Zhang Xiong

Zhang Xiong (張雄) (d. September 18, 893) was a Chinese military general and politician during the Tang dynasty. He from 886 and on, controlled an army that initially roved in the lower Yangtze River region and became a key player in the power struggles between various warlords for the control of Huainan (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu) and Zhenhai (鎮海, headquartered in modern Zhenjiang, Jiangsu) Circuits. Zhang eventually settled in at Shangyuan (上元, in modern Nanjing, Jiangsu) in 887 and controlled the area until his death in 893.

Background Zhang Xiong was originally from Lianshui (漣水, in modern Huai'an, Jiangsu), and he served as an officer at Ganhua Circuit (感化, headquartered in modern Xuzhou, Jiangsu), which Lianshui belonged to. Once, when fellow officer Feng Hongduo, who was also from Lianshui, was accused of impropriety by circuit administrators, Zhang spoke on his behalf, and Zhang's doing so caused Ganhua's military governor (jiedushi) Shi Pu to suspect both of them. In 886, knowing that Shi suspected them, Zhang and Feng gathered 300 men and left Ganhua with them, crossing the Yangtze River to attack Su Prefecture (蘇州, in modern Suzhou, Jiangsu), which then belonged to Zhenhai Circuit. They captured it, and Zhang claimed the title of prefect. Eventually, he was able to gather an army reaching the size of 50,000, with 1,000 ships, and called his army Tiancheng Army .

Roving campaigns Zhang Xiong's occupation of Su Prefecture drew the displeasure and apprehension of Zhenhai's military governor Zhou Bao. As Zhou had heard that Xu Yue , an officer under Zhou's rival Gao Pian the military governor of Huainan, had a strong army, he induced Xu to attack Su Prefecture, promising to give the prefecture to him if Xu were successful. He sent his officer Zhao Hui with part of the army and part of the fleet west on the Yangtze to take over Shangyuan, and Zhao was able to do so. Zhang died in 893, and Feng Hongduo succeeded him as prefect. It was said that Zhang's soldiers missed him for his leadership skills, and they built a temple to worship him.

Notes and references

New Book of Tang, vol. 190. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 256, 257, 258, 259.