Zhang Juhan

Zhang Juhan (張居翰) (858-928), courtesy name Deqing (德卿), was a senior eunuch of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period Later Tang state (and Later Tang's predecessor state Jin), serving as a chief of staff for Later Tang's founding emperor Li Cunxu.

During Tang Dynasty Zhang Juhan was born in 858, during the reign of Emperor Xuānzong of Tang, but it is not known where he was born or how he came to become a eunuch. Early in the Xiantong era of Emperor Xuānzong's son and successor Emperor Yizong of Tang (860-874), he was adopted by the eunuch Zhang Congmei (張從玫). (Therefore, it appeared likely that his original name was not Zhang.) Because Zhang Congmei was a eunuch official (director of the office of ladies in waiting), Zhang Juhan was able to, through that heritage, become a eunuch official as well. At one point, he served as the eunuch monitor of the army at Rong District (容管, headquartered in modern Yulin, Guangxi).

In 883, during the reign of Emperor Yizong's son and successor Emperor Xizong, Zhang Juhan was recalled from Rong District to serve as an assistant at the Hall of Imperial Scholars (學士院, Xueshiyuan). He was subsequently made an assistant to the directors of palace communications (樞密承旨, Xumi Chengzhi), as well as the director of office of palace treasury (內府令, Neifu Ling). — he gave Zhang the greater title of Zhong Changshi (中常侍) and sent him to Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered in modern Beijing), to serve as Lulong's eunuch monitor. Later, when Emperor Zhaozong was set to summon Zhang back to the capital Chang'an, Lulong's military governor (Jiedushi) Liu Rengong submitted a petition that Zhang be kept at Lulong, and Zhang ended up staying at Lulong. Liu hid Zhang and executed an inmate in his stead, claiming that he had already executed Zhang.

In 906, Zhu launched a major attack on Liu's domain, attacking Yichang Circuit (義昌, headquartered in modern Cangzhou, Hebei), then governed by Liu's son Liu Shouwen. Liu Rengong sought aid from Li Keyong the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi). Li agreed, but under the provision that Liu send troops to Hedong so that the Hedong and Lulong troops could jointly attack Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in modern Changzhi, Shanxi), which had fallen under Zhu's control at that time, to try to relieve the pressure on Yichang. Liu sent Zhang and the secretary Ma Yu (馬鬱) with an army to Hedong, to join the attack on Zhaoyi. After the campaign, however, Li kept Zhang and did not return him to Lulong. After Li captured Zhaoyi and put his adoptive nephew Li Sizhao in command of the circuit, Zhang was made the eunuch monitor of the Zhaoyi army, personally commanding the 3,000 soldiers from Lulong. Zhang Juhan aided Li Sizhao in defending the city, who had taken control of the circuit without the approval of Li Cunxu after Li Sizhao's death in battle. As he thought that Li Cunxu summoned Zhang and Ren to prepare to act against him, he thus submitted the circuit to Later Liang's emperor Zhu Zhen.

Later in the year, Li Cunxu was himself killed in a mutiny at Luoyang itself. His adoptive brother Li Siyuan, who had rebelled against him earlier, quickly arrived at Luoyang and took control, initially using the title of regent (although he would later claim imperial title himself). Shortly after Li Siyuan claimed the regent title, Zhang begged him for retirement, and Li Siyuan agreed. Zhang thereafter returned to Chang'an, and Li Siyuan gave his adoptive son Zhang Yangui (張延貴) an official position at Chang'an in order to have Zhang Yangui be able to attend to him. He died of illness in 928.

Notes and references

History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 72. New History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 38. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 264, 272, 274, 275.