Qin and Han · marquis of Fuping and favorite of Emperor Cheng

Zhang Fang 張放

Attested BC 33 - BC 7

Passages: 35
Chapters: 4
Histories: 2

Overview

Zhang Fang was a marquis of Fuping and favorite of Emperor Cheng.

Life and dates

Death

Cause Grief after Emperor Cheng's death
Directly stated · Book of Han 69, passage 182

Attested activity

BC 22 to BC 7 大將軍薨後
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 117, passage 41
BC 17 張放
Directly stated · Book of Han 69, passage 154
BC 33 to BC 7 成帝時
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 117, passages 55, 57, 64
BC 33 to BC 7 成帝時
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 40, passage 3
BC 33 to BC 7 放子純嗣侯
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 69, passage 190

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Grandfather of Zhang Chun (張純之祖父)
father 父 · paternal line
Strongly inferred · Book of Later Han 40, passage 2
Parent of Zhang Chun (張純)
son 子
father 父 · paternal line
father 父
Directly stated · Book of Han 69, passages 189-190; Book of Later Han 40, passage 3
Child of Zhang Lin (張臨)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Han 69, passages 154-155
Child of Princess Jingwu (敬武公主)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Han 69, passages 156, 177
Spouse of Daughter of Xu Jia (許嘉女)
wife 妻
Directly stated · Book of Han 69, passage 157
Descendant of Zhang Anshi (張安世)
paternal line
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 69, passage 190

Key source chapters

Book of Han, Chapter 69 Volume 59: Zhang Tang 24 passages
Book of Later Han, Chapter 40 Volume 35: Biographies of Zhang, Cao, Zheng 1 passage
Book of Han, Chapter 117 Volume 100a: Afterword and Family History 1 6 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 105 Volume 93: Flatterers 4 passages

Career and standing

frontier commandant 邊都尉
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Han 117, passage 57
attendant-in-chief 侍中
BC 33 to BC 7 成帝 · Held
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 40, passage 3
Titles palace attendant, grand coachman · Rank middle two thousand piculs
Directly stated · Book of Han 69, passage 180
commandant of Hedong
Source Text 何東都尉
Textual variant · Book of Han 69, passage 178
commandant of Beidi
Directly stated · Book of Han 69, passage 173
commandant of the Tianshui dependent state
Directly stated · Book of Han 69, passage 175

Show 5 more source-backed claims

Titles palace attendant, general of the household gentlemen
Directly stated · Book of Han 69, passage 159
Marquis of Fuping 富平侯
Held
Directly stated · Book of Han 117, passages 41, 55
marquis 侯
Held
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 69, passage 190
marquis of Fuping
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 163
Memorialized for crimes
Accused
Directly stated · Book of Han 117, passage 57

Places and affiliations

Han 漢
Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 69, passage 190
Polity Western Han 西漢 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 117, passage 57
At Fuping 富平 · Relation Enfeoffed at
Directly stated · Book of Han 117, passage 55

Events and relationships

Enjoyed imperial intimacy
Court · Favorite
Directly stated · Book of Han 117, passages 41-42
Left displeased
Court · Guest
Directly stated · Book of Han 117, passage 52
Ordered to fief
Political · Subject · At Fuping estate 國
Directly stated · Book of Han 117, passage 55
Recalled then finally sent to fief
Political · Subject
Directly stated · Book of Han 117, passages 58, 64
Wept to death
Death · Subject · With Emperor Cheng (成帝)
Directly stated · Book of Han 69, passage 182

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Book of Han 117, passage 75; Book of Later Han 40, passage 2

References in the histories

Search passages

History

35 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 69Volume 59: Zhang Tang · 24 passages

薨，子放嗣。 When he died, his son Zhang Fang succeeded him.

臨子放 Lin's son: Zhang Fang.

鴻嘉中，上欲遵武帝故事，與近臣游宴，放以公主子開敏得幸。 During the Hongjia era Emperor Cheng wished to revive Emperor Wu's habit of informal outings and banquets with his inner circle. Zhang Fang, as the princess's son—quick-witted and polished—won exceptional favor.

放取皇后弟平恩侯許嘉女，上為放供張，賜甲第，充以乘輿服飾，號為天子取婦，皇后嫁女。 Zhang Fang married the daughter of Xu Jia, the Marquis of Ping'en and younger brother of the empress. The emperor staged the wedding himself, granted a mansion of the first rank, and filled it with wardrobe and ornaments from the imperial workshops, so that courtiers quipped it was as if the Son of Heaven had taken a bride and the empress had given her daughter away.

放為侍中、中郎將，監平樂屯兵，置莫府，儀比將軍。 Zhang Fang held concurrent rank as palace attendant and general of the household gentlemen, commanded the encamped troops at Pingyue, maintained a full staff, and enjoyed ceremonial honors equal to a field general.

太后以上春秋富，動作不節，甚以過放。 She rebuked Zhang Fang harshly, saying the emperor was still young and his conduct at court and abroad lacked restraint.

時數有災異，議者歸咎放等。 Omens and disasters multiplied at the time, and memorialists laid the blame at the door of Zhang Fang and his like.

於是丞相宣、御史大夫方進奏：「放驕蹇縱恣，奢淫不制。 Chancellor Xuan and Imperial Counselor Zhu Fangjin therefore submitted a joint memorial: "Zhang Fang is insolent, overbearing, and utterly without self-control—profligate and debauched beyond measure.

前侍御史修等四人奉使至放家逐名捕賊，時放見在，奴從者閉門設兵弩射吏，距使者不肯內。 When four attendant censors led by Xiu were sent to his house to arrest wanted men by name, Zhang Fang was at home. His slaves barred the gates, strung crossbows, and fired on the officers, defying the imperial messengers and refusing them entry.

奔自髡鉗，衣赭衣，及守令史調等皆徒跣叩頭謝放，放乃止。 The chief clerk's son Ben shaved his head and donned the convict's iron collar and red robe in token of submission, while the yeoman Diao and the other clerks went barefoot to Zhang Fang's gate to kowtow in apology—only then did he call off his men.

奴從者支屬並乘權勢為暴虐，至求吏妻不得，殺其夫，或恚一人，妄殺其親屬，輒亡人放弟，不得，幸得勿治。 His slaves and their hangers-on traded on his power: they murdered a magistrate whose wife they could not take, slaughtered the kin of anyone who offended them, then took refuge inside Zhang Fang's compound. When the authorities could not lay hands on them, they often walked away unpunished.

放行輕薄，連犯大惡，有感動陰陽之咎，為臣不忠首，罪名雖顯，前蒙恩。 Zhang Fang's conduct was reckless and he piled up grave crimes, enough to disturb the balance of nature. He stood first among disloyal ministers. His guilt was obvious, yet he had long enjoyed imperial indulgence.

臣請免放歸國，以銷眾邪之萌，厭海內之心。」 We beg that Zhang Fang be stripped of office and sent to his fief, to nip this evil in the bud and give the empire what it wants to hear."

上不得已，左遷放為北地都尉。 The emperor, unable to refuse outright, relegated Zhang Fang to commandant of Beidi.

太后以放為言，出放為天水屬國都尉。 At the empress dowager's insistence he was transferred out again, this time as commandant of the Tianshui dependent state.

永始、元延間，比年日蝕，故久不還放，璽書勞問不絕。 During the Yongshi and Yuanyan reign periods eclipses came year after year, so the emperor kept Zhang Fang away from the capital for a long stretch, though edicts of inquiry and reassurance followed him without cease.

居歲餘，徵放歸第視母公主疾。 After more than a year abroad he was allowed home to his mansion to nurse his mother, the princess, in her illness.

數月，主有瘳，出放為何東都尉。 When she had recovered several months later, he posted Zhang Fang as commandant of Hedong.

上雖愛放，然上迫太后，下用大臣，故常涕泣而遣之。 The emperor still loved Zhang Fang, but he could not withstand pressure from the empress dowager above and his ministers below, and more than once he dismissed him with tears in his eyes.

後復徵放為侍中光祿大夫，秩中二千石。 Later he recalled Zhang Fang to serve as palace attendant and grand coachman at the middle rank of two thousand piculs.

歲餘，丞相方進復奏放，上不得已，免放，賜錢五百萬，遣就國。 A year later Chancellor Zhu Fangjin renewed the attack. The emperor had no choice but to dismiss Zhang Fang, grant him five million cash, and order him to his fief.

數月，成帝崩，放思慕哭泣而死。 A few months later Emperor Cheng died. Zhang Fang grieved so deeply that he wept himself to death.

放子純 Zhang Fang's son: Zhang Chun.

放子純嗣侯，恭儉自修，明習漢家制度故事，有敬侯遺風。 Zhang Chun, Zhang Fang's son, succeeded to the marquisate. He was modest, frugal, and self-disciplined, thoroughly versed in Han institutions and precedent, and carried something of the old Marquis Jing's manner.

Book of Han, Chapter 105Volume 93: Flatterers · 4 passages

孝成時士人則張放、淳于長； under Emperor Cheng, Zhang Fang and Chunyu Chang;

附：張放 Appendix: Zhang Fang

始，長以外親親近，其愛幸不及富平侯張放。 Even at his height, Chang's intimacy never matched that of Zhang Fang, marquis of Fuping.

放常與上臥起，俱為微行出入。 Zhang Fang shared the emperor's bedchamber and roamed the city incognito at his side.

Book of Han, Chapter 117Volume 100a: Afterword and Family History 1 · 6 passages

自大將軍薨後，富平、定陵侯張放、淳于長等始愛幸，出為微行，行則同輿執轡； Once Wang Feng was gone, favorites such as Marquis Zhang Fang of Fuping and Marquis Chunyu Chang of Dingling won the emperor's intimacy: on town trips they slipped out in disguise, and on the road they shared his chariot and took the reins.

放等不懌，稍自引起更衣，因罷出。 Zhang Fang and his set scowled, excused themselves to change robes, and drifted out until the party collapsed.

宜遣富平侯且就國。」 She insisted that Marquis Zhang Fang of Fuping be ordered back to his estate for the time being."

車騎將軍王音聞之，以風丞相御史奏富平侯罪過，上乃出放為邊都尉。 When General of Chariots and Cavalry Wang Yin heard of this, he prompted the chancellor and the imperial counselor to memorialize the crimes of the Marquis of Fuping, Zhang Fang, and the emperor sent Fang out as a commandant on the frontier.

後復徵入，太后與上書曰：「前所道尚未效，富平侯反復來，其能默虖？」 Later, when he was summoned back again, the Empress Dowager wrote to the emperor, saying, "What I spoke of before has still not taken effect, and now the Marquis of Fuping has come back again. How can I remain silent?"

丞相方進復奏，富平侯竟就國。 After another memorial from Chancellor Fangjin, Zhang Fang finally went to his estate for good.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 40Volume 35: Biographies of Zhang, Cao, Zheng · 1 passage

父放，為成帝侍中。 His father Zhang Fang had been attendant-in-chief under Emperor Cheng.