Chancellor Bu, Minister of the Guards Yan and Zhang the General Who Displays Might (Zhang Cheng) as the five outstanding gentlemen of the age. He said that it was the Minister of the Guards and the General Who Displays Might who studied without seeking emolument and had no mind for improper gain. He said that the General Who Displays Might ranked next to the three gentlemen in reputation and had been entrusted with the duty of a senior general guarding a region, yet clearly knew his place, so that whenever he attended court he acted according to ritual and spoke frankly. He also said that when Zhang Cheng's daughter was to be married to the Crown Prince, he received the betrothal gifts as though receiving condolences, and that success and failure, gain and loss, all turned out as he had feared, so that he could be called a scholar who kept to the Way, perceived the signs of things and loved antiquity. Records, Wu 7 §90–92 · 96–97

In his assessment Chen Shou wrote that Zhang Cheng and Gu Shao were open-minded men of standing who delighted in and honored worthy people, and that because Zhou Zhao's discussion praised them highly, he had recorded them in detail. Records, Wu 7 §100