Zhang Chao 張超

At the end of Emperor Ling's reign, Zang Hong gave up his post as Chief of Jiqiu County and returned home, and the Administrator Zhang Chao invited him to be his Officer of Merit. Records, Wei 7 §35

When Dong Zhuo killed the emperor and sought to endanger the state, Zang Hong urged Zhang Chao, saying, 'Your Excellency's family has received favor for generations, and you and your brother each hold a great commandery'; now, while the commandery's territory was still intact and its officials and people prosperous, if he beat the war drums he could raise twenty thousand men, destroy the traitor of the state and take the lead for the realm. Zhang Chao agreed and went west with Zang Hong to Chenliu to consult his elder brother Zhang Miao. Records, Wei 7 §36–37

When they assembled at Suanzao, Zhang Miao asked, 'I hear that since you became Administrator, government, instruction, authority and favor do not come from you but are all entrusted to Zang Hong. What kind of man is Zang Hong?' Zhang Chao answered, 'Zang Hong surpasses me in talent, strategy, wisdom and calculation, and I hold him very dear; he is a remarkable gentleman of the realm.' Zhang Miao summoned Zang Hong, talked with him and thought him truly remarkable. Records, Wei 7 §37

When an altar was set up for the swearing of an oath, the provinces and commanderies deferred to one another and all chose Zang Hong. Zang Hong mounted the altar, drank the blood and swore that Liu Dai, Inspector of Yan Province, Kong Zhou, Inspector of Yu Province, Zhang Miao, Administrator of Chenliu, Qiao Mao, Administrator of Dong Commandery, Zhang Chao, Administrator of Guangling, and the others had gathered a righteous army and would together rush to the aid of the state in its peril. But soon afterward none of the armies would be the first to advance, and when their provisions ran out they dispersed. Records, Wei 7 §38–39

Zhang Chao sent Zang Hong to the Grand Marshal Liu Yu to discuss plans, but because of the trouble with Gongsun Zan, You and Ji Provinces were at war with each other at Hejian, and Zang Hong could not deliver his mission. Yuan Shao met Zang Hong, thought highly of him and entrusted him with Qing Province, later transferring him to Administrator of Dong Commandery. Records, Wei 7 §40

In the 1st year of Xingping (194), when Cao Cao again went to attack Tao Qian, Zhang Chao plotted with Cao Cao's general Chen Gong and the Attendant Officers of the Household Xu Si and Wang Kai to rise against Cao Cao. Chen Gong persuaded Zhang Miao that, since the provincial army had gone east and Yan Province lay empty, they should welcome Lü Bu and govern Yan Province together with him, and Zhang Miao followed his advice. Chen Gong led his troops to welcome Lü Bu, made him Governor of Yan Province and seized Puyang. Records, Wei 7 §12–13

Within two years Cao Cao recovered the various cities and crushed Lü Bu at Juye. When Lü Bu fled east to Liu Bei, Zhang Miao went with Lü Bu and had his younger brother Zhang Chao lead the family and hold Yongqiu. In autumn, the 8th month of the 2nd year of Xingping (195), Cao Cao surrounded Yongqiu, and Yue Jin and Yu Jin also followed Cao Cao in attacking Zhang Chao at Yongqiu. Records, Wei 7 §14–15Records, Wei 1 §33–34Records, Wei 17 §20 · 28

Under siege, Zhang Chao said, 'I rely on Zang Hong alone. He will surely come to rescue me.' People thought that since Yuan Shao and Cao Cao were then on good terms and Zang Hong was a man whom Yuan Shao had memorialized into office, he would not come, but Zhang Chao said, 'Ziyuan is a righteous man of the realm who will never betray his roots. I only fear he may be restrained and unable to reach me in time.' On hearing this, Zang Hong wept and cried out barefoot, put his troops in order and asked Yuan Shao for soldiers and horses, but Yuan Shao never gave permission. Records, Wei 7 §41

The Annals of Emperor Wu state that when Yongqiu collapsed in the 12th month of the 2nd year of Xingping (early 196), Zhang Chao killed himself, and Zhang Miao's three sets of kin were exterminated. The Biography of Zhang Miao states that Cao Cao besieged and attacked the city for several months, massacred it and beheaded Zhang Chao and his family, and the Biography of Zang Hong states that Zhang Chao's clan was at last wiped out. Records, Wei 1 §34Records, Wei 7 §15 · 42

Over this Zang Hong came to resent Yuan Shao and broke off relations with him. After being besieged by Yuan Shao, Zang Hong told his officials and soldiers that the Yuan had not rescued his commandery lord, so that by the demands of righteousness he could not but die; and when the city fell and he was brought before Yuan Shao, he rebuked him, saying, 'I saw with my own eyes that you called Zhang of Chenliu your elder brother, so my lord should likewise have been your younger brother,' and asked how he could have merely stood by while others were slaughtered. Records, Wei 7 §42 · 55 · 57