家世

張礪生年不詳，磁州滏陽縣人。祖父張慶，父張寶，世代為農。張礪年幼時好學有文採。他還是百姓時，目睹百姓爭執，就親自去官府，像官員一樣辨別曲直。

後梁年間

張礪起初依附後梁大臣李愚。貞明年間（915年－921年），從河陽北上投靠晉王李存勗，得補授太原府掾，並稱讚李愚的節操和文章，晉國于是稱道李愚。

後唐年間

李存勗于同光元年建立後唐，即後唐莊宗，同年滅梁。同光年間（923年－926年），張礪中進士，不久拜左拾遺，在史館修史。三年（925年），皇子魏王李繼岌為名義統帥討伐西南鄰國前蜀，實際主事的樞密使郭崇韜奏請張礪掌軍中文書。唐軍滅蜀後，李繼岌奉母劉皇后教令殺郭崇韜，郭崇韜親信懼禍奔逃，只有張礪去魏王府第為郭崇韜而哭。

四年（926年）正月，李繼岌開始率軍班師都城洛陽，二月，排陳斬斫使李紹琛（康延孝）反叛。李繼岌派善于軍事的工部尚書任圜討伐之。張礪建議任圜把精兵埋伏在後，以弱兵誘敵，任圜從之，敗李紹琛，迫其奔漢州。任圜隨後破城生擒之。李存勗下詔令處死李紹琛，四月詔到時，洛陽已生兵變，監軍李從襲為了與任圜爭功，想留下李紹琛的性命。任圜猶豫，張礪說：「此賊構亂導致班師延遲，且明公血戰擒賊，怎能違詔養禍，這是破檻放虎，自貽其咎啊。公若不決，我親自殺此賊。」任圜不得已而殺了李紹琛。

先前，郭崇韜與大將李繼麟被冤殺導致後唐多起兵變。四月，李存勗死于洛陽兵變，其中一起兵變的頭領李存勗義兄李嗣源接管洛陽，先稱監國，再稱帝。李繼岌想和李嗣源交戰，但士兵開始離散，他自殺。李嗣源天成年間（926年－930年），李嗣源聞張礪名，召為翰林學士。張礪因父母過世服喪，期滿，再入為學士，歷充禮部、兵部員外郎、知制誥。不久，張寶妾去世。她在世時，因侍奉張寶多年，張礪很敬重她，他的兒子們也稱她為祖母。張礪不知道該如何服喪，問同僚，無人能給他建議，于是他請假回滏陽，不穿喪服而閒居三年，為有識之士所稱許。當時常侍張文寶主管科舉，中書省奏落榜進士數人，請詔翰林學士院作一詩一賦下達禮部給舉人作為範文。張礪與學士竇夢徵等撰格詩格賦各一送給中書省，宰相認為不可，竇夢徵等請戶部侍郎右丞充承旨李懌來寫，李懌笑而辭之。

李嗣源養子李從珂清泰年間（934年－936年），張礪被授尚書比部郎中、知制誥，依前充學士。元年（934年），與翰林學士程遜、學士和凝等上書十三事。三年（936年），李嗣源婿河東節度使石敬瑭在後唐北鄰敵國契丹支持下反叛，李從珂派李嗣源另一女婿樞密使趙延壽等人討伐，命翰林學士和凝與趙延壽同行。張礪素來輕視和凝，請求自己去，李從珂慰勞他，並同意了，于是以趙延壽為河東道南面行營招討使，張礪為判官。後趙延壽與其養父趙德鈞為契丹太宗所敗，張礪與趙氏父子都被俘虜到契丹。李從珂絕望自殺，唐亡，其地被石敬瑭建立的後晉接管。

遼朝年間

契丹太宗見張礪剛直有文採，擢翰林學士。他遇事必盡言，無所避，太宗愈發器重他。天顯十一年（937年），張礪逃跑，被追兵所獲，太宗斥責他：「為什麼舍我而去！」張礪答：「臣是中原人，飲食衣服都與這裡不一樣，生不如死，願早就戮。」太宗斥責負責善待中原俘虜的通事高彥英（或作高唐英），鞭打了他一百下，向張礪謝罪，待之如初。會同年間（938年－947年），升翰林承旨，兼吏部尚書。

石敬瑭死後，其侄石重貴繼位，當時契丹已改國號遼，石重貴不再依附遼，與遼對抗。會同九年（946年），遼太宗大舉南下，打敗石重貴姑父後晉大將杜威並迫其投降，逼近晉都開封，石重貴絕望投降，晉亡，領地被遼所占。遼軍逼近開封時，故皇后蕭溫兄蕭翰、耶律郎五、太宗從弟耶律拔里得等將肆意殺掠，隨征的張礪對太宗說：「今大遼已得天下，應該用中原人為中原將相，不宜用北人（契丹人）及左右近臣。一旦政令有失，則人心不服，即使現在得到了，也將失去。」但太宗不從。十年（947年）二月太宗入開封後，稱中原皇帝，張礪和趙延壽推薦後晉宰相李崧，李崧被任為太子太師，充樞密使。張礪又薦後晉屯田員外郎、知制誥魚崇諒為翰林學士。趙延壽被遼封為燕王，想做中原皇帝，未得太宗支持，又請求為皇太子，太宗認為皇太子只有皇子才能做，命遷趙延壽官。張礪奏擬趙延壽為中京（恆州）留守、大丞相、錄尚書事、都督中外諸軍事，樞密使如故，太宗取筆塗去「錄尚書事都督中外諸軍事」而執行。以張礪為右僕射兼門下侍郎、同平章事。左僕射和凝也被任為兼中書侍郎、同平章事。有司給趙延壽貂蟬冠、張礪三品冠服，二人都不肯穿戴，張礪說：「我在上國時，晉派馮道奉冊北上來朝，帶了二個貂冠，一個給了宰相韓延徽，一個給了我。現在可以降服嗎！」于是著貂蟬冠上朝。

遼兵虐待中原漢人，不久全國叛亂蔓延。太宗疲于應對，決定撤回本土，留宣武軍節度使蕭翰守開封。張礪反對蕭翰居此任，未被採納。太宗見路過的城池都化為丘墟，就說：「中原如此，都是燕王（趙延壽）的罪過。」又看著張礪說：「你也有責任。」

太宗沒有回到遼本土就在途經恆州附近時病故。太宗亡兄耶律倍子永康王耶律阮召趙延壽、張礪、和凝、李崧、馮道于所館飲酒，將意欲自稱中原皇帝的趙延壽擒拿，告知張礪等人「燕王謀反，被鎖拿，諸公不必擔憂。」又至待賢館受蕃、漢官謁賀，笑著對張礪等說：「燕王如果行此禮，我以鐵騎圍之，諸公不能免禍。」耶律阮自稱受太宗遺命知南朝軍國事，遣散張礪等，又宣太宗遺詔稱帝，即遼世宗。考慮到祖母皇太后述律平將反對自己繼位，他奪取遼軍主力繼續班師，留張礪等漢族官員屯恆州。後來蕭翰與安國節度使中京留守耶律拔里得也從中原撤退到恆州，仍記恨張礪建議以漢治漢，以鐵騎圍張礪家。張礪正臥病，出來相見，蕭翰罵道：「你何故對先帝說胡人不可以為節度使？我是宣武節度使，又是國舅，你卻在中書省對我下令！先帝留我守汴州，令我處宮中，你又以為不可。又在先帝面前詆毀我和解里（傅住兒），說解里喜歡掠人財，我喜歡掠人子女。今天我一定要殺你！」下令鎖拿張礪。張礪不屈回答：「這都是國家大體，我確實這麼說了。想殺就殺，何必要鎖！」耶律拔里得認為不可擅殺大臣，不讓蕭翰殺張礪，蕭翰離去。耶律拔里得給張礪解鎖。當晚，張礪憤恚而死。張礪為人耿直仗義，愛惜人才，急于獎勵提拔，讚揚他人善舉，以己財救濟窮人，中原士大夫聞其過世，都嘆惜。家人焚燒了他的骸骨，歸葬滏陽。

注釋及參考文獻

Background

It is not known when Zhang Li was born, but it is known that he was from Fuyang (滏陽, in modern Handan, Hebei). His male-line ancestors, including his grandfather Zhang Qing and father Zhang Bao, had been farmers for generations. (Based on subsequent events, it appeared that Zhang Li's mother was Zhang Bao's wife.) It was said that in Zhang Li's youth, he was studious and capable at writing. Even though he was but a commoner, he would often attend court proceedings whenever he saw people disputing with each other, and make decisions about how he would have ruled had he been the magistrate, as he himself as capable of being an official in the future.

During Later Tang

Early in the Tongguang era (923-926) of Later Tang's founding emperor Li Cunxu, Zhang Li passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi class. He was shortly after made a Zuo Shiyi (左拾遺), a low-level consultant at the examination bureau of government (門下省, Menxia Sheng), and served as one of the editors of the imperial history. When Li Cunxu's chief of staff (Shumishi) Guo Chongtao was put in actual charge of Later Tang's campaign against its southwestern neighbor Former Shu in 925 (with Li Cunxu's son Li Jiji the Prince of Wei in titular command), Guo put Zhang in charge of drafting military correspondences. When, after the Later Tang army destroyed Former Shu, Li Jiji killed Guo at the orders of his mother (Li Cunxu's wife) Empress Liu, all of Guo's close associates fled. Only Zhang went to Li Jiji's mansion to mourn Guo.

Shortly after, Li Jiji began to lead his army back toward the Later Tang capital Luoyang. However, on the way, the general Li Shaochen rebelled. Li Jiji sent the civilian official Ren Huan, who, despite his civilian background, was capable in military matters, against Li Shaochen. Zhang advised Ren to first send the weakest among his soldiers against Li Shaochen, so that Li Shaochen would be enticed into attacking him, and then lay a trap for Li Shaochen. Ren followed the advice and subsequently defeated Li Shaochen, forcing Li Shaochen to flee to Han Prefecture (漢州, in modern Deyang, Sichuan) and try to defend it. Ren subsequently captured the city and took Li Shaochen captive. Li Cunxu then issued an edict ordering Li Shaochen's death, but the eunuch monitor of Li Jiji's army, Li Congxi, wanted to keep Li Shaochen alive so that he could think of a way to take credit for the victory and deny Ren the credit. Ren hesitated. Zhang spoke to him, arguing that Li Shaochen's crime deserved death, that Li Shaochen would still constitute a potential threat if left alive, and that, in any case, he should not disobey an imperial edict; Zhang also stated that he would execute Li Shaochen himself if Ren did not. Ren agreed (albeit hesitantly) and put Li Shaochen to death.

The unjustified executions of Guo and his ally and fellow major general Li Jilin, meanwhile, spawned many rebellions against Li Cunxu throughout the Later Tang realm. In summer 926, Li Cunxu was killed in a mutiny at Luoyang itself, and one of the rebel leaders, his adoptive brother Li Siyuan, subsequently arrived at Luoyang and took over, initially as regent and later claiming the title of emperor. Li Jiji considered battling Li Siyuan, but his soldiers began to abandon him, and he committed suicide. Early in Li Siyuan's Tiancheng era (926-930), Li Siyuan, who had previously been impressed with Zhang, commissioned him as an imperial scholar (翰林學士, Hanlin Xueshi). When, thereafter, both of his parents died, he left governmental service to observe a period of mourning. After the mourning period, he returned to the imperial government to again serve as imperial scholar. He also successively carried the additional titles of Yuanwailang (員外郎, low-level official) at both the ministry of rites (禮部, Libu) and ministry of defense (兵部, Bingbu), as well as the drafter of edicts. Not long after, his father's long-time concubine died. While she was alive, he had respected her greatly because of the long-term relationship between his father and her, such that his own sons also referred to her as "grandmother." After her death, he was unsure whether to observe a mourning period for her, and he requested his colleagues' advice. None had particular advice for him, and he decided to simply request a leave back to Fuyang, where he spent three years (the standard mourning period) not wearing mourning clothes but also not carrying out business. The popular sentiment at the time by those in the know considered his actions on this matter appropriate.

During the middle of the Qingtai era (934-936) of Li Siyuan's adoptive son Li Congke, Zhang returned to the imperial government to serve as Bibu Langzhong (比部郎中), a supervisory official at the ministry of rites, as well as drafter of edicts and imperial scholar. When Li Congke's brother-in-law (Li Siyuan's son-in-law) Shi Jingtang the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi) rebelled against Li Congke in 936 with support from Later Tang's northern rival, Khitan Empire, one of the generals that Li Congke sent against Shi was another brother-in-law, his chief of staff Zhao Yanshou. The imperial scholar He Ning was initially assigned to accompany Zhao to serve as his secretary. Zhang, however, was not impressed with He, and volunteered to go instead. Li Congke agreed. Subsequently, however, when both Zhao and his father Zhao Dejun were defeated by Khitan's Emperor Taizong, Zhang and the Zhaos were all captured and taken to Khitan proper. (Li Congke thereafter, finding the situation hopeless, committed suicide, ending Later Tang and allowing Shi's Later Jin to take over its former territory.)

During Liao

Emperor Taizong was impressed with Zhang Li's literary abilities, and he made Zhang an imperial scholar. Around 937, Zhang made an attempt to flee back to Chinese territory, but was captured by the Khitan border guards. Emperor Taizong rebuked him and stated, "Why do you abandon me?" Zhang responded, "Your subject is Chinese. My food and clothing customs are different than yours. Living is worse than dying. I wish to be executed quickly." Instead of punishing Zhang, Emperor Taizong rebuked the interpreter Gao Yanying (高彥英), whom he had put in charge of making the lives of the ethnic Han Chinese officials that he had captured comfortable, and whipped Gao. After this incident, Zhang continued to serve Emperor Taizong, and was said to be faithful and honest, speaking straight off his mind without hiding anything. Emperor Taizong thus respected him. Early in Emperor Taizong's Huitong era (938–947), he was promoted to be chief imperial scholar (翰林學士承旨, Hanlin Xueshi Chengzhi) and the minister of civil service affairs (吏部尚書, Libu Shangshu).

After Shi Jingtang's death, his nephew and successor Shi Chonggui turned away from a submissive stance toward Khitan (which had, by that point, been renamed Liao), and took a confrontational stance. In 946, Emperor Taizong launched a major attack south, and, after defeating and forcing the surrender of the major Later Jin general Du Wei (Shi Jingtang's brother-in-law, Shi Chonggui's uncle), approached the Later Jin capital Kaifeng. Finding the situation hopeless, Shi Chonggui surrendered, ending Later Jin and allowing (for the time being) Liao to take over its territory. As the Liao army neared Kaifeng, Zhang, who accompanied Emperor Taizong on this campaign south, stated to Emperor Taizong:

Emperor Taizong, however, did not listen to this advice. However, after Emperor Taizong entered Kaifeng and claimed to be the emperor of China as well, Zhang and Zhao Yanshou recommended the Later Jin chancellor Li Song, and Emperor Taizong commissioned Li as chief of staff. Zhang himself was subsequently commissioned as You Puye (右僕射, one of the heads of the executive bureau (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng)), Menxia Shilang (門下侍郎, the deputy head of the examination bureau), and chancellor (同中書門下平章事, Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi). (He Ning was also made chancellor at the same time.)

The Liao soldiers mistreated the Chinese of the Central Plains badly, however, and soon the realm was overrun with rebellions. Finding the situation troubling, Emperor Taizong decided to head back to Liao proper, leaving his brother-in-law Xiao Han (the brother of his deceased wife Empress Xiao Wen)in charge of Kaifeng as the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武). (According to Xiao later, Zhang opposed Xiao's commission, but was not listened to.) As Emperor Taizong was traversing the devastated Chinese territory on his way back, he stated, "What we have rendered China to be is the result of the sins of the Prince of Yan Zhao)." He then turned toward Zhang and stated, "You also had a part in it."

Emperor Taizong, however, would never reach Liao proper, as he fell ill on the journey and died near Heng Prefecture (恆州, in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei). His nephew Yelü Ruan the Prince of Yongkang then claimed imperial title (as Emperor Shizong) (after preemptively arresting Zhao, who had planned to declare himself emperor of China). As Emperor Shizong saw the likelihood that his grandmother (the mother of both Emperor Taizong and his own father Yelü Bei) would oppose his succession, he took the main Liao army and continued back toward Liao proper, leaving an army at Heng (which Emperor Taizong had designated as the middle capital) as its garrison, along with many Han officials, including Zhang. When Xiao and Emperor Taizong's cousin Yelü Mada (耶律麻荅) subsequently withdrew from the Central Plains to Heng as well, they, still bearing grudges over Zhang's suggestion of commissioning only the Han Chinese to rule the Han Chinese, had their soldiers surround Zhang's mansion. At that time, Zhang was already ill, but he came out to meet Xiao and Yelü Mada. Xiao rebuked him, stating:

Xiao locked Zhang's arms in chains, but Zhang responded harshly, "These are about the important matters of the state. I did in fact say these things. Kill me if you wish. What is the point of locking me?" Yelü Mada, however, believed that even officials as honored as Zhang could not be killed so frivolously, and therefore insisted on sparing Zhang. Xiao then released Zhang. Nevertheless, Zhang died in anger and distress that night. It was said that because Zhang often spoke righteously and had mercy on those who had talents, and he was willing to praise others for their good deeds and spend his wealth to help the poor, the Chinese scholars of the Central Plains, upon hearing of his death, mourned him. His family members burned his body and returned the bones to Fuyang for burial.

Notes and references

• Old History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 98.

• History of Liao, vol. 76.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 274, 280, 281, 285, 286, 287.