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Zhang Zhao (156-236), courtesy name Zibu, was a native of Pengcheng (present-day Xuzhou, Jiangsu) and an important minister of the Sun Wu regime during the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period.

He was studious from a young age and read extensively. As an adult, he was recommended as a candidate for the civil service examination, but declined the offer. Later, Governor Tao Qian recommended him as a candidate for the "Outstanding Talent" examination.

However, he did not respond to the summons. Tao Qian believed that Zhang Zhao was disrespecting him and arrested him. In the end, Zhang Zhao was rescued with the help of his friend Zhao Yu.

When Sun Ce was establishing the foundation of Eastern Wu, he highly valued Zhang Zhao, appointing him as Chief Clerk and General of the Army. Later, on his deathbed, Sun Ce left a will entrusting Zhang Zhao with supporting and assisting his younger brother Sun Quan.

Therefore, after Sun Ce's death, Zhang Zhao led the officials to support Sun Quan and assist him. Zhang Zhao was also respected by Sun Quan and became Sun Quan's chief secretary.

However, Sun Quan repeatedly ignored Zhang Zhao's advice, and a rift gradually grew between the ruler and his minister. Afterwards, Zhang Zhao used illness as an excuse to avoid meeting Sun Quan.
Sun Quan reassigned him as General Who Assists Wu, ranked him second only to the Three Excellencies, and enfeoffed him as Marquis of Lou. Zhang Zhao, having nothing to do at home, then wrote *An Explanation of the Zuo Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals* and *Annotations on the Analects*.
However, he was ultimately forced to go to court to meet Sun Quan again. In the fifth year of Jiahe (236 AD), Zhang Zhao died at the age of eighty-one. Zhang Zhao left a will,
He requested a simple burial. Sun Quan personally wore mourning clothes to pay his respects and posthumously honored Zhang Zhao as "Marquis Wen". Later, Zhang Zhao's eldest son, Zhang Cheng, was enfeoffed as a marquis, so his younger son, Zhang Xiu, inherited the title.

Zhang Zhao laid an important foundation for the Eastern Wu regime. He assisted Sun Ce in establishing the Eastern Wu dynasty, and after Sun Ce's death, he assisted Sun Ce's younger brother, Sun Quan, in consolidating the regime.

In his work *Records of the Three Kingdoms*, Chen Shou of the Jin Dynasty wrote: Zhang Zhao, entrusted by Sun Ce to assist Sun Quan, achieved great merit and was loyal and outspoken.
He acted without regard for his own interests, yet his strictness made him feared by Sun Quan; his high position also made him seem distant to Sun Quan. He was neither appointed prime minister nor given the position of tutor or guardian.

He lived a leisurely life in the alleys, merely enjoying his retirement, thus illustrating that Sun Quan was inferior to Sun Ce.

Zhang Zhao was born in Pengcheng, Xuzhou, which is present-day Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province. He was studious from a young age, excelled in clerical script, and studied the *Zuo Zhuan* under Bai Hou Zi'an.
He was well-read and became famous and friendly with Zhao Yu from Langya and Wang Lang from Donghai. After coming of age, he was recommended as a candidate for the civil service examination, but he declined the offer and did not take office.

He once discussed with Wang Lang matters concerning the taboos of past emperors, and the talented scholars of the state greatly admired him. The then-governor Tao Qian recommended Zhang Zhao as a candidate for the "Outstanding Talent" award.
However, Zhang Zhao did not respond to the summons, which Tao Qian interpreted as Zhang Zhao disrespecting him, so he had Zhang Zhao arrested. Zhao Yu later devised a plan to rescue Zhang Zhao.
At the end of the Han Dynasty, the world was in chaos. In the first year of Xingping (194 AD), Cao Cao launched an expedition against Xuzhou. Most of the people and scholars in the Xuzhou area fled to the Yangzhou region. Zhang Zhao also crossed the Yangtze River south to Yangzhou in the Jiangdong region.

Sun Ce immediately paid a visit to Zhang Zhao, treating him with great courtesy. When Sun Ce was establishing his hegemony in Eastern Wu, he appointed Zhang Zhao as Chief Clerk and General of the Army.

Furthermore, Sun Ce treated Zhang Zhao like a close friend, even taking him to meet his mother. Zhang Zhao frequently received letters from northern gentry.
The letters praised his achievements in pacifying and governing Jiangdong, and even considered Zhang Zhao's contributions to be the greatest. This put Zhang Zhao in a difficult position. However, upon hearing this, Sun Ce compared Zhang Zhao and himself to Guan Zhong and Duke Huan of Qi.

He did not blame Zhang Zhao, but instead admired him even more. At that time, Liu Biao of Jingzhou had written a letter himself, intending to send it to Sun Ce of Jiangdong.
Liu Biao first showed the contents of the letter to Mi Heng, a renowned scholar at the time. After reading it, Mi Heng scoffed and mocked that Liu Biao's letter was not worthy of being read by Zhang Zhao, a senior minister of Sun Ce.

In the fifth year of Jian'an (200 AD), Chen Deng, the governor of Guangling Commandery, established the commandery capital in Sheyang. Sun Ce attacked Huang Zu to the west, and Chen Deng lured the remnants of Yan Baihu's forces.
They planned to launch an uprising behind Sun Ce's lines. Sun Ce led his army to counterattack Chen Deng, first stationing himself at Dantu to await the transport of supplies. Previously, Sun Ce had killed Xu Gong, the governor of Wu Commandery.
Xu Gong's servants and retainers were hiding among the common people, plotting to avenge Xu Gong. Sun Ce, who loved hunting, was riding along when he suddenly encountered three of Xu Gong's retainers.
They shot Sun Ce in the cheek with an arrow, and the guards behind him on horseback immediately assassinated all the retainers. Sun Ce was severely wounded and summoned Zhang Zhao and others.

Before his death, he entrusted his younger brother Sun Quan to Zhang Zhao, hoping Zhang Zhao would assist him. When Zhang Zhao first began assisting Sun Quan...
Sun Quan was still young, and his mother, Lady Wu, worried that he was too young to handle matters properly. Therefore, she introduced him to Zhang Zhao and the general Dong Xi, among others.
When asked if Jiangdong could be defended, Dong Xi replied that Jiangdong's terrain was rugged and difficult for foreign enemies to invade, and that the region had honest and upright officials.

He had won the hearts of the people; it was a perfect storm of favorable timing, location, and popular support. The Jiangdong region could be preserved. (202 AD or 207 AD)

After Empress Dowager Wu passed away, she was worried about the situation in Jiangdong, so she summoned Zhang Zhao and others and instructed them to do their best to assist Sun Quan in consolidating his rule.

After Sun Ce's death, Sun Quan ascended the throne and appointed Zhang Zhao as Military Advisor General. Zhang Zhao, along with Sun Shao, Teng Dan, and others, modeled their work after the Zhou and Han dynasties.
Together they formulated important matters such as national rituals. At that time, Sun Quan was too grief-stricken to attend to state affairs.
Therefore, Zhang Zhao warned Sun Quan not to forget his responsibilities as the heir to the state because of his personal feelings.

This gave people a sense of belonging. At that time, when Sun Quan had just taken over Jiangdong, the country was fragmented and there were rebels everywhere.

Upon succeeding Sun Quan, Zhang Zhao's first act was to accompany Sun Quan on a horseback tour of the various armies, expressing his support for Sun Quan to the Sun clan, scholars, and military generals.

First, it clarified for the Jiangdong soldiers' allegiance to the regime. Second, when Zhang Zhao was in power, he pacified the people and punished those who plotted rebellion. He submitted a memorial to the central government declaring that the Sun family's political stance was to respect the Han dynasty.
To establish the legitimacy of the Sun family group, a decree was issued clearly announcing Sun Quan's succession, and all generals and officials were ordered to perform their duties. Afterwards, whenever envoys from neighboring states came to Wu, Sun Quan would have Zhang Zhao receive them.

Whenever Sun Quan went on campaign, Zhang Zhao would stay behind to guard the rear. Later, when the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, Zhang Zhao again led troops to suppress it. When Sun Quan attacked Hefei...
Sun Quan then ordered Zhang Zhao to suppress Kuang Qi. Zhang Zhao then led his troops to defeat the rebel forces of Zhou Feng and others at Nancheng. Zhang Zhao was then appointed Sun Quan's Chief Clerk, retaining the same position as before.

Later, Liu Bei submitted a memorial appointing Sun Quan as General of Chariots and Cavalry, and Zhang Zhao as Military Advisor. Sun Quan had a penchant for hunting, and at that time, his hunting activities were often dangerous.

Zhang Zhao believed this was extremely inappropriate for a monarch and repeatedly advised him against it, but Sun Quan would not listen.

In the second year of the Huangchu era of the Wei dynasty (221), the Wei state dispatched Xing Zhen to appoint Sun Quan as King of Wu. Xing Zhen entered the palace gates but did not dismount from his carriage. Zhang Zhao told Xing Zhen that Eastern Wu could enforce the law against those who were disrespectful.

So Xing Zhen quickly got off the carriage. Zhang Zhao was later appointed General of Suiyuan and granted the title of Marquis of Youquan. When Sun Quan arrived in Wuchang, he climbed the fishing platform and drank heavily.

He then ordered wine to be poured on the ministers. Zhang Zhao remained silent and serious, rising to sit in his carriage outside.

Sun Quan sent someone to call him in, but Zhang Zhao refused and used the example of King Zhou of Shang to admonish Sun Quan. Sun Quan then fell silent, looked ashamed, and stopped the banquet.

At that time, Sun Quan decided to appoint a prime minister, and everyone thought Zhang Zhao was suitable, but Sun Quan did not make Zhang Zhao the prime minister. Later, the former prime minister Sun Shao passed away.

The officials again recommended Zhang Zhao, but Sun Quan still did not appoint Zhang Zhao and instead appointed Gu Yong. Meanwhile, there were strategic differences and political conflicts between Zhang Zhao and Sun Quan. In Jian'an 5 (200 AD), after Cao Cao's victory at the Battle of Guandu, he sent a letter to Sun Quan requesting that he send a hostage to Cao Cao. Sun Quan summoned his officials to discuss this matter.
Zhang Zhao, Qin Song, and others hesitated and could not make a decision, but Sun Quan had already decided that he was unwilling to send a hostage. Regarding the western expedition against Huang Zu of Jiangxia Commandery...

Lu Su not only drafted a plan to conquer Jiangxia in the west and then subjugate Liu Biao in Jingzhou, but also explicitly proposed to establish a tripartite balance of power in Jiangdong.
This was exactly what Sun Quan wanted, but Zhang Zhao criticized Lu Su's plan. Soon after, Huang Zujian brought Gan Ning to join Sun Quan.

He then offered advice to Sun Quan regarding the western expedition, and Sun Quan greatly approved of Gan Ning's suggestions. At that time, Zhang Zhao questioned Gan Ning about this, citing the precarious state of Wu.
The plan was to deter Gan Ning by arguing that a westward expedition would inevitably lead to chaos within the Wu kingdom. However, Gan Ning advised Zhang Zhao not to worry too much about potential trouble.

We should emulate the ancients. Sun Quan became even more supportive of Gan Ning's plan, telling Gan Ning not to heed Zhang Zhao's words too much. Later, during Sun Quan's western expedition, he indeed captured Huang Zu.

They also captured Huang Zu's entire army. From then on, Zhang Zhao's political ideals clashed more and more with those of Sun Quan and several other major generals in Jiangdong.

In 208 AD, Cao Cao explicitly expressed his hope that Sun Quan would submit to the north, and at that time, most scholars in Jiangdong were inclined to surrender.
Zhang Zhao also considered that Cao Cao could use the emperor to command the other warlords, and therefore could not be easily resisted. Moreover, Cao Cao had already acquired Jingzhou at that time.
Wu lost its military advantage against Cao Cao—the Yangtze River—and Cao Cao's military strength was far superior to Wu's.

Therefore, after careful consideration, Zhang Zhao concluded that Wu should also submit to Cao Cao, but Sun Quan, Zhou Yu, and other pro-war figures did not want to easily submit to Cao Cao.

After Sun Quan ascended the throne, he granted a general amnesty and changed the era name to Huanglong. All civil and military officials came to court, and the King of Wu attributed the credit to Zhou Yu.

General Zhang Zhao of Suiyuan raised his board, intending to sing a song of praise to Daiyu, but before he could speak, the King of Wu said to Zhang Zhao, "If only we had listened to your advice, General Zhang..."

"Now I'm begging for food." Zhang Zhao was extremely ashamed, prostrating himself on the ground, sweating profusely. After Sun Quan became emperor, Zhang Zhao, old and ailing, longed to return to his hometown.

Sun Quan then appointed him as General Who Assists Wu and enfeoffed him as Marquis of Lou. Later, Zhang Zhao wrote "Commentary on the Zuo Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals", "Annotations on the Analects", and "Annotations on the Analects" at home.

When Zhang Zhao advised Sun Quan, he always spoke frankly and honestly, without any regard for Sun Quan's dignity as an emperor. Later, Sun Quan ordered him to stop attending court and offering advice for a period of time.

Later, when envoys from Shu arrived in Eastern Wu, no one could debate with them. Therefore, Sun Quan sent an envoy to recall Zhang Zhao.
Later, Zhang Zhao said that the Empress Dowager and King Huan had entrusted Sun Quan to him, so Zhang Zhao wanted to repay such a great favor by fulfilling his duties as a subject.

He wanted to ensure that he would have something to be praised after his death. However, Zhang Zhao repeatedly disobeyed Sun Quan's wishes, believing that after this, he would have no further opportunity to serve his country.
Unexpectedly, he was now able to serve His Majesty in the court. However, Zhang Zhao believed that serving the country required unwavering loyalty and that he could not change his mind to seek worldly honor and the emperor's favor. Afterwards, Sun Quan expressed his deepest apologies to Zhang Zhao.

In the first year of Jiahe (232 AD), Sun Quan sent Zhang Mi and Xu Yan to Liaodong to appoint Gongsun Yuan as the King of Yan because Gongsun Yuan sent someone to claim vassalage.

Zhang Zhao advised Sun Quan that Gongsun Yuan had come seeking help out of fear of being attacked, and that Gongsun Yuan might change his mind and submit to Wei.
If Zhang Mi and Xu Yan didn't return, Eastern Wu would be ridiculed by the world. However, Sun Quan wouldn't listen, and Zhang Zhao insisted on his point of view.

Sun Quan then prepared to threaten Zhang Zhao with a knife, a move that greatly disappointed Zhang Zhao. Later, Sun Quan apologized to Zhang Zhao.
However, Sun Quan still did not adopt Zhang Zhao's suggestion and still sent an envoy to Liaodong. When Zhang Zhao found out, he claimed to be ill and would no longer attend court.

Sun Quan then ordered his men to block Zhang Zhao's door with earth, and Zhang Zhao, in turn, sealed the door shut from the inside with earth to demonstrate his firm stance against attending court.

As Zhang Zhao had predicted, the two envoys were indeed killed by Gongsun Yuan. Sun Quan felt deeply remorseful and repeatedly sent people to comfort Zhang Zhao.

Sun Quan apologized to him, but Zhang Zhao continued to refuse to attend court. Later, Sun Quan went out of the palace to visit Zhang Zhao, but Zhang Zhao still refused to see him, citing serious illness.
Sun Quan then ordered his men to set fire to Zhang Zhao's house, hoping to intimidate him, but Zhang Zhao refused to come out. Sun Quan then ordered the fire extinguished, and Zhang Zhao was only able to get up with the help of his sons.
Furthermore, Sun Quan used his own carriage to bring Zhang Zhao back to the palace, and Zhang Zhao had no choice but to attend the court assembly.

In the fifth year of the Jiahe era (236 AD), Zhang Zhao passed away at the age of eighty-one. In his will, Zhang Zhao requested that his hair be bound in plain cloth and that he not be given a lacquered coffin.

He was dressed in his usual attire for burial. Sun Quan personally wore mourning clothes to pay his respects and posthumously honored Zhang Zhao as "Marquis Wen". Later, Zhang Zhao's eldest son, Zhang Cheng, was enfeoffed as a marquis, so his younger son, Zhang Xiu, inherited the title.

When Sun Ce first established his hegemony, Zhang Zhao and others played crucial supporting roles. Zhang Zhao, Zhang Hong, Qin Song, Chen Duan, and others all made significant contributions to Eastern Wu. "Sun Ce had previously served Yuan Shu..."

This had a very negative impact at the time. Then, two years later, Sun Ce, as a subordinate of Yuan Shu, also conquered the six counties of Jiangdong.

Zhang Zhao was famous for his erudition from a young age, and was praised by local talents such as Chen Lin. Sun Ce called Zhang Zhao a "wise man." Zhang Zhao's service to Sun Ce helped to improve and reverse the negative image of the Sun family regime.

Zhang Zhao fully utilized his political influence and prestige to comprehensively stabilize the order in Jiangdong, making a significant contribution to Sun Quan's smooth succession to the throne.

The first thing was to accompany Sun Quan on a tour of the various armies, so that all parties would know Sun Quan's leadership position at that time and the soldiers of Jiangdong would understand who the regime belonged to.

The second thing was to step forward to appease the people and scholars, indicating that the Sun family's political stance was to respect the Han Dynasty, thus establishing the legitimacy of the Sun family's regime.
Furthermore, it was explicitly declared that Sun Quan was the legitimate successor, further solidifying Sun Quan's ruling leadership. The generals and officials were also ordered to perform their respective duties.
This played a significant role in providing political protection. Furthermore, Zhang Zhao and Zhou Yu together recruited scholars from various regions, strengthening the foundation of Sun Quan's regime. (End of Chapter)