Zhang Xiu 張休 Shusi 叔嗣

Contents

Introduction

Zhang Xiu (simplified: 张休, traditional: 張休, pinyin: Zhāng Xiū), courtesy name Shusi (叔嗣), was an Eastern Wu general and official, the second son of Zhang Zhao (张昭). He served as a companion to the heir Sun Deng together with Zhuge Ke, Gu Tan, and Chen Biao, taught Sun Deng the Han shu, and was Right Assistant Colonel. He remonstrated with Sun Quan over hunting; Sun Quan approved and showed the memorial to Zhang Zhao. After Sun Deng’s death Zhang Xiu became Palace Attendant, Colonel of the Feather Forest, Supervisor of the Three Armies, and General Who Spreads Martial Might. At the Battle of Quebei (241) he and Gu Cheng resisted the Wei attack. Because he and the Gu brothers supported the heir Sun He in the Two Palaces conflict, Quan Cong’s faction accused them of colluding with the Army Supervisor Chen Xun to exaggerate their merit at Quebei. In 245 Zhang Xiu was exiled to Jiao Province with Gu Tan and Gu Cheng. The Director of the Central Secretariat Sun Hong, whom Zhang Xiu had long disliked, added further slander; Sun Quan ordered Zhang Xiu to commit suicide. He was forty-one.

Biography

Service under Sun Deng

Zhang Xiu was from Pengcheng (彭城). He was Zhang Zhao’s second son and Zhang Cheng’s younger brother. When he reached adulthood he served with Zhuge Ke, Gu Tan (顾谭), and Chen Biao (陈表) as companions to the heir Sun Deng. He taught Sun Deng the Han shu and was Gentleman of the Palace (中庶子), then Colonel of the Right Assistant (右弼都尉).

Sun Quan often went hunting and would return at dusk. Zhang Xiu submitted a memorial advising against it. Sun Quan was pleased and showed the memorial to Zhang Zhao.

After Sun Deng’s death

When Sun Deng died (241), Zhang Xiu was made Palace Attendant (侍中), Colonel of the Feather Forest (羽林都督), Supervisor of the Three Armies (平三典軍事), and General Who Spreads Martial Might (揚武將軍).

Battle of Quebei (241) and dispute over merit

In 241, at the Battle of Quebei (芍陂), the Wei general Wang Ling fought Quan Cong. Zhang Xiu and Gu Cheng led troops and resisted the Wei attack; Quan Cong’s sons Quan Xu (全绪) and Quan Duan (全端) and others took the chance to drive back Wang Ling. When merit was assessed, Zhang Xiu and Gu Cheng were rewarded with higher rank than the Quan brothers because of their role in holding the enemy. This caused resentment in the Quan family.

Two Palaces conflict, exile, and death

Zhang Xiu was close to the Gu family and supported the heir Sun He. The Quan family supported the Prince of Lu Sun Ba. According to the Wu lu (in the annotation to Gu Tan’s biography), Quan Cong and his sons were the ones who slandered. They claimed that Zhang Xiu, Gu Tan, and Gu Cheng had had secret contact with the Army Supervisor Chen Xun (陈恂) and had fraudulently inflated their merit. In the eighth year of Chiwu (245) Zhang Xiu was exiled to Jiao Province together with Gu Tan and Gu Cheng.

The Director of the Central Secretariat Sun Hong (孙弘) was treacherous and cunning; Zhang Xiu had long disliked him. Sun Hong used the occasion to add further slander. Sun Quan issued an edict ordering Zhang Xiu to commit suicide. Zhang Xiu was forty-one.

Personality and traits

Learning and remonstrance

Zhang Xiu was learned; he taught the heir the Han shu. His memorial against Sun Quan’s hunting was approved by Sun Quan and shown to Zhang Zhao, indicating both his standing and Sun Quan’s regard for Zhang Zhao’s family.

Faction and fate

His ties to the Gu family and his support for the heir Sun He, together with the dispute over Quebei rewards, made him a target of the Quan–Sun Ba faction. Sun Hong’s additional slander led to his being ordered to commit suicide even after exile.

Political achievements

Offices

Zhang Xiu served as Gentleman of the Palace and Colonel of the Right Assistant under Sun Deng, then after Sun Deng’s death as Palace Attendant, Colonel of the Feather Forest, Supervisor of the Three Armies, and General Who Spreads Martial Might. At Quebei he and Gu Cheng held off the Wei attack.

Relationships

Zhang Zhao and Zhang Cheng

Zhang Xiu was Zhang Zhao’s second son and Zhang Cheng’s younger brother. Sun Quan showed Zhang Xiu’s remonstrance to Zhang Zhao as a mark of respect for the family.

Sun Deng and Sun Quan

Zhang Xiu was a companion and teacher to Sun Deng. He remonstrated with Sun Quan on hunting. After the Two Palaces conflict and the slander from Quan Cong’s faction and Sun Hong, Sun Quan exiled him and then ordered him to commit suicide.

Gu Tan, Gu Cheng, and Quan Cong

Zhang Xiu fought at Quebei with Gu Cheng; he and the Gu brothers were rewarded above Quan Cong’s sons. All three supported the heir Sun He; Quan Cong’s faction accused them of inflating merit with Chen Xun. Zhang Xiu was exiled with Gu Tan and Gu Cheng; Sun Hong’s slander then led to his death.

Anecdotes and allusions

Remonstrance on hunting

Sun Quan often hunted until dusk. Zhang Xiu submitted a memorial advising against it. Sun Quan approved and showed it to Zhang Zhao.

Source: Records of the Three Kingdoms
Type: Historical

Quebei and the Quan family’s slander

At Quebei, Zhang Xiu and Gu Cheng resisted the Wei attack while Quan Xu and Quan Duan struck back. Rewards for Zhang Xiu and Gu Cheng were higher than for the Quan brothers. The Quan family resented this; in the Two Palaces conflict they accused Zhang Xiu, Gu Tan, and Gu Cheng of colluding with Chen Xun to exaggerate their merit.

Source: Records of the Three Kingdoms, Wu lu
Type: Historical

Sun Hong’s slander

Sun Hong, Director of the Central Secretariat, was “treacherous and cunning”; Zhang Xiu had long disliked him. When Zhang Xiu was exiled, Sun Hong added slander and Zhang Xiu was ordered to commit suicide.

Source: Records of the Three Kingdoms
Type: Historical

Achievements

Zhang Xiu’s documented achievements include:

Serving as a companion to Sun Deng with Zhuge Ke, Gu Tan, and Chen Biao
Teaching Sun Deng the Han shu
Remonstrating with Sun Quan on hunting; Sun Quan’s approval and showing the memorial to Zhang Zhao
After Sun Deng’s death: Palace Attendant, Colonel of the Feather Forest, Supervisor of the Three Armies, General Who Spreads Martial Might
At Quebei (241), with Gu Cheng resisting the Wei attack

Behind the scenes

Historical sources

Zhang Xiu is recorded in the Records of the Three Kingdoms (三国志) in the “Biographies of Zhang Zhao, Gu Yong, Zhuge Jin, and Bu Zhi” (吳書·張顧諸葛步傳) and in the biography of Sun Deng. The Wu lu (in the annotation to Gu Tan’s biography) identifies Quan Cong and his sons as the source of the slander about Quebei merit.

Distinction from other Zhang Xiu

The SGZ and other sources distinguish this Eastern Wu Zhang Xiu (张休, son of Zhang Zhao) from other figures with similar names, including a Zhang Xiu of Shu Han connected to the Jieting (街亭) affair and other later Shu figures.

Legacy

Zhang Xiu is remembered as a learned Eastern Wu official and general who served the heir Sun Deng and fought at Quebei, and who was destroyed in the Two Palaces conflict. The dispute over Quebei rewards and the slander of Quan Cong’s faction and Sun Hong led to his exile and then to his being ordered to commit suicide.

References

Chen Shou. Records of the Three Kingdoms (三国志), “Biographies of Zhang Zhao, Gu Yong, Zhuge Jin, and Bu Zhi” (吳書·張顧諸葛步傳), “Biography of Sun Deng” (孫登傳).
Pei Songzhi. Annotations (Wu lu).