Sui and Tang · Official and Courtier

Zhang Su 張宿

Attested AD 805 - AD 820

Passages: 10
Chapters: 2
Histories: 1

Overview

Zhang Su was an official and Courtier.

Life and dates

Death

died suddenly on the road 暴卒於道
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 175, passage 193

Attested activity

AD 818 to AD 820 元和末
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 175, passage 192
AD 805 to AD 820 憲宗為廣陵王時
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 175, passage 179
AD 817 蔡平
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 213, passage 91

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Left Reminder 左拾遺
Appointed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 175, passage 180
Vice-Director of the Bureau of Review 比部員外郎
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passage 91
Secretariat Director 秘書監
Posthumous
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 175, passage 193
born poor 寒人
Humble origin
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 175, passage 178
Suffered
Demoted · Reason leaking inner-court words
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 175, passage 181

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · With Li Shidao (李師道) · Direct quotation · Mode quoted-speech Speaker Zhang Su (張宿)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passages 92-95

Events and relationships

Pressed to cede land and send hostage
AD 817 蔡平 · Diplomatic · Envoy · With Li Shidao (李師道)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passages 91, 95

Assessments and attributes

Assessment crafty, outspoken, slanderous · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 175, passages 179, 191

References in the histories

Search passages

History

10 passages

New Book of Tang, Chapter 175Volume 175 Biographies 100: Dou, Liu, Two Zhangs, Yang, Xiong, Bai · 7 passages

張宿者，本寒人，自名諸生。 Zhang Su was born poor yet called himself a literatus.

宰相李逢吉數言其狡譎不可信，白為濠州刺史，宿上疏自言，留不遣。 Fengji often called him treacherous and had him sent to Hao as prefect; Su petitioned in his own defense and was kept at court.

宿細人，不可使汙是官。 Su is a small man and must not defile it.

後逢吉罷，詔權知諫議大夫，宰相崔群、王涯同請曰：「諫議大夫，前世或自山林、擢行伍任之者，然皆道義卓異於時。 After Fengji's fall an edict made Su acting Left Remonstrator; Cui Qun and Wang Ya petitioned together: "Remonstrators of old came from reclusion or the army, yet all stood out in conduct.

今宿望輕，若待以不次，未足以寵，適以累之也。」 Su's standing is light; an exceptional appointment will not honor him—only harm him."

宿怨執政不與己，乃日肆讒甚，與皇甫镈相附離，多中傷正人君子。 Su hated the chancellors for not backing him and daily slandered, clinging to Huangfu Bo and wounding upright men.

既而悔，復遣宿往，暴卒於道，贈秘書監。 He then regretted it and sent Su again; Su died suddenly on the road and was posthumously made Secretariat Director.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 213Volume 213 Biographies 138: Buffer Regions: the Black, Green, and Yellow Seas · 3 passages

蔡平，又遣比部員外郎張宿諷令割地質子。 After Cai fell, the court sent Review Bureau Vice-Director Zhang Su to press him to surrender territory and send a hostage son.

宿謂曰：「公今歸國為宗姓，以尊卑論之，上叔父矣，不屈一也； Zhang Su told him: "You have rejoined the imperial clan; by rank the emperor is your uncle—no need to humble yourself, first point;

宿既還，師道中悔，召諸將議，皆曰：「蔡數州，戰三四年乃克，公今十二州，何所虞？」 After Zhang Su left, Shidao wavered and called his generals in council; all said, "Cai was only a few prefectures and took three or four years to crush—you hold twelve; what have you to fear?"