Five Dynasties · Eunuch and Official

Zhang Chengye 張承業

Died AD 922

Passages
89
Chapters
6
Histories
3

Overview

The translated histories identify Zhang Chengye as a courtier, envoy, eunuch, and general. This record brings together 89 passages from 6 chapters across 3 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

TypeEnglishChinesePinyin
Personal Zhang Chengye 張承業 Zhang Chengye
Nickname Aye 阿業
Given Chengye 承業 Chengye
Given name Chengye 承業 Chengye
Title General of the Left Martial Guard 左武衛上將軍
Courtesy name Jiyuan 繼元 Jiyuan
Surname Kang 康 Kang
Nickname Seventh Elder Brother 七哥
Title Special Advancement 特進
Surname Zhang 張 Zhang
Personal name Zhang Chengye 張承業 Zhang Chengye
Posthumous name Zhengxian 正憲 Zhengxian
Posthumous name Zhenxian 貞憲 Zhenxian

Identity

Historicity
Historical
Identification
Named
Sex
Male

Roles

  • Courtier
  • Envoy
  • Eunuch
  • General
  • Military Officer
  • Named Individual
  • Official

Life and dates

Death

  • Manner: stopped eating · Place: Taiyuan / 太原 · Age: 77
    Explicit · xinwudaishi:038:s0051
  • Cause: illness / 疾 · Place: Jinyang residence / 晉陽之第 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 十九年十一月二日 · Western Year: AD 922
    Explicit · jiuwudaishi:072:s0079

Age

Attested activity

  • Source Date: Text: 天祐五年 · Regnal Year: 5 · Western Year: AD 908
    Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:050:s0086
  • Source Date: Text: 不食而卒 · Western Year: AD 922
    Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:038:s0051, xinwudaishi:038:s0087
  • Western Interval: Start: AD 908 · End: AD 922 · Source Date: Text: 元豹歸晉陽，張承業信重之，言事數中。
    Explicit · jiuwudaishi:071:s0180
  • Source Date: Text: 光啟中 · Western Interval: Start: AD 885 · End: AD 888
    Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:072:s0003
  • Source Date: Text: 十九年十一月二日 · Western Year: AD 922
    Explicit · jiuwudaishi:072:s0079
  • Source Date: Text: 十八年 · Western Year: AD 921
    Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:072:s0063
  • Source Date: Text: 十四年 · Western Year: AD 917
    Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:072:s0057
  • Source Date: Text: 同光元年 · Western Year: AD 923
    Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:038:s0052
  • Source Date: Text: 同光初 · Western Year: AD 923
    Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:072:s0081
  • Source Date: Text: 咸通中 · Western Interval: Start: AD 860 · End: AD 874
    Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:072:s0002
  • Source Date: Text: 唐僖宗時 · Western Interval: Start: AD 873 · End: AD 888
    Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:038:s0006
  • Source Date: Text: 天祐十八年 · Western Year: AD 921
    Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:038:s0039, xinwudaishi:038:s0040
  • Source Date: Text: 崔胤誅宦官 · Western Year: AD 903
    Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:038:s0010, xinwudaishi:038:s0011
  • Source Date: Text: 後唐莊宗 · Western Interval: Start: AD 923 · End: AD 926
    Explicit · jinshi:131:s0015
  • Source Date: Text: 昭宗崩 · Western Year: AD 904
    Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:038:s0012
  • Source Date: Text: 晉王兵擊王行瑜 · Western Year: AD 895
    Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:038:s0008
  • Source Date: Text: 晉王病且革 · Western Year: AD 908
    Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:038:s0013
  • Western Interval: Start: AD 908 · End: AD 922 · Source Date: Text: 監軍張承業，本朝舊人，權貴任事，人士脅肩低首候之。
    Explicit · jiuwudaishi:071:s0012
  • Source Date: Text: 莊宗在魏，與梁戰河上十餘年 · Western Interval: Start: AD 912 · End: AD 923
    Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:038:s0015
  • Source Date: Text: 貞明元年 · Western Year: AD 915
    Explicit · xinwudaishi:044:s0069

Family

Immediate source-linked family. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select a person to open their record.

  • Child of Zhang Tai (張泰)
    Kinship Term: adopted son / 假子 · Parentage: adoptive · Subject Role: adopted-son · Object Role: adoptive-father
    Kinship Term: adopted son / 養子 · Parentage: adoptive · Subject Role: adoptive-father · Object Role: adoptive-son
    Kinship Term: took as adopted son / 畜為假子 · Parentage: adoptive · Subject Role: adoptive-father · Object Role: adopted-son
  • Child of Mother of Zhang Chengye (張承業母)
    Kinship Term: mother / 母 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: mother
    Kinship Term: mother / 母 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: mother · Object Role: son

Career and standing

  • Label: eunuch / 宦者
    Explicit · xinwudaishi:038:s0006
  • Label: Hedong army supervisor / 河東監軍 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 三年 · Western Year: AD 896
    Explicit · jiuwudaishi:072:s0005
  • Label: in charge of military affairs at Heyang / 主郃陽軍事 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 光啟中 · Western Interval: Start: AD 885 · End: AD 888
    Explicit · jiuwudaishi:072:s0003
  • Label: inner palace attendant / 內供奉 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 光啟中 · Western Interval: Start: AD 885 · End: AD 888
    Explicit · jiuwudaishi:072:s0003
  • Label: Commissioner of the Wine Monopoly / 酒坊使 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 武皇之討王行瑜…賊平 · Western Year: AD 895
    Explicit · jiuwudaishi:072:s0004
  • Label: Hedong army supervisor / 河東監軍 · Action: appointed
    Explicit · xinwudaishi:038:s0009
  • Label: entrusted with all military and civil affairs at Taiyuan / 太原軍國政事，一委承業 · Action: held · Place: Taiyuan / 太原 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 莊宗在魏州垂十年 · Western Interval: Start: AD 912 · End: AD 921
    Explicit · jiuwudaishi:072:s0032
  • Label: Military inspector / 監軍 · Action: held
    Explicit · xinwudaishi:044:s0069
  • Label: General-in-Chief of the Left Guard / 左衛上將軍 · Action: offered · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 十四年 · Western Year: AD 917
    Explicit · jiuwudaishi:072:s0057
  • Label: Grand Preceptor with ceremonials equal to the Three Dukes / 開府儀同三司 · Action: offered · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 十四年 · Western Year: AD 917
    Explicit · jiuwudaishi:072:s0057
  • Label: General of the Left Gate Guard / 左監門衛將軍 · Action: promoted · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 昭宗幸華州 · Western Year: AD 896
    Explicit · jiuwudaishi:072:s0006
  • Label: army supervisor / 監軍 · Action: restored
    Explicit · xinwudaishi:038:s0012
  • Label: original Tang title only / 本朝舊官 · Action: retained · Negated: false
    Explicit · jiuwudaishi:072:s0020
  • Label: posthumous General-in-Chief of the Left Martial Guard / 贈左武衛上將軍 · Action: posthumously-granted · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 同光初 · Western Year: AD 923
    Explicit · jiuwudaishi:072:s0081
  • Label: General of the Left Martial Guard / 左武衛上將軍 · Action: posthumously-granted
    Explicit · xinwudaishi:038:s0052
  • Title: Duke of Yan / 燕國公 · Action: offered · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 十四年 · Western Year: AD 917
    Explicit · jiuwudaishi:072:s0057
  • Title: Zhengxian / 正憲 · Action: posthumously-granted
    Explicit · xinwudaishi:038:s0052
  • Status: in-hiding · Action: entered
    Explicit · xinwudaishi:038:s0011
  • Status: eunuch · Action: held
    Explicit · xinwudaishi:038:s0006, xinwudaishi:038:s0007
  • Status: granted-purple-robe · Action: received · Label: purple robe / 賜紫 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 光啟中 · Western Interval: Start: AD 885 · End: AD 888
    Explicit · jiuwudaishi:072:s0003

Places and affiliations

Works and attributed material

Events and relationships

Assessments and attributes

Source notes

  • Field: death-manner · Statement: Alternate account: returned to Taiyuan and died by fasting rather than of illness on 十九年十一月二日 · Provenance: Mode: named-source-report · Source Work: Lost Writings on the History of the Five Dynasties / 五代史闕文
    Textual variant · jiuwudaishi:072:s0089
  • Statement: Managed stores of grain and gold, mustered troops, urged farming; chief merit in Zhuangzong rise
    Explicit · xinwudaishi:038:s0016
  • Statement: Original surname Kang; castrated in youth
    Explicit · xinwudaishi:038:s0007
  • From: Kang / 康 · To: Zhang / 張 · Reason: adoption by Zhang Tai
    Explicit · jiuwudaishi:072:s0001, jiuwudaishi:072:s0002
  • From: Kang / 康 · To: Zhang / 張 · Reason: adoption
    Explicit · xinwudaishi:038:s0007

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

History of Jin, Chapter 131Volume 131 Biographies 69: Huan Zhe, Liang Chong, Song Gui, Pan Shouheng, Fang Ji, Liu Wansu, Zhang Congzheng, Li Qingsi, Ji Tianxi, Zhang Yuansu, Ma Guizhong, Wu Zhen Son: Kang, Li Mao, Hu Dexin · 1 passage
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Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 50Volume 50 Book of Later Tang 26: Biographies 2: Imperial Family · 4 passages
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Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 71Volume 71 Book of Later Tang 47: Biographies 23: Ma Yu, Si Kongting, Cao Tingyin, Xiao Xifu, Yao Zongzhi, Jia Fu, Ma Gao, Luo Guan, Chun Yuyan, Zhang Ge, Xu Ji, Zhou Xuanbao · 6 passages
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Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 72Volume 72 Book of Later Tang 48: Biographies 24: Zhang Chengye, Zhang Juhan, Ma Shaohong, Meng Hangqiong · 45 passages
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時貞簡太后，韓德妃、伊淑妃、諸宅王之貴，洎王之介弟在晉陽宮，或不以其道幹於承業，悉不聽，逾法禁者必懲，由是貴戚斂手，民俗丕變。 At that time the Empress Dowager Zhenjian, the consorts Han Defei and Yi Shufei, the household princes, and the king's younger brothers at the Jinyang palace — some tried to influence Chengye by improper means, but he refused them all and punished anyone who broke the law. The imperial kin held back, and popular customs changed greatly.
莊宗歲時還晉陽宮省太后，須錢蒱博、給伶官，嘗置酒於泉府，莊宗酣飲，命興聖宮使李繼岌為承業起舞，既竟，承業出寶帶幣馬奉之。 Each year when Zhuangzong returned to the Jinyang palace to visit the empress dowager, he needed money for gambling and to pay the entertainers. Once he held a feast at the treasury. Zhuangzong drank heavily and ordered Li Jiya, commissioner of the Xingsheng Palace, to dance for Chengye. When the dance was done, Chengye presented a precious belt, coins, and a horse as gifts.
〈（《通鑒考異》引秦再思《洛中記異》云：承業諫帝曰：「大王何不待誅克梁孽，更平吳、蜀，俾天下一家，且先求唐氏子孫立之，後更以天下讓有功者，何人輒敢當之！ (The 《Examination of Discrepancies in the Zizhi Tongjian》 cites Qin Zaisi's 《Records of Strange Events in Luoyang》: Chengye remonstrated with the emperor, saying, "Why does Your Highness not wait until the Liang rebels are destroyed and Wu and Shu are pacified, so that the realm becomes one family? First find a descendant of the Tang house and install him, then later yield the realm to the man of merit — who would dare take it!
〈（《五代史闕文》：莊宗將即位於魏州，承業自太原至，謂莊宗曰：「吾王世奉唐家，最為忠孝，自貞觀以來，王室有難，未嘗不從。 From the 《Lost Writings on the History of the Five Dynasties》: When Zhuangzong was about to take the throne at Weizhou, Chengye came from Taiyuan and said to Zhuangzong, "Our princely house has served the Tang with utmost loyalty and filial piety. Since the Zhenguan era, whenever the royal house faced crisis, we have never failed to respond.
New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 38Volume 38 Biographies 18: Zhang Chengye, Zhang Juhan · 31 passages
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莊宗乃置酒庫中，酒酣，使子繼岌為承業起舞，舞罷，承業出寶帶、幣、馬為贈，莊宗指錢積呼繼岌小字以語承業曰：「和哥乏錢，可與錢一積，何用帶、馬為也？」 Zhuangzong held a banquet in the vault. Wine deep, he made his son Jiji dance for Chengye; when the boy finished, Chengye offered a jeweled belt, silks, and a horse. Zhuangzong pointed at the coin stacks and, calling Jiji by his pet name, said to Chengye: “Hege needs money—give him that whole pile. Why offer belt and horse?”
New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 44Volume 44 Miscellaneous Biographies 24: Liu Zhijun, Ding Hui, He Delun, Yan Bao, Kang Yanxiao · 2 passages
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