Chen Zhi (Three Kingdoms)

Last updated
Chen Zhi
陳祗
General Who Guards the Army
(鎮軍將軍)
In office
251 (251)–258 (258)
OccupationOfficial
Courtesy name Fengzong (奉宗)
Posthumous name Marquis Zhong (忠侯)

Chen Zhi (died 28 September 258), [lower-alpha 2] courtesy name Fengzong, was an official of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He is mostly known for his association with the infamous Huang Hao that allowed him to dominate the imperial court, however he was also described as extremely talented and in favour of both, Fei Yi and Liu Shan.

Contents

Life

Chen Zhi was born in Runan Commandery (汝南郡), which is present-day Pingyu County, Henan. He was a maternal grandson of an elder brother of Xu Jing, who briefly served as Minister over the Masses of the state of Shu during the early Three Kingdoms period. As he was orphaned at a young age, he was raised by his granduncle Xu Jing. [1]

Chen Zhi had quite a reputation in Shu by the time he reached adulthood (around 19 years old). He started his career as a low-level official in the selection bureau of the imperial secretariat of Shu. His appearance is described as awe-inspiring and his demeanour as restrained and strict. Moreover, he was well-versed in a variety of arts and crafts, possessing talent in astrology, divination and physiognomy. [2] Therefore, he impressed Fei Yi, the head of the Shu government between 246 and 253. Following Dong Yun's death in 246, Fei Yi recommended Chen Zhi to replace Dong Yun as a Palace Attendant (侍中). [3]

Chen Zhi quickly earned the favour of the Shu emperor Liu Shan, and formed an alliance with the eunuch Huang Hao to dominate the political scene together. Huang Hao gained power for the first time in his life after Dong Yun's death because Dong Yun distrusted Huang Hao and actively kept him out of politics while he was still alive. [4] Ever since Chen Zhi became one of his most favoured officials, Liu Shan gradually began to resent Dong Yun and see him as "arrogant and disrespectful". Chen Zhi and Huang Hao also often spoke ill of Dong Yun in front of Liu Shan and make the emperor hate Dong Yun even more. [5]

When Lü Yi, the Prefect of the Masters of Writing (尚書令), died in 251, [6] Liu Shan ordered Chen Zhi to replace him. In addition to his appointment as Prefect of the Masters of Writing, Chen Zhi concurrently held the positions of Palace Attendant (侍中) and General Who Guards the Army (鎮軍將軍). During this period, Jiang Wei was away on military campaigns against Shu's rival state Wei most of the time therefore he did not regularly attend imperial court sessions. [7] Above, Chen Zhi would carry out the Emperor's orders and received Liu Shan's favour while below, he befriended the eunuchs and obtained Huang Hao's support. He was trusted and loved by both circles therefore although he ranked lower than the General-in-Chief Jiang Wei in the military hierarchy, he had greater influence and power in politics. [8]

Chen Zhi died in 258, on the 28 September. [lower-alpha 2] Liu Shan shed tears and deeply lamented his death, issued an imperial decree that said: "Chen Zhi managed the affairs of our time. His kindness and excellency were a model. His capability and solemness were a standard. He was in harmony with righteousness and brought benefit to everything. His myriad of achievements are brilliantly manifest. His life did not reach distantly, and I am grieved by that. One who in life has an excellent reputation, should in death be given a beautiful posthumous name. Let's honour him with the posthumous title "Marquis Zhong" (忠侯; "loyal marquis")." [12]

After Chen Zhi's death, Huang Hao continued to rise through the ranks and gain greater power while showing favouritism towards his supporters and those who fawned on him. The Shu government also became more corrupt under Huang Hao's influence until its eventual collapse [13] in 263. [14]

Family

Liu Shan enfeoffed Chen Zhi's first son, Chen Can (陳粲), as a Secondary Marquis (關內侯), and appointed his second son, Chen Yu (陳裕), as a Gentleman of the Yellow Gate (黃門侍郎). [15]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ While Chen Zhi's birth year was not recorded, his biography in Sanguozhi indicated that he was raised by his granduncle Xu Jing, who died in c.October 222. Combined with the observation that he already had a reputation before the age of 20 (and thus joined the Shu bureaucracy in his 20s), it is likely that Chen Zhi's childhood occurred in the 210s.
  2. 1 2 3 According to Chen Zhi's biography in the Sanguozhi, he died in the 1st year of the Jingyao era. [9] Furthermore, the volume 7 of the Huayang Guo Zhi recorded that Chen Zhi died on the bingzi day of the 8th month. [10] However, his death is put in the segment of the 2nd year of the Jingyao era of Liu Shan's reign. [11] Since Chen Shou's account is closer to the historical events and part of the Twenty-Four Histories canon of ancient Chinese history. It is considered as a more reliable year of death.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zhao Yun</span> Chinese military general (died 229)

Zhao Yun, courtesy name Zilong (子龍), was a military general who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China. Originally a subordinate of the northern warlord Gongsun Zan, Zhao Yun later came to serve another warlord, Liu Bei, and had since accompanied him on most of his military exploits, from the Battle of Changban (208) to the Hanzhong Campaign (217–219). He continued serving in the state of Shu Han – founded by Liu Bei in 221 – in the Three Kingdoms period and participated in the first of the Northern Expeditions until his death in 229. While many facts about Zhao Yun's life remain unclear due to limited information in historical sources, some aspects and activities in his life have been dramatised or exaggerated in folklore and fiction. In the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he was lauded as a member of the Five Tiger Generals under Liu Bei.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jiang Wei</span> Chinese Shu Han state general (202-264)

Jiang Wei, courtesy name Boyue, was a Chinese military general and politician of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Born in Ji County, Jiang Wei started his career as a military officer in his native Tianshui Commandery, which was a territory of Wei. In 228, when Wei's rival state Shu launched an invasion led by Zhuge Liang, Jiang Wei was distrusted by Ma Zun, then administrator of Tianshui Commandery. As such, Jiang Wei had to defect to Shu. Zhuge Liang, the Imperial Chancellor and regent of Shu, highly regarded Jiang Wei and appointed him as a general in Shu. After Zhuge Liang's death in 234, Jiang Wei continued serving as a military commander during the regencies Jiang Wan and Fei Yi, eventually rising to the highest military rank of General-In-Chief (大將軍) after Fei Yi's death in 253. Between 240 and 262, he continued Zhuge Liang's legacy of waging war against Wei by leading another 11 military campaigns. However, Jiang Wei's campaigns were relatively constrained in terms of both scale and duration due to Shu's limited resources and inadequate food supplies, as well as internal political faultlines. In 263, when Wei launched a massive invasion of Shu, Jiang Wei led Shu forces to resist the invaders at Tazhong, Yinping and Jiange, himself defending Jiange which was under Zhong Hui's attack. While Jiang Wei managed to temporarily stall Wei's main force led by Zhong Hui, Deng Ai, another military commander of Wei, took a shortcut via Yinping and showed up at Chengdu unexpectedly. Liu Shan surrendered to Deng Ai without putting up resistance and ordered Jiang Wei to surrender to the Wei general Zhong Hui; this event marked the end of Shu's existence. In the following year, Jiang Wei instigated Zhong Hui to launch a rebellion in Chengdu against the Wei regent Sima Zhao and hoped to use the opportunity to gain military power and restore Shu. However, some of Zhong Hui's officers were unwilling to participate in the rebellion and started a mutiny, killing Jiang Wei and Zhong Hui.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chen Shou</span> Chinese historian (233-297)

Chen Shou, courtesy name Chengzuo (承祚), was a Chinese historian, politician, and writer who lived during the Three Kingdoms period and Jin dynasty of China. Chen Shou is best known for his most celebrated work, the Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi), which records the history of the late Eastern Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. Chen Shou wrote the Sanguozhi primarily in the form of biographies of notable persons of those eras. Today, Chen's Records of the Three Kingdoms is part of the Twenty-Four Histories canon of Chinese history.

Huang Hao was a Chinese eunuch and politician serving under Liu Shan, the second and last emperor of the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period (220–280) of China. He gained the favour of Liu Shan and became highly influential. He was able to promote his supporters and demote those who opposed him to the overall detriment of the good governance of the state. When the leading Shu Han general Jiang Wei sought to warn the emperor that an invasion by Cao Wei was imminent, Huang Hao advised the emperor that such an invasion would not happen. As a result, the Shu Han state was not prepared for the Wei invasion of Shu forcing the emperor to surrender unconditionally in 263.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fei Yi</span> Shu Han state regent and general (died 253)

Fei Yi, courtesy name Wenwei, was a Chinese diplomat, military general, politician, and regent of the state of Shu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Born in the late Eastern Han dynasty, Fei Yi started his career as an attendant to Liu Shan, the eldest son and heir apparent of Liu Bei, a warlord who became the founding emperor of Shu. After Liu Shan became emperor in 223, Fei Yi gradually rose to prominence under the regency of Zhuge Liang, the Imperial Chancellor of Shu. During this time, he concurrently served as a military adviser under Zhuge Liang and as Shu's ambassador to its ally state Wu. He also played a significant role in the conflict between the Shu general Wei Yan and Zhuge Liang's chief clerk Yang Yi. After Zhuge Liang's death in 234, Fei Yi served as a deputy to the new regent Jiang Wan and progressively assumed greater responsibilities as Jiang Wan gradually relinquished his powers due to poor health. In 244, Fei Yi led Shu forces to victory at the Battle of Xingshi against their rival state Wei and succeeded Jiang Wan as regent of Shu two years later following the latter's death. On the first day of the Chinese New Year in 253, Fei Yi was assassinated by a Wei defector, Guo Xiu.

Sun He, courtesy name Zixiao, was an imperial prince of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the third son of Sun Quan, the founding emperor of Wu. In 242, he became the crown prince after the death of his brother Sun Deng, the eldest son and first heir apparent of Sun Quan. In the 240s, a power struggle broke out between Sun He and his fourth brother, Sun Ba, over the succession to their father's throne. The conflict ended in 250 when Sun Quan forced Sun Ba to commit suicide, deposed Sun He and replaced him with Sun Liang. In 253, during Sun Liang's reign, the regent Sun Jun reduced Sun He to commoner status and forced him to commit suicide. In 264, one of Sun He's sons, Sun Hao, became the fourth emperor of Eastern Wu. After his coronation, Sun Hao honoured his father with the posthumous title Emperor Wen.

Huang Quan, courtesy name Gongheng, was a Chinese military general and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He previously served under the warlords Liu Zhang and Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han dynasty and in the state of Shu Han during the early Three Kingdoms period before defecting to Cao Wei. Liu Bei relied heavily on Huang Quan for counsel in both domestic and foreign policy. Under the Wei government, however, Huang Quan was restricted to only internal affairs because even though the Wei emperor Cao Pi appreciated him for his talent, he doubted Huang Quan's allegiance and believed he was still secretly loyal to Liu Bei.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dong Yun</span> Shu Han state general and official (died 246)

Dong Yun, courtesy name Xiuzhao, was a Chinese general and politician of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China. His father, Dong He, also served as an official in Shu. Dong Yun was one of four persons who held positions equivalent to a head of government in Shu from 221 to 253; the other three were Zhuge Liang, Jiang Wan and Fei Yi.

Chen Dao, courtesy name Shuzhi, was a military general of the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period of China. He previously served under the warlord Liu Bei, the founding emperor of Shu Han, in the late Eastern Han dynasty.

Luo Xian, courtesy name Lingze, was a military general of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period of China. After the fall of Shu in 263, he continued serving under the Cao Wei state, then the succeeding Jin dynasty in 266. He is best known for defending his position at Yong'an for about six months against attacks from Shu's former ally state Wu after the fall of Shu.

Huo Yi, courtesy name Shaoxian, was a military general of the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period of China. His father, Huo Jun, served under Liu Bei, the founding emperor of Shu. During his service under the Shu emperor Liu Shan, Huo Yi suppressed tribal rebellions in the restive Nanzhong region and maintained peace in the area. After Shu was conquered by its rival state Cao Wei in 263, Huo Yi surrendered to the Wei regime and was permitted to remain in charge of keeping the peace in Nanzhong. In return, Huo Yi became a Wei subject and continued serving under the Jin dynasty, which replaced the Wei regime in 266.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zhang Yi (Bogong)</span> General of the state of Shu Han (died 264)

Zhang Yi, courtesy name Bogong, was a Chinese military general and politician of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Born in the late Eastern Han dynasty, Zhang Yi was a 10th-generation descendant of Zhang Liang. He started his career as a scribe under the warlord Liu Bei, who founded Shu later, and gradually rose to the positions of a county prefect and commandery administrator. In the early 230s, he served as an area commander tasked with maintaining the peace in Shu's southern commanderies. In 234, he led the Shu vanguard during the Battle of Wuzhang Plains against Shu's rival state Wei. From 238 to 259, Zhang Yi steadily rose through the ranks to become one of Shu's top generals. During this time, although he strongly opposed the Shu general Jiang Wei's aggressive stance towards Wei, he still accompanied Jiang Wei on his military campaigns against Wei. In 263, he surrendered to Wei forces along with the Shu emperor Liu Shan when Wei launched a large-scale invasion of Shu. In the following year, Zhang Yi was killed by mutineers during a rebellion by the Wei general Zhong Hui. Like Liao Hua and Zong Yu, Zhang was one of few officials who served the Shu-Han state throughout its entire existence.

Jiang Wei's Northern Expeditions refer to a series of eleven military campaigns launched by the state of Shu Han against its rival state, Cao Wei, between 240 and 262 CE during the Three Kingdoms period in China. The campaigns were led by Jiang Wei, a prominent Shu general. Unlike the previous Northern campaigns led by Zhuge Liang, which added Wudu and Yinping commanderies to Shu Han state territories, Jiang Wei's campaigns ended up being unpopular in both the military and civil circles in Shu. Also unlike Zhuge Liang's campaigns which often featured 60,000 to sometimes even 100,000 Shu Troops, Jiang Wei's were often much smaller rarely exceeding 30,000 even after the death of Fei Yi, where Jiang Wei assumed control of the military. The Zhuge Liang campaigns did suffer from logistical and supply issues for their large army. Zhuge's successor Jiang Wan, believed that it was the Hanzhong's mountainous terrain itself that were to blame for the campaigns failures and attempted to switch the route thru the Han river. Fei Yi, who succeeded Jiang Wan, agreed, and never allowed any large campaigns to be launched by Hanzhong. Jiang Wei however overlooked these concerns and used Hanzhong as his home base as Zhuge Liang did.

Zong Yu, courtesy name Deyan, was a military general and diplomat of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Like Liao Hua and Zhang Yi, Zong was one of few officials who served the Shu-Han state throughout its entire existence.

This article contains the family trees of members of the Sun clan, who ruled the state of Eastern Wu (229–280), in the Three Kingdoms period (220–280), in China.

Du Qiong, courtesy name Boyu, was an official, astronomer and diviner of the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period of China.

Puyang Xing, courtesy name Ziyuan, was a Chinese politician of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the eighth Imperial Chancellor of Eastern Wu.

Yang Xi, courtesy name Wenran, was an official of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He is best known for writing the Ji Han Fuchen Zan, a collection of praises of notable persons who served in the Shu Han state. Chen Shou, the third-century historian who wrote the Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi), extensively quoted and annotated Yang Xi's collection.

Tao Huang, courtesy name Shiying, was a Chinese military general and politician in Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period and later for the Jin dynasty (266–420). Tao Huang was most notable for his administration of Jiaozhou for more than twenty years, during the Eastern Wu and Western Jin eras. He was also responsible for Wu's victory against Jin in Jiao between 268 and 271, one of the few major victories Wu had over Jin in the final years of the Three Kingdoms.

Shou Liang, courtesy name Wenshu, was an official and scholar of the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period of China. After the fall of Shu in 263, he continued serving under the Cao Wei state, then the succeeding Jin dynasty in 266.

References

  1. ↑ ([陳]祗字奉宗，汝南人，許靖兄之外孫也。少孤，長於靖家。) Sanguozhi, vol. 39.
  2. ↑ (弱冠知名，稍遷至選曹郎，矜厲有威容。多技藝，挾數術，) Sanguozhi, vol. 39.
  3. ↑ (費禕甚異之，故超繼允內侍。) Sanguozhi, vol. 39.
  4. ↑ (陳祗代允為侍中，與黃皓互相表裏，皓始預政事。) Sanguozhi, vol. 39.
  5. ↑ (自祗之有寵，後主追怨允日深，謂為自輕，由祗媚茲一人，皓搆閒浸潤故耳。) Sanguozhi, vol. 39.
  6. ↑ Sima (1084), vol. 75.
  7. ↑ (呂乂卒，祗又以侍中守尚書令，加鎮軍將軍，大將軍姜維雖班在祗上，常率衆在外，希親朝政。) Sanguozhi, vol. 39.
  8. ↑ (祗上承主指，下接閹豎，深見信愛，權重於維。) Sanguozhi, vol. 39.
  9. ↑ (景耀元年卒) Sanguozhi, vol. 39.
  10. ↑ (秋八月丙子，領中護軍陳祗卒。) Huayang Guo Zhi vol. 7.
  11. ↑ ([景耀二年]) Huayang Guo Zhi vol. 7.
  12. ↑ (景耀元年卒，後主痛惜，發言流涕，乃下詔曰：「祗統職一紀，柔嘉惟則，幹肅有章，和義利物，庶績允明。命不融遠，朕用悼焉。夫存有令問，則亡加美謚，謚曰忠侯。」) Sanguozhi, vol. 39.
  13. ↑ (祗死後，皓從黃門令為中常侍、奉車騎都尉，操弄威柄，終至覆國。) Sanguozhi, vol.39.
  14. ↑ Sima (1084), vol. 78.
  15. ↑ (賜子粲爵關內侯，拔次子裕為黃門侍郎。) Sanguozhi vol. 39.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.