Zhang Chai
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Zhang Chai | |
|---|---|
| 張豺 | |
| General Who Awes the Rong (戎昭將軍) | |
| In office ? – 349 | |
| Monarch | Shi Hu |
| Grand Guardian (太保) | |
| In office 349 – 349 | |
| Monarch | Shi Shi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Unknown |
| Died | 16 June 349 |
| Relations | Zhang Xiong (brother) |
Zhang Chai was a minister and regent of China's Later Zhao dynasty during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. He was a close ally to Shi Hu (Emperor Wu)'s empress, Empress Liu, who helped her establish themselves as the paramount leaders of Zhao through her son Shi Shi following the death of Shi Hu in 349. The pair attempted to centralize their power and eliminate their rivals, but a popular coup led by Shi Zun saw their reign barely lasting a month as they were removed and subsequently executed. Despite the coup, it would soon be known as the beginning of a bigger power struggle within the Shi family over the throne that led to the destruction of Later Zhao in 351 in the hands of Ran Min.
Zhang Chai was a man from Guangping County in Julu Commandery. In 312, Zhang Chai and a fellow townsman named You Lun (游綸) gathered a large host of people and staged a revolt in the city of Yuanxiang (苑鄕, in present-day Hebei and Beijing), which was at the time under Han-Zhao. Zhang Chai and You Lun surrendered to the Youzhou warlord and Jin general Wang Jun and in response, the Han general Shi Le sent his army to besiege Yuanxiang.[1] Wang Jun directed his army to attack Shi Le's capital in Xiangguo, forcing Shi Le to take his focus away from Yuanxiang. However, Shi Le managed to turn back Wang Jun's army, so Zhang Chai and You Lun surrendered back to Han that same year.[2]
Shi Le broke away from Han-Zhao in 319 and established his own state of Later Zhao. Zhang Chai appears to have followed Shi Le during the split. In 329, he participated in Shi Hu's campaign against Liu Yin and Liu Xi in Shanggui. The campaign was a victory for Shi Hu and resulted in the complete destruction of Han-Zhao. During the campaign, Zhang Chai captured the Han-Zhao emperor Liu Yao's daughter, the Princess of Anding, who was only twelve years old at the time. Zhang introduced her to Shi Hu, who made her one of his concubines and eventually grew to be one of Shi Hu's favourite wives. She had a son with Shi Hu, who they named Shi Shi.[3]