唐朝年間

張格生年不詳。父張濬，唐僖宗、唐昭宗年間宰相。張格為張濬次子，年輕時有才，長相俊邁，狡猾有父風。官至太學博士，直弘文館。

天祐元年（904年）初，唐昭宗被弒，繼位的其子唐哀帝處在權勢軍閥宣武軍節度使朱溫（朱全忠）的人身控制下。時張濬已致仕，居於長水縣。朱溫準備篡位，擔心張濬可能鼓動其他軍閥聯合對抗他，命控制洛陽地區的下屬佑國軍節度使張全義害之。張全義派牙將楊麟率健卒裝作盜賊，去長水屠殺張濬一家。永寧縣吏葉彥素日得張濬厚待，聞訊跑去告訴張格：「相公不可免禍，郎君應該自己做打算。」張格與張濬相擁抱而哭泣，張濬說：「你留下則和我們一起死，你離開則我家還有後裔，你不要被我連累。」張格哭拜而去，葉彥率義士三十人送他渡漢江而回，張格改換姓名，由荊江上峽進入西川軍軍部成都。同時，楊麟圍張濬家，殺其全家。張格的弟弟張播先前被唐昭宗賜國姓、賜名李儼，時任江、淮宣諭使出使淮南節度使楊行密，因而也躲過此劫。

前蜀年間

王建年間

天祐四年（907年），朱全忠迫唐哀帝禪位于他，代唐稱帝，建立後梁，他就是後梁太祖皇帝。西川節度使王建和其他幾位地方軍閥拒絕認可新皇帝，但當王建與淮南節度使楊渥聯合傳檄卻未能引發後梁封臣大規模起事後，王建決定自己稱帝，九月，建立新政權蜀，史稱前蜀。他尊敬逃到本國的原唐朝官員，待張格尤其有恩禮，登基當月即提拔為翰林學士。武成元年（908年）正月，有僧人挖出一隻眼睛獻上，王建命給一萬僧人的飯食作為報答。張格反對：「小人無故自殘，赦其罪已是幸事，不宜再獎賞敗壞風俗。」王建同意了。二月，以戶部侍郎為中書侍郎，加宰相銜同平章事，王建說：「不恃權、不行私，只有至公才能守宰相之事。」張格為相，多迎合王建之意；若有人勝過自己，都設計排擠。冗雜官舍人庾傳昌謁見張格，不得見，庾傳昌怒，回家起草啟事約數千字，投于謁者而去。後來張格對朝士說：「庾舍人見示長牋，不可多得，然而我曾聽聞他起草《角觝牒》詞，動乃數幅。」意在譏諷其無體要之用。張格生母在張濬遇害時躲在民間，落髮為尼，流浪于函、洛一帶。王建聞之，秘密派人迎她入蜀，賜紫衣，加號慈福大師。

永平二年（912年）二月，蜀正與北面鄰國岐交戰，後梁太祖朱溫趁機派出以光祿卿盧玭為首的一組使者來蜀尋求交好，在書信中稱王建為兄。但信上有一印章，寫著「大梁入蜀之印」，張格指出這是待蜀如夷狄封臣的稱呼形式。王建因而想殺了使團，張格指出這是梁草詔官員的錯，不可壞了兩國關係。幾個月後，朱溫死了，王建刻了一枚「大蜀入梁之印」蓋在弔喪的書信上，反將一軍。從此王建愈發信任張格。三月，詔命張格編開國以來實錄。

三年（913年）七月，蜀皇太子王元膺捲入與樞密使唐道襲的權力鬥爭，在武裝對抗中殺死唐道襲，但不久自己也被部下衛士殺死。王建起初很為此哀慟，懷疑養子集王王宗翰未經他首肯就殺了王元膺，其左右也擔心王建要大規模報複。張格呈上自己寫的慰諭軍民榜，讀到「不行斧鉞之誅，將誤社稷之計」，王建認識到自己縱然愛王元膺，也不可以為此損害國家根基，于是下詔廢王元膺為庶人。除手刃王元膺的人伏誅、王元膺的一些左右伏誅、流放外，沒有產生對王元膺之死的報複。

十月，內樞密使潘炕屢次請求王建立新太子。王建因雅王王宗輅像自己，信王王宗傑最有才，想從中擇一人而立。但其寵妃徐賢妃想讓兒子鄭王王宗衍為太子，派飛龍使唐文扆說服張格上表請立王宗衍。張格受唐文扆帶來的徐賢妃所贈金百鎰，心動，認為可以用計得逞。他作表稱「衍才器英武，實堪社稷之託。」並在夜間給功臣王建養子城內外都指揮使兼中書令王宗侃等看表文，詐稱受了密旨要功臣們公開支持王宗衍，功臣們信以為真，都署名。王建得表，雖然懷疑王宗衍年幼懦弱無能，仍以為是眾官員的意思，于是立王宗衍為太子。唐文扆掌權，得張格依附，與司徒毛文錫等爭權。天漢元年（917年）七月，因唐文扆陷害，毛文錫被貶。光天元年（918年）正月，王建已意識到張格在王宗衍被立為太子一事中扮演的角色，又見王宗衍與諸王鬥雞擊球浪費時間，厭惡張格，但因徐賢妃保護，王建沒有罷其相位。

五月，王建病重垂死，將王宗衍託付給以養子馬步都指揮使王宗弼為首的官員們。但唐文扆想掌權，因而在王建病勢加重時，派所統領的禁兵守宮門不讓官員們入見。但他的部下內皇城使潘在迎出賣了他，使得王宗弼等官員破門而入，向王建告狀。唐文扆被貶，並在六月王建死後不久被殺。一說王建對之前王宗傑暴死生疑，于是徐賢妃和張格私下派尚食給王建送雞肉燒餅，王建中毒而崩。王宗衍繼位。不久，王宗衍改名王衍。

王衍年間

王衍初登基，張格仍以太傅、門下侍郎、同平章事為宰相，但因長期依附唐文扆而不安。蜀人以他為王建山陵使，他面有難色。有人勸他稱病辭職，但被其黨羽禮部尚書楊玢以有援立大功不需要擔憂為由勸止。但很快張格與楊玢都被貶。張格被貶為茂州刺史，詔書責之曰：「送喪辭命，不忠；喪母匿喪，不孝。」吏部侍郎許寂、戶部侍郎潘嶠都因黨附張格被貶；張格再貶維州司戶。因內樞密使庾凝績劾奏，張格又被罷官流放合水鎮。庾凝績又令茂州刺史顧承郾尋張格罪過。王宗侃妻張氏因和張格同姓，欲保全他，對顧母說：「警告你兒子，不要替他人報仇，他日他人將歸罪于你。」顧承郾從之。庾凝績怒，在公事中尋隙歸罪顧承郾，而張格的性命得以保全。

但乾德六年（924年）十二月，張格又在右僕射任上被任為兼中書侍郎、同平章事，再度拜相。張格最初獲罪時，中書吏王魯柔落井下石，張格于是趁機報複，尋事杖殺了他。時任中書侍郎、同平章事的許寂對他人說：「張公才高而識淺，殺了一個王魯柔，讓他人擔心自己的安危了！這是取禍之端。」但實際上，王魯柔之死並未引起反響。張格受封趙國公。在相位，無所作為。

後唐年間

後唐莊宗滅梁兼併其地後，蜀于咸康元年（925年）被莊宗子魏王李繼岌和樞密使郭崇韜統領的軍隊所滅。很多蜀官員被迫遷到唐都城洛陽。同光四年（926年）正月，李繼岌遣鳳翔節度使李繼曮、客省使李嚴部送王衍、前蜀宗族及宰相王鍇、張格、庾傳素、許寂、翰林學士李昊等及將佐家族數千人向東到都城洛陽。三月，到長安。莊宗正要東征平定兵變，擔心王氏族黨生變，遣中使向延嗣帶詔書前去殺王衍，詔書稱「王衍一行，並從殺戮。」詔書已蓋玉璽，樞密使張居翰將「行」字改為「家」字，前蜀百官才倖免于難。天成元年（926年）六月他們到洛陽時，莊宗已死于兵變，養兄後唐明宗繼位。張格在這些官員之中。他感念葉彥救命之恩，尋訪，葉彥已死，于是給葉家送去大禮。

唐明宗宣原蜀官員宰相王鍇、張格、庾傳素及御史中丞牛希濟，各賜一韻，讓他們試作蜀主降唐詩五十六字，王鍇等都言及王衍僭號、荒淫、失國，只有牛希濟不謗故主。明宗起初授張格太子賓客榮銜，當時並無皇太子。宰相任圜愛其才，奏為自己的副手三司副使，二年（927年）五月，張格卒于位，朝廷為之廢朝。

張格有文章，明于吏事，時人很稱讚他。

作品

張格詞殘句為董康本《宋朝事實類苑》所錄。現存一首《寄禪月大師》：

龍華咫尺斷來音，日夕空馳詠德心。

禪月字清師號別，壽春詩古帝恩深。

畫成羅漢驚三界，書似張顛直萬金。

莫倚名高忘故舊，曉晴閒步一相尋。

評價

• 《十國春秋》論曰：張格援立寵嗣，深結宮闈，于大臣有慙德焉。……嗚呼！擇相顧可不慎邪！

注釋及參考文獻

During Tang Dynasty

It is not known when Zhang Ge was born. His father Zhang Jun was a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Xizong of Tang and Emperor Xizong's brother and successor Emperor Zhaozong. He was Zhang Jun's second son, and was said to be intelligent and handsome in his youth, and wily as his father was regarded to be.

By the time of around the new year 904, Emperor Zhaozong had been assassinated, and his son and successor Emperor Ai was under the physical control of the powerful warlord Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan), and Zhang Jun had retired to his vacation estate at Changshui (長水, in modern Luoyang, Henan). Zhu was preparing to seize the throne and was apprehensive that Zhang Jun might encourage the other warlords into a coordinated resistance movement against him. He ordered his ally Zhang Quanyi, who controlled the Luoyang region, to act against Zhang Jun. Zhang Quanyi sent his officer Yang Lin (楊麟) to Changshui dressed as bandits, ready to slaughter Zhang Jun and his household and blame the incident on banditry. A deputy sheriff at Yongning County (永寧, in modern Luoyang as well), Ye Yan (葉彥), whom Zhang Jun had treated well before, found out about this, and went to meet Zhang Ge, stating, "The Lord Chancellor cannot escape this disaster, but you, master, should make a different plan!" Zhang Jun then stated to Zhang Ge, "If you remain here, you will just die with us. If you flee, the family seeds can continue." Zhang Ge, after a tearful farewell, left with Ye, who took 30 men sworn to protect Zhang Ge, and escorted him as far as the Han River, and Zhang Ge subsequently fled to Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu, Sichuan). Meanwhile, Yang's men arrived, surrounded Zhang Jun's vacation estate, and slaughtered the entire household. (Zhang Ge's younger brother Zhang Bo, whom Emperor Zhaozong had earlier granted the imperial family name of Li and given a new name of Yan, was serving as Emperor Zhaozong's emissary to Yang Xingmi the military governor of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu), and therefore also escaped this fate.)

During Former Shu

During Wang Jians reign

In 907, Zhu Quanzhong had Emperor Ai yield the throne to him, ending Tang Dynasty and starting a new Later Liang with him as its Emperor Taizu. Wang Jian the military governor of Xichuan, along with several other regional governors, refused to recognize the new Later Liang emperor, but after a joint declaration by Wang and Yang Wo the military governor of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu) failed to caused a mass uprising by Later Liang subjects, Wang decided to declare himself emperor of a new state of Shu (known in history as Former Shu). He respected the Tang officials who fled to his realm, and Zhang Ge was among those people that he treated well. As of 908, Zhang was serving as an imperial scholar (翰林學士, Hanlin Xueshi) when there was a Buddhist monk who gauged one eyeball out and offered to Wang as a sign of his devotion. Wang was initially touched and was ready to award food enough to feed 10,000 monks. Zhang urged against it, pointing out that mutilating oneself was not something that should be rewarded for. Wang agreed. Shortly after, Zhang, who was also by that point referred to as the deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎, Hubu Shilang), was made Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎, deputy head of the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng)) and a chancellor with the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事). It was said that while Zhang served as chancellor, he flattered and agreed with Wang, and found ways to eliminate people who were more talented than he was.

In 912, when Former Shu was engaged in a war with its northern neighbor Qi, Later Liang's Emperor Taizu, hoping to exploit the situation, sent a group of emissaries, headed by the official Lu Ci (盧玼), to Former Shu, hoping to establish friendly relations, and his letter to Wang went as far as addressing Wang as "older brother." However, one of the seals on the letter bore the text, "From the Great Liang to Shu," and Zhang pointed out that this was a form of address that treated Shu as a vassal. Wang, in reaction, wanted to kill the emissaries, but Zhang persuaded him not to, pointing out that this was the fault of the Later Liang officials who drafted the text, and should not be blamed against the emissaries or cause disruption of the relationship. Thereafter, Wang treated Zhang with even greater respect.

In 913, Former Shu's then-crown prince Wang Yuanying, who was locked in a power struggle against the director of palace communications Tang Daoxi, killed Tang in an armed confrontation, but shortly after was himself killed by his own soldiers. Wang Jian initially mourned Wang Yuanying deeply and suspected his adoptive son, the general Wang Zonghan (王宗翰), of killing Wang Yuanying without first receiving his approval, and there were fears that Wang Jian would carry out wide-scale reprisals. However, at that time, Zhang, who was drafting Wang Jian's declaration to the people regarding the incident, submitted his draft, and the draft contained language that read, "Without carrying out the execution by the axe, the imperial shrine would be severely harmed." Wang Jian realized that despite his love for Wang Yuanying, he could not let it damage the state's foundations, and therefore ordered that Wang Yuanying be posthumously demoted to commoner rank; no reprisals occurred for Wang Yuanying's death besides the execution of the actual killer and some executions or exiles of Wang Yuanying's staff members.

Shortly after Wang Yuanying's death, the official Pan Kang urged Wang Jian to create a new crown prince. Wang Jian initially considered Wang Zonglu (王宗輅) the Prince of Ya, whom he considered to most like himself, and Wang Zongjie (王宗傑) the Prince of Xin, whom he considered to be most talented. However, Wang Jian's favorite concubine Consort Xu wanted to have her son Wang Zongyan the Prince of Zheng, who was Wang Jian's youngest son, become crown prince, and she had Tang Wenyi (唐文扆) the overseer of imperial stables persuade Zhang to support Wang Zongyan. Zhang drafted a petition supporting Wang Zongyan, and then met with a number of generals with great accomplishments, falsely informing them that it was Wang Jian's wishes that they publicly support Wang Zongyan; those generals, believing Zhang, signed the petition. After Wang Jian received the petition, he, despite his doubts about Wang Zongyan's youth and lack of ability, believed that this was actually the wishes of the officials and created Wang Zongyan crown prince. Later, after Wang Jian realized Zhang's role in Wang Zongyan's becoming crown prince and saw that Wang Zongyan was wasting time in cockfighting and polo with the other princes, became angry at Zhang. However, with Consort Xu protecting Zhang, Wang Jian never removed Zhang from his post.

In 918, Wang Jian grew deathly ill, and he entrusted Wang Zongyan to a group of officials led by his adoptive son, the general Wang Zongbi. However, Tang Wenyi wanted to hold onto power, and therefore, when Wang Jian grew even sicker, used the imperial guard soldiers he commanded to prevent the officials from entering the palace to see Wang Jian. However, his associate Pang Zaiying (潘在迎) betrayed him and allowed Wang Zongbi and the other officials inside the palace to take charge. Tang was exiled and, as soon as Wang Jian died, executed. Wang Zongyan took the throne. (Shortly after, Wang Zongyan changed his name to Wang Yan.)

During Wang Yans reign

Zhang Ge remained chancellor in the immediate aftermaths of Wang Yan's ascension to the throne, but was fearful of what would happen to him due to his long-term association with Tang Wenyi. He considered resigning his post first himself, but was dissuaded from doing so by his associate Yang Fen (楊玢) the minister of rites. However, shortly after, both Zhang and Yang were demoted, and Zhang was initially made the prefect of Mao Prefecture (茂州, in modern Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan), then further demoted to be the census officer at Wei Prefecture (維州, in modern Ngawa as well). Upon further accusations by the director of palace communications, Yu Ningji, Zhang was then further removed from all offices and exiled to Heshui Base (合水鎮, in Mao Prefecture). Yu further directed the prefect of Mao, Gu Chengyan (顧城郾) to guard Zhang carefully and submit further accusations against him. The wife of the prominent general Wang Zongkan (王宗侃, also adoptive son of Wang Jian's), however, was also named Zhang and wanted to protect him, and therefore persuaded Gu, through Gu's mother, not to do so, leading to Yu later finding excuses to punish Gu, but allowing Zhang's life to be saved.

By 924, however, Zhang had returned to the Former Shu imperial government to serve as You Pushe (右僕射, one of the heads of the executive bureau (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng)). That year, he was again made Zhongshu Shilang and chancellor. He took vengeance on an administrator at the legislative bureau, Wang Lurou (王魯柔), who had joined in the accusations against him in 918, and had Wang caned to death. (This led his associate Xu Ji (許寂) to comment, "Lord Zhang is talented but unwise. His killing of Wang Lurou will cause other people to feel insecure. This is a way to bring disaster." However, no actual repercussions of Wang Lurou's death appeared to have occurred.)

During Later Tang

In 925, Former Shu fell to an invasion by Later Tang (whose founding emperor, Emperor Zhuangzong, had earlier destroyed Later Liang and taken over its territory), commanded by Emperor Zhuangzong's son Li Jiji the Prince of Wei and his chief of staff Guo Chongtao. A number of Former Shu officials were forcibly moved to the Later Tang capital Luoyang — although, by the time they reached Luoyang in 926, Emperor Zhuangzong himself had been killed in a mutiny and was succeeded by his adoptive brother Emperor Mingzong. Zhang Ge was among the officials moved to Luoyang. Remembering how Ye Yan had saved his life, he tried to find Ye to show gratitude. Ye had died by that point, so he gave a large gift to Ye's family.

Emperor Mingzong initially gave Zhang the honorary title of advisor to the Crown Prince — even though there was no crown prince at that time. The chancellor Ren Huan was impressed by Zhang's abilities, and therefore had Zhang made his deputy in his role as the director of the three financial agencies (i.e., the directorate of taxation, the directorate of budget, and the director of salt and iron monopolies). However, Zhang died shortly after.

Notes and references

• History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 71.

• Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms (十國春秋), vol. 41.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 264, 266, 268, 270, 273.