Zhang Song
| Names | |
|---|---|
| Simplified Chinese: | 张松; |
| Traditional Chinese: | 張松; |
| Pinyin: | Zhāng Sōng |
| Zi: | Zǐqiáo (子喬) |
Zhang Song (? - 213) was an advisor to Liu Zhang during Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He plotted to replace his master with Liu Bei, and was executed when the plot was discovered.
Life
After Cao Cao's conquest of Jingzhou, Zhang Song went to him to swear allegiance on behalf of his master Liu Zhang. However, he was received coldly by Cao Cao, and became angered. When he returned to his master, he recommended cutting off relations with Cao Cao's regime.
Together with his close friend Fa Zheng, he began plotting to replace Liu Zhang as leader of Yizhou with Liu Bei. However, although Liu Bei had successfully been welcomed into Yizhou as a guest of Liu Zhang, the plan was not fully completed when Zhang Su, the elder brother of Zhang Song and governor of Guanghan (廣漢太守) revealed the plot to Liu Zhang. Zhang Song had told his brother of the plot when the latter visited his house, and did not expect him to revelad it. Zhang Song was executed by Liu Zhang along with his family.
Zhang Song in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a historical novel by Luo Guanzhong, was a romanticization of the events that occurred before and during the Three Kingdoms period. Zhang Song is portrayed as a short, buck-toothed man with a short nose. His did not command respect.
Rather than after the conquest of Jingzhou, as in Sanguo Zhi, Zhang Song goes to the court of Cao Cao much later, after his conquest of Liangzhou (涼州). He was treated rudely by Cao Cao, and when he finally was granted an audience with him he made a fool of him by quickly and completely memorizing his book on military tactics Mengde Xinshu (孟德新書). Cao Cao, greatly angered by this, ordered Zhang Song to be beaten one hundred times as punishment for the humiliation.
Zhang Song was deeply upset by Cao Cao's treatment of him, and next went to Liu Bei, in Jingzhou. He was personally escorted into the territory by Zhao Yun and next met by Guan Yu. After this, he was personally greeted by both Zhuge Liang and Lui Bei. Greatly impressed that Lui Bei should honor him in such a way, he gave Lui Bei the map of the Yizhao region (西蜀地形圖) he originally set out to give to Cao Cao. It was then that he introduced Fa Zheng and Meng Da to Lui Bei, and the plot began to replace Liu Zhang as leader of Yizhou.
In The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhang Song's style name is Yǒngnián (永年).
Family
Brother
- Zhang Su (張粛)
Son
- Zhang Biao (張表)(Possibly a nephew)
Reference
This page is a rough translation of the Japanese version, re-arranged and re-formatted.