Zhang Jing (simplified: 张靖, traditional: 張靖, pinyin: Zhāng Jìng) was the son of Zhang Hong (張紘, courtesy name Zigang 子綱), one of the most important early advisors to Sun Ce and Sun Quan. Zhang Jing is known primarily for a single but significant act: after his father died on the journey back to Wu to fetch his family, Zhang Jing delivered Zhang Hong’s deathbed letter to Sun Quan. The letter contained Zhang Hong’s final advice to the young ruler, urging him to recruit talented officials, accept criticism, and endure hardship to achieve greatness. Sun Quan was moved to tears upon reading it.
Biography
Family background
Zhang Jing was born into a prominent family with roots in Guangling (廣陵), in present-day Jiangsu Province. His father Zhang Hong was one of the founding strategists of the Sun regime in Jiangdong. Zhang Hong had been an old friend of Sun Jian and, after Sun Jian’s death, became a key advisor to Sun Ce, helping to plan the conquest of the Jiangdong region. When Sun Ce died and Sun Quan took power, Zhang Hong continued to serve as a senior advisor.
Zhang Jing had at least one brother, Zhang Xuan (張玄), who was known in the sources for his filial piety. When Zhang Hong died, Zhang Xuan was the one who mourned him with such intensity that he nearly died of grief. The Zhang family was noted for its education and refinement, reflecting the broader cultural traditions of the Jiangdong gentry.
The death of Zhang Hong (200 CE)
In 199 CE, Sun Ce sent Zhang Hong back to the Han capital to serve as a representative of the Sun regime. Sun Ce hoped that Zhang Hong could use his influence at court to secure official recognition and titles for the Sun family’s holdings in Jiangdong. The Han government, still nominally under Emperor Xian’s authority (though in practice controlled by Cao Cao), appointed Zhang Hong as Administrator of Kuaiji.
Zhang Hong accepted the appointment but requested permission to return to Wu to fetch his family before taking up the post. This request was granted. However, on the journey back from the capital, Zhang Hong fell ill and died in 200 CE at the age of sixty-one.
Before his death, Zhang Hong wrote a letter to Sun Quan. This was a significant moment: Sun Ce had died earlier in the same year (200 CE), and Sun Quan, at eighteen years old, had just succeeded to leadership of the Jiangdong territories. Zhang Hong’s letter was one of the last pieces of advice from the older generation of advisors to the new young ruler.
Delivery of the letter
According to the Sanguozhi, Zhang Hong entrusted the letter to his son Zhang Jing before he died. Zhang Jing then travelled to Wu and presented the letter to Sun Quan. The contents of the letter, as preserved in the Sanguozhi, were as follows:
“From the time you first established yourself in Jiangdong, I have observed that you have been successful in consolidating the region and that the people are at peace. Now that the great enterprise has been initiated, I hope you will give thought to the following:
Seek out men of talent and ability; do not be content with those who merely flatter you. Accept remonstrance and criticism; do not shut yourself away from honest advice. Bear disgrace and hide your edge; endure hardship and suppress your ambitions. When these things are accomplished, the great work can be completed.
If you do these things, then the foundations you have established will become the basis for the imperial enterprise. If you fail in them, then everything will be for nothing. I lay down my brush with these words, and my heart is heavy.”
The letter combined practical political advice with a warning about the dangers of arrogance and impatience. Zhang Hong recognised that the young Sun Quan was talented but perhaps lacked the experience and tempering that comes with age and hardship. The phrase “bear disgrace and hide your edge” (忍辱含垢) was particularly significant—it counselled patience and strategic forbearance rather than bold, reckless action.
Sun Quan read the letter and wept. The death of Zhang Hong was a significant blow to the Wu regime, as he was one of the most experienced and respected advisors in Sun Quan’s court. The letter itself became a touchstone for Sun Quan’s later governance, and Zhang Hong’s advice was remembered and cited by Wu officials in subsequent years.
Later life
The historical sources do not record any further details of Zhang Jing’s life after he delivered his father’s letter. Unlike his brother Zhang Xuan, who is mentioned in the sources for his filial conduct, Zhang Jing appears only in connection with this single event. It is possible that he lived a quiet life as a member of the Jiangdong gentry, or that he held some minor office that was not deemed worthy of mention in the historical records.
The absence of further information about Zhang Jing is typical for figures of his era whose primary significance lay in their family connections rather than their individual achievements. The Sanguozhi and other contemporary sources focus primarily on major political and military figures, and many individuals who played minor but meaningful roles are mentioned only briefly.
Family
Zhang Hong (father)
Zhang Hong (張紘, 153–200 CE), courtesy name Zigang (子綱), was one of the founding figures of the Sun regime. He served as a key advisor to Sun Ce during the conquest of Jiangdong and continued to advise Sun Quan after Sun Ce’s death. His expertise in governance and diplomacy was invaluable to the Sun family’s consolidation of power in the south. Zhang Hong was from Guangling and was known as a scholar and calligrapher as well as a political advisor. His biography appears in the Sanguozhi, where he is grouped with other early Wu advisors.
Zhang Xuan (brother)
Zhang Xuan (張玄) was Zhang Jing’s brother. He is mentioned in the Sanguozhi for his extraordinary display of filial piety after his father’s death. When Zhang Hong died, Zhang Xuan mourned so intensely that he became ill and nearly died. His conduct was cited as an example of the Confucian virtue of filial piety and earned him respect in Wu society.
Zhang Shang (nephew)
Zhang Shang (張尚) was the son of Zhang Xuan and therefore Zhang Jing’s nephew. He served as an official under Sun Hao, the last emperor of Wu. His career is mentioned briefly in the historical sources, continuing the Zhang family’s tradition of public service.
See also
References
- Chen Shou. Sanguozhi (三国志), ‘Zhang Hong biography’ (張紘傳). 3rd century.
- de Crespigny, Rafe. A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms. Leiden: Brill, 2007.