Zhang Ce
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Zhang Ce (張策) (died 912), courtesy name Shaoyi (少逸), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang dynasty and the succeeding Later Liang of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Later Liang's founding emperor Zhu Wen (Zhu Quanzhong).
It is not known when Zhang Ce was born. His family was originally from Dunhuang. His father Zhang Tong (張同) served as a Tang dynasty official and at one point reached the position of governor of Rong District (容管, headquartered in modern Yulin, Guangxi).[1]
At one point, Zhang Ce lived with his family at a mansion in Luoyang. At that time, an ancient-looking ornate ding was found in a well, that bore, in seal script, the inscription, "Sculpted by Ji Qian [(吉千)] in the spring, the second month, of the first year of Wei's Huangchu [(黃初)] era [(i.e., 220)]." Zhang Tong much valued the find, but Zhang Ce, who was then only 12 years old, calmly stated to his father:[1]
In the 25th year of the Jian'an [(建安))] era, the Lord Cao died. The era name was changed to Yankang [(延康)]. The 10th month of that year, Emperor Wen accepted Han Dynasty's offer of the throne, and at that point he declared the era name Huangchu. Therefore, there was no second month in the first year of Huangchu. How wrong this text was!
Zhang Tong was surprised by his son's assertion, and checked with the records of the Cao Wei portion of the Records of the Three Kingdoms, which verified what Zhang Ce stated. The entire clan was amazed at Zhang Ce's knowledge.[1][2] However, instead of going into Confucian studies and preparing for an official career, Zhang Ce was devoted to Buddhism in his youth. Even before he took adult clothes, he decided to take tonsure and became a monk at Ci'en Temple (慈恩寺) at the Tang imperial capital Chang'an.[1]
Late in the Guangming (880-881) era of Emperor Xizong of Tang, the Chang'an region came under attack by the major agrarian rebel Huang Chao. Hearing of the attack, Zhang Ce returned to civilian status so that he could take his parents to flee the disaster, and was much praised by the gentry who heard of this action. His father died soon thereafter, and he observed a period of mourning. Even after the period of mourning was over, however, for over a decade he did not seek an official appointment, but rather effectively became a hermit in the wilderness.[1]