Zhang Song 張松

Zhang Song was a man of Shu Commandery and Liu Zhang's Attendant Officer with Separate Carriage. Liu Zhang had earlier sent men to pay his respects to Cao Cao, and when he sent his Attendant Officer with Separate Carriage Zhang Su to present 300 Sou soldiers and various articles for imperial use, Cao Cao made Zhang Su Administrator of Guanghan. Liu Zhang then sent Zhang Song, also an Attendant Officer with Separate Carriage, to Cao Cao, but Cao Cao, having already pacified Jing Province and driven out Liu Bei, no longer paid any attention to Zhang Song, and Zhang Song bore a grudge because of this. Records, Shu 2 §27Records, Shu 1 §14

Just then Cao Cao's army fared badly at Red Cliffs, and many also died of pestilence. On his return Zhang Song disparaged Cao Cao and urged Liu Zhang to break with him of his own accord, arguing that Liu of Yu Province was a close blood relative of His Excellency and worth befriending. When Liu Zhang asked who could be sent as envoy, Zhang Song recommended Fa Zheng, who declined but went because he had no choice. Liu Zhang sent Fa Zheng to establish friendly relations with Liu Bei, and then had Fa Zheng and Meng Da take several thousand troops to help Liu Bei's defenses. Records, Shu 1 §15Records, Shu 7 §15

Zhang Song, Attendant Officer with Separate Carriage of Yi Province, was on good terms with Fa Zheng; judging that Liu Zhang was not worth undertaking great things with, he often sighed in secret. When Fa Zheng, back from his mission, praised Liu Bei's great strategic talent, the two plotted in secret and coordinated their plans, hoping to serve Liu Bei together, but had not yet found an opportunity. Records, Shu 7 §14–15

In the 16th year of Jian'an (211), Liu Zhang heard that Cao Cao meant to send Zhong Yao and others to Hanzhong to attack Zhang Lu, and was inwardly afraid. Zhang Song said that Cao Cao's army had no match in the realm, and that if he used Zhang Lu's resources as a stepping stone to take the land of Shu, no one could stop him; Liu of Yu Province, he said, was both a member of His Excellency's clan and a bitter enemy of Cao Cao, and was skilled in warfare, so if he were sent to attack Zhang Lu, Zhang Lu would surely be defeated and Yi Province would grow strong. Later Zhang Song again urged Liu Zhang, saying that the commanders within the province, such as Pang Xi and Li Yi, relied on their merits, were arrogant and harbored disloyal intentions, so that without Liu Bei, enemies would attack from without and the people would rise from within, and defeat was certain. Liu Zhang followed this advice and sent Fa Zheng to welcome Liu Bei. Records, Shu 2 §27–28Records, Shu 1 §15–16Records, Shu 7 §15

The Registrar Huang Quan opposed Zhang Song's proposal, remonstrating that if Liu Bei were treated as a subordinate commander his ambitions would not be satisfied, while if he were treated with the courtesy due a guest, a single state could not hold two lords, and that it would be better to close the borders and wait. The Attendant Officer Wang Lei hung himself upside down from the provincial city gate to remonstrate. Liu Zhang accepted none of it. Records, Shu 13 §2–3Records, Shu 1 §16

After delivering Liu Zhang's message, Fa Zheng secretly offered Liu Bei a plan, saying that Zhang Song, a pillar of the province, would respond from within. When Liu Bei reached Fu County and met Liu Zhang, and the two greatly enjoyed the meeting, Zhang Song had Fa Zheng tell Liu Bei that he could attack Liu Zhang right there at the meeting, and his strategist Pang Tong urged the same. Liu Bei said that it was a great matter and could not be rushed. Records, Shu 7 §16Records, Shu 2 §28–29

The following year, when Cao Cao attacked Sun Quan, Liu Bei said he would go east to rescue Sun Quan and Guan Yu and asked Liu Zhang for 10,000 troops and supplies. Liu Zhang granted only 4,000 troops and gave only half of everything else. Zhang Song wrote to Liu Bei and Fa Zheng: 'Now, when the great enterprise is about to be accomplished, how can you abandon it and leave!' Zhang Su, Zhang Song's elder brother and Administrator of Guanghan, fearing that disaster would reach him, reported to Liu Zhang and exposed the plot, and Liu Zhang seized Zhang Song and beheaded him. With this a rift first opened between Liu Zhang and Liu Bei. Chen Shou's main text does not specify the year and month in which Zhang Song was beheaded. Records, Shu 2 §30–31