Zhang Yang 張楊

Zhang Yang, courtesy name Zhishu, was a man of Yunzhong. For his martial valor he was given office in Bing Province and became Assistant Officer for Martial Valor. In the last years of Emperor Ling, when the realm fell into disorder, the emperor made his favorite, the Junior Attendant of the Yellow Gate Jian Shuo, Colonel of the Upper Army of the Western Garden, stationing troops in the capital, and summoned the heroes of the realm to serve as subordinate and auxiliary commanders. Taizu (Cao Cao), Yuan Shao and others also became colonels and were attached to him. Ding Yuan, Inspector of Bing Province, sent Zhang Yang with troops to Jian Shuo, and Zhang Yang became an Acting Major. Records, Wei 8 §30

When Emperor Ling died and Jian Shuo was killed by He Jin, Zhang Yang, on He Jin's orders, returned to his home province and raised over a thousand troops, then stayed on in Shangdang attacking mountain bandits. When He Jin fell and Dong Zhuo raised his rebellion, Zhang Yang attacked the Administrator of Shangdang at Huguan with the troops under his command but could not take it, and plundered the counties until his followers numbered several thousand. When the armies east of the mountains rose against Dong Zhuo and Yuan Shao reached Henei, Zhang Yang joined forces with Yuan Shao, and then camped on the Zhang River together with the Xiongnu Chanyu Yufuluo. Records, Wei 8 §31

The Chanyu wished to rebel, but Yuan Shao and Zhang Yang would not go along. The Chanyu seized Zhang Yang and took him along, and Yuan Shao sent his general Qu Yi to pursue and defeat him south of Ye. Still holding Zhang Yang, the Chanyu reached Liyang and crushed the army of Geng Zhi, General Who Crosses the Liao, and his host revived. Dong Zhuo made Zhang Yang General Who Establishes Righteousness and Administrator of Henei. Records, Wei 8 §32

He appears in other biographies as well. According to the Biography of Lü Bu, when Yuan Shao sent strong men to kill Lü Bu and failed, Lü Bu fled to Henei and joined Zhang Yang, and the Biography of Zhang Miao records that when Lü Bu left Yuan Shao to follow Zhang Yang, he stopped by Zhang Miao, clasped his hands and swore an oath with him. According to the Biography of Chang Lin, Zhang Yang, coveting the women of the Chen and Feng families and greedy for their wealth, besieged the fortress where Chang Lin had taken refuge for more than sixty days, but Chang Lin led his clan and devised plans, and in the end the fortress held. Records, Wei 7 §8 · 12Records, Wei 23 §20

According to the Biography of Dong Zhao, Dong Zhao, on his way to the Son of Heaven, was detained by Zhang Yang in Henei, returned his seal and ribbon to the court through Zhang Yang, and became Chief Commandant of Cavalry. When Taizu, then governing Yan Province, sent an envoy to Zhang Yang asking for passage west to Chang'an, Zhang Yang refused. When Dong Zhao persuaded him that Yuan Shao and Cao Cao could not long stay together and that Cao Cao, though weak now, was truly a hero of the realm and should be befriended, Zhang Yang forwarded Taizu's memorial to the court and submitted a petition recommending him. Taizu sent Zhang Yang dogs and horses, gold and silk. Records, Wei 14 §48–49

While the Son of Heaven was in Hedong, Zhang Yang led troops to Anyi, was appointed General Who Pacifies the State and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Jinyang. He wished to escort the Son of Heaven back to Luoyang, but the other generals would not go along, so he returned to Yewang. In the 1st year of Jian'an (196), when Yang Feng, Dong Cheng and Han Xian were escorting the Son of Heaven back to the old capital and their provisions ran out, Zhang Yang met them on the road with provisions and came to Luoyang. He told the generals, 'The Son of Heaven should be upheld together with the whole realm, and fortunately there are ministers and high officials. I should ward off troubles from outside; what business have I in the capital?' and went back to Yewang, where he was soon appointed Grand Marshal. The Biography of Dong Zhuo records that he met the Son of Heaven with food on the road at Zhi and was appointed Grand Marshal. Records, Wei 8 §33–34Records, Wei 6 §28

According to the Biography of Xun Yu, when Taizu wished to receive the Son of Heaven and make Xu the capital, some said that Han Xian and Yang Feng had just brought the Son of Heaven to Luoyang and were linked with Zhang Yang to the north, so they could not be quickly brought under control. The Biography of Dong Zhao records that at this time Han Xian, Yang Feng, Dong Cheng and Zhang Yang were each at odds and could not agree. Records, Wei 10 §13Records, Wei 14 §50

Zhang Yang had long been on good terms with Lü Bu. When Taizu besieged Lü Bu, he wished to rescue him but could not, so he sent troops out to Dongshi to lend Lü Bu support from afar. His subordinate general Yang Chou killed Zhang Yang and went over to Taizu; the Biography of Dong Zhao places this in the 3rd year of Jian'an (198). When Zhang Yang's subordinate general Sui Gu killed Yang Chou and took command of his men, intending to go north and join Yuan Shao, Taizu sent Shi Huan, who defeated him at Quancheng and beheaded Sui Gu. The Annals of Emperor Wu record that Shi Huan and Cao Ren were sent together, and according to the Biography of Dong Zhao, Zhang Yang's Chief Clerk Xue Hong and the Administrator of Henei Miao Shang held the city awaiting relief from Yuan Shao, but surrendered that very day on hearing Dong Zhao's counsel. Records, Wei 8 §34Records, Wei 1 §51Records, Wei 14 §56

In his assessment Chen Shou named Zhang Yang together with Gongsun Zan, Gongsun Du, Tao Qian and others, saying that 'Zhang Yang yielded his head to his own subordinates', and wrote that though all of them held provinces and commanderies they were worse than common men, and there was truly nothing worth discussing about them. Records, Wei 8 §71