Qin and Han · Official and Judge

Zhang Shizhi 張釋之

Died BC 157

Passages: 81
Chapters: 5
Histories: 3

Overview

The translated histories identify Zhang Shizhi as an administrator, courtier, judge, and official. This record brings together 81 passages from 5 chapters across 3 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Zhang Shizhi	張釋之	Zhang Shizhi
Title	Commandant of Justice	廷尉
Title	Commandant Zhang	張廷尉
Courtesy	Ji	季	Ji
Given	Shizhi	釋之	Shizhi
Surname	Zhang	張	Zhang
Personal name	Zhang Shizhi	張釋之	Zhāng Shìzhī
Personal	Zhang Shizhi	張釋之	Zhāng Shìzhī
Personal name	Zhang Shizhi	張釋之	Zhang Shizhi

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · hanshu:059:s0003, shiji:102:s0001
Sex: male
Explicit · hanshu:059:s0278, hanshu:082:s0100, xintangshu:113:s0228

Roles

Administrator
Courtier
Judge
Official
Statesman

Life and dates

Death

Date Context: Source Date: Text: 久之，釋之卒 · Western Interval: Start: BC 157 · End: BC 141
Explicit · shiji:102:s0082
Manner: illness in old age
Explicit · hanshu:059:s0082

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: BC 180-140 · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 140
Strongly inferred · xintangshu:113:s0228
Source Date: Text: 事孝文帝 · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 157
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:102:s0003
Source Date: Text: 孝文時 · Western Year: BC 170
Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:025:s0345
Source Date: Text: 張釋之之守法 · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 141
Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:059:s0278
Source Date: Text: 文帝 · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 157
Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:059:s0004
Source Date: Text: 文帝時 · Western Year: BC 177
Explicit · hanshu:082:s0100
Source Date: Text: 景帝 · Western Interval: Start: BC 157 · End: BC 141
Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:059:s0070, hanshu:059:s0081
Source Date: Text: 景帝立 · Western Interval: Start: BC 157 · End: BC 141
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:102:s0070, shiji:102:s0081

Family

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

Sibling of Zhong (仲)
Kinship Term: elder brother / 兄 · Subject Relative Age: elder · Shared Parentage: full · Subject Role: elder-brother · Object Role: younger-brother
Sibling of Zhong (仲)
Kinship Term: elder brother / 兄 · Subject Relative Age: elder · Shared Parentage: full
Parent of Zhang Zhi (張摯)
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father

Career and standing

Label: Commandant of Justice / 廷尉 · Action: appointed · Authority Person Id: Emperor Wen of Han (孝文)
Explicit · hanshu:025:s0345
Label: mounted attendant / 騎郎 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 事孝文帝 · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 157
Explicit · shiji:102:s0003
Label: usher / 謁者 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 事孝文帝 · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 157
Explicit · shiji:102:s0006
Label: Chief Usher / 謁者仆射 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 文帝 · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 157
Explicit · shiji:102:s0010
Label: Colonel of the Guard / 中郎將 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 文帝 · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 157
Explicit · shiji:102:s0036
Label: Commandant of Justice / 廷尉 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 文帝 · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 157
Explicit · shiji:102:s0045
Label: Commandant of the Imperial Carriages / 公車令 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 文帝 · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 157
Explicit · shiji:102:s0030
Label: Palace Counselor / 中大夫 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 文帝 · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 157
Explicit · shiji:102:s0035
Label: Chancellor to the King of Huainan / 淮南王相 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 景帝 · Western Interval: Start: BC 157 · End: BC 141
Explicit · shiji:102:s0081
Label: chancellor of Huainan / 淮南相 · Action: appointed
Explicit · hanshu:059:s0081
Label: chief usher / 謁者僕射 · Action: appointed
Explicit · hanshu:059:s0011
Label: commandant of justice / 廷尉 · Action: appointed
Explicit · hanshu:059:s0045
Label: general of the gentlemen-at-arms / 中郎將 · Action: appointed
Explicit · hanshu:059:s0036
Label: grand counsellor of the palace / 中大夫 · Action: appointed
Explicit · hanshu:059:s0035
Label: marshal of the imperial carriage / 公車令 · Action: appointed
Explicit · hanshu:059:s0030
Label: mounted attendant / 騎郎 · Action: appointed
Explicit · hanshu:059:s0004
Label: usher / 謁者 · Action: appointed
Explicit · hanshu:059:s0007
Office: Commandant of Justice / 廷尉 · Action: held
Explicit · hanshu:082:s0100
Status: purchased-office · Action: entered
Explicit · shiji:102:s0003

Places and affiliations

Polity: Han · Relation: official-of
Explicit · hanshu:082:s0100
Polity: Han / 漢 · Relation: served
Explicit · shiji:102:s0003
Polity: Western Han / 漢 · Relation: served
Explicit · hanshu:059:s0004
Place: Duyang in Nanyang / 南陽堵陽
Explicit · hanshu:059:s0003
Place: Duyang / 堵陽
Explicit · shiji:102:s0001

Learning and skills

Skill: legal judgment / 持議平 · Level: renowned
Explicit · shiji:102:s0068, shiji:102:s0069

Works and attributed material

Kind: memorial · Role: author · Other Person Id: Emperor Wen (文帝)
Explicit · hanshu:059:s0051
Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: Emperor Wen of Han (漢文)
Explicit · shiji:102:s0004, shiji:102:s0017, shiji:102:s0019, shiji:102:s0021, shiji:102:s0022, shiji:102:s0023, shiji:102:s0024, shiji:102:s0025, shiji:102:s0042, shiji:102:s0043, shiji:102:s0054, shiji:102:s0055, shiji:102:s0056, shiji:102:s0057, shiji:102:s0058, shiji:102:s0064, shiji:102:s0065, shiji:102:s0066
Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: Emperor Wen (文帝)
Explicit · hanshu:059:s0005, hanshu:059:s0017, hanshu:059:s0019, hanshu:059:s0021, hanshu:059:s0022, hanshu:059:s0023, hanshu:059:s0024, hanshu:059:s0025, hanshu:059:s0042, hanshu:059:s0043, hanshu:059:s0054, hanshu:059:s0055, hanshu:059:s0056, hanshu:059:s0057, hanshu:059:s0058, hanshu:059:s0064, hanshu:059:s0065, hanshu:059:s0066

Events and relationships

Kind: political · Role: advisor · Action: advised-against-promoting-bailiff · Other Person Id: Emperor Wen of Han (漢文) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 文帝 · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 157
Explicit · shiji:102:s0017, shiji:102:s0021, shiji:102:s0024, shiji:102:s0027
Kind: political · Role: supplicant · Action: apologized-to-emperor · Other Person Id: Emperor Xiaojing (孝景皇帝) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 景帝立 · Western Interval: Start: BC 157 · End: BC 141
Explicit · shiji:102:s0073
Kind: appraisal · Role: exemplar · Action: cited in chapter appraisal for guarding the law
Explicit · hanshu:059:s0278
Kind: legal · Role: judge · Action: fined-man-for-startling-carriage · Other Person Id: Emperor Wen of Han (漢文) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 文帝 · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 157
Explicit · shiji:102:s0046, shiji:102:s0048, shiji:102:s0051, shiji:102:s0059
Kind: political · Role: impeacher · Action: impeached-crown-prince-and-king-of-liang · Other Person Ids: Emperor Xiaojing (孝景皇帝), King of Liang (梁王)
Explicit · hanshu:059:s0031, hanshu:059:s0032
Kind: legal · Role: prosecutor · Action: impeached-for-not-dismounting · Other Person Id: Emperor Xiaojing (孝景皇帝) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 文帝 · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 157
Explicit · shiji:102:s0031, shiji:102:s0032
Kind: court · Role: participant · Action: knelt-to-tie-leggings · Other Person Id: Wang Sheng (王生) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 景帝 · Western Interval: Start: BC 157 · End: BC 141
Explicit · shiji:102:s0075, shiji:102:s0076
Kind: legal · Role: judge · Action: sentenced-bridge-startler-to-fine
Explicit · hanshu:059:s0046, hanshu:059:s0047, hanshu:059:s0048, hanshu:059:s0051, hanshu:059:s0059
Kind: legal · Role: judge · Action: sentenced-temple-thief-to-marketplace-execution
Explicit · hanshu:059:s0060, hanshu:059:s0061, hanshu:059:s0067
Kind: legal · Role: judge · Action: sentenced-temple-thief-to-public-execution · Other Person Id: Emperor Wen of Han (漢文) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 文帝 · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 157
Explicit · shiji:102:s0061, shiji:102:s0062, shiji:102:s0067
Kind: political · Role: appointee · Action: transferred-to-usher · Other Person Id: Yuan Ang (袁盎) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 文帝 · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 157
Explicit · shiji:102:s0006
Relation: friend-of · Person Id: Zhou Yafu (周亞夫)
Explicit · hanshu:059:s0068
Relation: friend-of · Person Id: Wang Tianqi (王恬啟)
Explicit · hanshu:059:s0068

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: empire-wide-praise-for-impartiality · Provenance: Mode: narrative
Explicit · shiji:102:s0069
Assessment: fidelity in guarding the law · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · hanshu:059:s0278
Assessment: held opinions fairly; befriended by Zhou Yafu and Wang Tianqi · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · hanshu:059:s0068
Assessment: upheld-law-without-currying-favor · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment · Speaker Person Id: Sima Qian (太史公)
Explicit · shiji:102:s0134

Source notes

Statement: Shared household with elder brother Zhong; long service depleted Zhong's property
Explicit · shiji:102:s0002, shiji:102:s0004

References in the histories

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

Book of Han, Chapter 25Volume 23: Treatise on Punishment and Law · 1 passage

選張釋之為廷尉，罪疑者予民，是以刑罰大省，至於斷獄四百，有刑錯之風。 Zhang Shizhi was made commandant of justice; doubtful cases were referred to the people, punishments fell sharply, and capital judgments dropped to about four hundred a year—the era of punishments set aside.

Book of Han, Chapter 59Volume 50: Zhang, Feng, Ji and Zheng · 33 passages

卷五十張馮汲鄭傳第二十 Volume 50: The Biographies of Zhang, Feng, Ji, and Zheng (No. 20).

張釋之 Zhang Shizhi

張釋之字季，南陽堵陽人也。 Zhang Shizhi, whose courtesy name was Ji, came from Duyang in Nanyang.

釋之曰：「久宦減仲之產，不遂。」 Shizhi said, "My long service as an official has eaten away at Zhong's estate; nothing has come of it."

中郎將爰盎知其賢，惜其去，乃請徙釋之補謁者。 Yuan Ang, general of the gentlemen-at-arms, knew Shizhi was capable and hated to lose him, so he asked that Shizhi be reassigned to serve as an usher.

釋之既朝畢，因前言便宜事。 After court was dismissed, Shizhi stepped forward and spoke of policies that would benefit the state.

於是釋之言秦、漢之間事，秦所以失，漢所以興者。 Shizhi then traced events from Qin through to Han, explaining how Qin had lost the empire and how Han had gained it.

文帝稱善，拜釋之為謁者僕射。 The emperor approved, and Shizhi was appointed chief usher (pushe).

詔釋之拜嗇夫為上林令。 He told Shizhi to promote that overseer to superintendent of Shanglin.

釋之前曰：「陛下以絳侯周勃何如人也？」 Shizhi stepped forward: "Your Majesty, what manner of man do you take Marquis of Jiang Zhou Bo to be?"

釋之曰：「夫絳侯、東陽侯稱為長者，此兩人言事曾不能出口，豈效此嗇夫喋喋利口捷給哉！ Shizhi replied, "Those two are honored as elder statesmen, yet neither could get a sentence out when state business was discussed. Is Your Majesty to take this overseer, with his endless patter and glib tongue, as the model?

就車，召釋之驂乘，徐行，行問釋之秦之敝。 He got into his carriage, had Shizhi take the place beside the driver, and drove slowly, asking as they went what had gone wrong under the Qin.

具以質言。 Shizhi answered plainly and to the point.

至宮，上拜釋之為公車令。 Back at the palace the emperor appointed him marshal of the imperial carriage.

頃之，太子與梁王共車入朝，不下司馬門，於是釋之追止太子、梁王毋入殿門。 Soon after, the crown prince and the king of Liang rode together into the palace precincts without alighting at the Sima Gate; Shizhi overtook them and barred them from the inner hall until they complied.

文帝繇是奇釋之，拜為中大夫。 Emperor Wen was struck by Shizhi from that day on and promoted him to grand counsellor of the palace.

釋之前曰：「使其中有可欲，雖錮南山猶有隙； Shizhi stepped forward: "If there is anything inside worth stealing, sealing it with the whole Southern Range would still leave a crack;

其後，拜釋之為廷尉。 He later appointed Shizhi commandant of justice (tingwei).

釋之治問。 Shizhi examined him under the law.

釋之奏當：「此人犯蹕，當罰金。」 Shizhi reported the statutory sentence: "This man broke the law on clearing the way; the fine is in gold."

釋之曰：「法者，天子所與天下公共也。 Shizhi said, "The law is something Your Majesty holds in common with every subject.

案盜宗廟服御物者為奏，當棄市。 Shizhi judged theft of imperial ritual gear from the ancestral shrines and recommended execution in the marketplace.

釋之免冠頓首謝曰：「法如是足也。 Shizhi doffed his cap and kowtowed: "The law already prescribes the utmost for this offense.

是時，中尉條侯周亞夫與梁相山都侯王恬啟見釋之持議平，乃結為親友。 At the time Commandant Zhou Yafu of the Tiao marquisate and Wang Tianqi, marquis of Shandu and minister of Liang, saw how fairly Shizhi decided cases and became his close friends.

張廷尉繇此天下稱之。 From then on Commandant Zhang was honored across the empire.

文帝崩，景帝立，釋之恐，稱疾。 When Wen died and Jing succeeded, Shizhi grew fearful and pleaded illness.

王生老人，曰「吾襪解」，顧謂釋之：「為我結襪！」 Wang Sheng, an old man, said, "My leg bands have come loose," and turning to Shizhi said, "Tie my leg bands for me!"

釋之跪而結之，既已，人或讓王生：「獨奈何廷辱張廷尉如此？」 Shizhi knelt and fastened them. Afterwards someone scolded Wang Sheng: "Why humiliate Commandant Zhang like that in open court?"

王生曰：「吾老且賤，自度終亡益於張廷尉。 Wang Sheng said, "I am old and obscure; I will never advance Zhang's career by my own weight.

諸公聞之，賢王生而重釋之。 The nobles heard the story, admired Wang Sheng's tact, and respected Shizhi all the more.

釋之事景帝歲餘，為淮南相，猶尚以前過也。 After a little more than a year serving Jing, Shizhi was made chancellor of Huainan, still on account of the earlier offense.

上賢而釋之，遷為滎陽令。 The emperor judged him loyal, forgave the offense, and named him magistrate of Xingyang.

贊曰：張釋之之守法，馮唐之論將，汲黯之正直，鄭當時之推士，不如是，亦何以成名哉！ The historian's verdict: without Zhang Shizhi's fidelity to statute, Feng Tang's counsel on commanders, Ji An's blunt spine, and Zheng Zhuang's zeal for talent, none of them would be remembered.

Book of Han, Chapter 82Volume 71: Jun, Shu, Yu, Xue, Ping and Peng · 1 passage

朝廷稱之曰：「張釋之為廷尉，天下無冤民； The court said of him, "When Zhang Shizhi held the seal of the commandant of justice, no innocent man languished in prison;

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 102Biographies of Zhang Shizhi and Feng Tang · 42 passages

張廷尉釋之者，堵陽人也，字季。 Zhang Shizhi, the Commandant of Justice, was a native of Duyang. His courtesy name was Ji.

釋之曰：「久宦減仲之產，不遂。」 Shizhi said: "Long service in office has been depleting Zhong's property—I cannot make a success of this."

中郎將袁盎知其賢，惜其去，乃請徙釋之補謁者。 The Colonel of the Guard Yuan Ang recognized his talent and was reluctant to see him leave, so he petitioned to have Shizhi transferred to fill a vacancy as an usher.

釋之既朝畢，因前言便宜事。 After Shizhi completed his court duties, he stepped forward to speak on matters of practical governance.

於是釋之言秦漢之閒事，秦所以失而漢所以興者久之。 Shizhi then spoke at length about the transition from Qin to Han—why the Qin fell and why the Han rose.

文帝稱善，乃拜釋之為謁者仆射。 Emperor Wen praised his discourse and appointed him Chief Usher.

釋之從行，登虎圈。 Shizhi accompanied the emperor on an excursion and climbed up to the tiger enclosure.

乃詔釋之拜嗇夫為上林令。 The emperor then ordered Shizhi to appoint the bailiff as the Magistrate of Shanglin.

釋之久之前曰：「陛下以絳侯周勃何如人也？」 After reflecting for some time, Shizhi stepped forward and asked, "Your Majesty, what sort of man was Zhou Bo, the Marquis of Jiang?"

釋之曰：「夫絳侯、東陽侯稱為長者，此兩人言事曾不能出口，豈斅此嗇夫諜諜利口捷給哉！ Shizhi said, "The Marquis of Jiang and the Marquis of Dongyang are both called worthy men, yet when they discussed affairs they could scarcely get a word out. How could they be anything like this bailiff, with his glib and nimble tongue!

上就車，召釋之參乘，徐行，問釋之秦之敝。 The emperor mounted his carriage, summoned Shizhi to ride alongside as a companion, and proceeded slowly, asking Shizhi about the failings of the Qin.

具以質言。 Shizhi answered plainly and in full.

至宮，上拜釋之為公車令。 When they reached the palace, the emperor appointed Shizhi as the Commandant of the Imperial Carriages.

頃之，太子與梁王共車入朝，不下司馬門，於是釋之追止太子、梁王無得入殿門。 Soon afterward, the Crown Prince and the King of Liang rode together in one carriage to attend court, failing to dismount at the Marshal's Gate. Shizhi gave chase and barred them from entering the palace gates.

文帝由是奇釋之，拜為中大夫。 From this, Emperor Wen came to regard Shizhi as remarkable and appointed him Palace Counselor.

釋之前進曰：「使其中有可欲者，雖錮南山猶有郄； Shizhi stepped forward and said, "If there is anything inside worth coveting, then even sealing it with the southern mountains would still leave openings;

其後拜釋之為廷尉。 Afterward, he appointed Shizhi as the Commandant of Justice.

於是使騎捕，屬之廷尉。 The emperor ordered his cavalry to seize the man and handed the case over to the Commandant of Justice.

釋之治問。 Shizhi conducted the interrogation.

廷尉秦當，一人犯蹕，當罰金。 The Commandant of Justice submitted his judgment: the man had violated the imperial procession, and the proper penalty was a fine in gold.

而廷尉乃當之罰金！」 Yet the Commandant of Justice judges his penalty to be only a fine in gold!"

釋之曰：「法者天子所與天下公共也。 Shizhi said, "The law is something the Son of Heaven shares with all under heaven.

今既下廷尉，廷尉，天下之平也，一傾而天下用法皆為輕重，民安所措其手足？ Now that the case has been sent down to the Commandant of Justice, the Commandant of Justice serves as the standard of fairness for all under heaven. If that standard tilts even once, the application of law throughout the realm will become arbitrary in severity. Where, then, could the people place their hands and feet?

良久，上曰：「廷尉當是也。」 After a long while, the emperor said, "The Commandant of Justice has judged correctly."

其後有人盜高廟坐前玉環，捕得，文帝怒，下廷尉治。 Afterward, someone stole the jade ring from before the throne in the Temple of Gaozu. The thief was captured, and Emperor Wen, furious, referred the case to the Commandant of Justice.

釋之案律盜宗廟服御物者為奏，奏當棄市。 Shizhi consulted the law code: the penalty for stealing ritual objects from the ancestral temple was public execution. He submitted his memorial accordingly.

上大怒曰：「人之無道，乃盜先帝廟器，吾屬廷尉者，欲致之族，而君以法奏之，非吾所以共承宗廟意也。」 The emperor was furious and said, "This man is utterly without principle: he stole vessels from my late father's temple. I entrusted the case to the Commandant of Justice because I wanted his entire clan executed, yet you memorialize only according to the law. This is not how I intend to uphold the ancestral temples."

釋之免冠頓首謝曰：「法如是足也。 Shizhi removed his cap, bowed his head to the ground, and apologized, saying, "The law as it stands is already sufficient.

久之，文帝與太后言之，乃許廷尉當。 After a long while, Emperor Wen discussed the matter with the Empress Dowager and finally accepted the Commandant of Justice's ruling.

是時，中尉條侯周亞夫與梁相山都侯王恬開見釋之持議平，乃結為親友。 At this time, Zhou Yafu the Marquis of Tiao, who served as Colonel of the Guard, and Wang Tiankai the Marquis of Shandu, who served as Chancellor of Liang, observed that Shizhi deliberated with impartiality, and both became his close friends.

張廷尉由此天下稱之。 From this, Zhang the Commandant of Justice won the praise of the entire empire.

後文帝崩，景帝立，釋之恐，稱病。 After Emperor Wen died and Emperor Jing ascended the throne, Shizhi grew fearful and feigned illness.

嘗召居廷中，三公九卿盡會立，王生老人，曰「吾韤解」，顧謂張廷尉：「為我結韤！」 He was once summoned to attend court. The Three Dukes and Nine Ministers were all standing assembled when Wang Sheng, who was elderly, said, "My leggings have come loose," and turned to Zhang Shizhi, saying, "Tie my leggings for me."

釋之跪而結之。 Shizhi knelt down and tied them for him.

既已，人或謂王生曰：「獨柰何廷辱張廷尉，使跪結韤？」 Afterward, someone said to Wang Sheng, "Why did you single out Zhang, the Commandant of Justice, and humiliate him at court by making him kneel to tie your leggings?"

王生曰：「吾老且賤，自度終無益於張廷尉。 Wang Sheng said, "I am old and lowly, and I knew I could never be of direct benefit to Zhang, the Commandant of Justice.

張廷尉方今天下名臣，吾故聊辱廷尉，使跪結韤，欲以重之。」 Zhang, the Commandant of Justice, is now a renowned minister of the empire. I therefore deliberately humiliated him at court, making him kneel to tie my leggings, so that everyone would praise his respect for elders."

諸公聞之，賢王生而重張廷尉。 When the assembled lords heard this, they admired Wang Sheng and held Zhang the Commandant of Justice in even greater esteem.

張廷尉事景帝歲餘，為淮南王相，猶尚以前過也。 Zhang the Commandant of Justice served Emperor Jing for over a year before being transferred to serve as Chancellor to the King of Huainan—still bearing the taint of his earlier offense.

久之，釋之卒。 In time, Shizhi died.

太史公曰：張季之言長者，守法不阿意； The Grand Historian says: In Zhang Ji's remarks on what makes a true elder, he upheld the law without currying favor;

張季、馮公近之矣。 Zhang Ji and Lord Feng came close to embodying this ideal.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 113Volume 113 Biographies 38: Tang, Zhang, Xu · 4 passages

初，鹿城主簿潘好禮慕有功為人，論之曰：「昔稱張釋之為廷尉，天下無冤人，今有功斷獄，亦天下無冤人。 Earlier Pan Haoli, chief clerk of Lucheng, praised Yougong: "People once said that when Zhang Shizhi was minister of punishments there were no wronged persons under Heaven. Under Yougong there were likewise none.

然釋之當漢文帝時，中外無事，守法而已。 But Shizhi served Emperor Wen of Han when the realm was at peace and he needed only to uphold the law.

有功居革命之際，周興、來俊臣等掩義隱賊，崇飾惡言，以誣盛德，有功守死明道，身濱殆者數矣，此其賢於釋之明甚。」 Yougong lived in an age of revolution, when Zhou Xing, Lai Junchen, and others concealed villains and twisted words to slander the throne. He held to the Way even at the risk of death, several times on the brink of execution. In this he far surpassed Shizhi."

或稱有功仁恕過漢於、張。 Some said Yougong's benevolence and forbearance surpassed the celebrated Han judges Yu Dingguo and Zhang Shizhi.