Sui and Tang · Official and Diplomat

Zhang Yi 張鎰

First attested AD 757; died AD 783

Passages
28
Chapters
2
Histories
2

Overview

Zhang Yi was an official and Diplomat.

IdentityHistorical · Male

Life and dates

Death

Attested activity

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Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Key source chapters

  1. Old Book of Tang, Chapter 129 Volume 125 Biographies 75: Zhang Yi, Liu Congyi, Xiao Fu, Liu Hun 24 passages
  2. New Book of Tang, Chapter 150 Volume 150 Biographies 75: Li, Chang, Zhao, Cui, Qi, Lu 4 passages

Career and standing

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Places and affiliations

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Works and attributed material

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Events and relationships

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Assessments and attributes

  • AD 770 大歷五年
    Assessment administration pure and restrained; prefectural affairs well ordered · Mode historian-judgment
    Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 129, passage 15
  • Assessment ashamed to ally with Tibet on the original sacrificial terms · Mode historian-judgment
    Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 129, passage 51
  • Assessment bookish, slow-moving, and ignorant of war · 儒緩不知兵 · Mode historian-judgment
    Directly stated · New Book of Tang 150, passage 171
  • Assessment fastidious in dress and deportment and disliked by the soldiers · Mode historian-judgment
    Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 129, passage 78
  • Assessment great reputation and upright conduct · 名重道直 · Mode historian-judgment
    Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 129, passage 46
  • Assessment integrity, conduct, talent, and outspoken bright uprightness sufficient to assist an enlightened ruler · Mode historian-judgment
    Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 129, passage 245
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Source notes

References in the histories

28 passages

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 129Volume 125 Biographies 75: Zhang Yi, Liu Congyi, Xiao Fu, Liu Hun · 24 passages
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德宗即位，除江南西道都團練觀察使、洪州刺史、兼御史中丞，征拜吏部侍郎，尋除河中晉絳都防禦觀察使。 When Emperor Dezong took the throne, Zhang Yi was appointed overall training and observation commissioner of Jiangnan West Circuit, prefect of Hongzhou, and concurrently vice censor-in-chief. He was then summoned to serve as vice minister of the Ministry of Personnel and soon afterward appointed defense and observation commissioner of Hezhong, Jin, and Jiang.
盧杞忌鎰名重道直，無以陷之，以方用兵西邊，杞乃偽請行，上固以不可，因薦鎰以中書侍郎為鳳翔隴右節度使代硃泚，與吐蕃相尚結贊等盟於清水。 Lu Qi resented Zhang Yi's great reputation and upright conduct and had no means to entrap him. As troops were then being deployed on the western frontier, Qi falsely offered to go in person. The emperor firmly refused, and Qi therefore recommended Zhang Yi, with the title of vice director of the Secretariat, as military governor of Fengxiang-Longyou to replace Zhu Ci. Zhang Yi then entered into an alliance with the Tibetan minister Shang Jiezan and others at Qingshui.
初，約漢以牛，蕃以馬為牲，鎰恥與之盟，將殺其禮，乃請結贊曰：「漢非牛不田，蕃非馬不行，今請以羊豕犬三物代之。」 At first it was agreed that the Han side would use an ox and the Tibetan side a horse as sacrificial victims. Ashamed to ally on those terms, Zhang Yi sought to diminish the rite and requested of Jiezan, "The Han cannot plow without oxen, and Tibet cannot travel without horses. I request that sheep, pigs, and dogs be substituted instead."
先時，淮南節度陳少遊首稱臣於李希烈，鳳翔將李楚琳殺節度使張鎰以應硃泚，鎰判官韋臯先知隴州留後，首殺豳叛卒數百人，不應楚琳。 Earlier, Huainan military governor Chen Shaoyou was the first to declare himself subject to Li Xilie. Fengxiang general Li Chulin killed military governor Zhang Yi to join Zhu Ci. Zhang Yi's staff judge Wei Gao, who had earlier served as acting rear commander of Long prefecture, was the first to kill several hundred mutinous soldiers from Bin and refused to follow Chulin.
史臣曰：張鎰、蕭復、柳渾，節行才能訏謨亮直，皆足相明主，平泰階，而盧杞忌之於前，延賞排之於後，管仲有言：「任君子，使小人間之，害霸也。」 The historiographer says: Zhang Yi, Xiao Fu, and Liu Hun—in integrity, conduct, talent, and outspoken, bright uprightness—all were sufficient to assist an enlightened ruler and level the grand stairway. Yet Lu Qi envied them before and Yanshang excluded them after. Guan Zhong said, "Employ the gentleman and let petty men come between—this harms hegemony."
New Book of Tang, Chapter 150Volume 150 Biographies 75: Li, Chang, Zhao, Cui, Qi, Lu · 4 passages
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