Chen Zhi (Three Kingdoms)

Chen Zhi (died 258), courtesy name Fengzong, was an official of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Though highly talented and considered as a promising youth by his peers, Chen Zhi revealed himself to be a corrupt individual. He had a major role in the decline of Shu's court and Huang Hao's rise at Liu Shan side.

Chen Zhi
陳祗
Prefect of the Masters of Writing (尚書令)
In office
251 (251) – 258 (258)
MonarchLiu Shan
Preceded byLü Yi
Palace Attendant (侍中)
In office
246 (246) – 258 (258)
MonarchLiu Shan
General Who Guards the Army (鎮軍將軍)
In office
251 (251) – 258 (258)
MonarchLiu Shan
Personal details
BornUnknown
Southern Henan
Died258
Chengdu, Sichuan
RelationsXu Jing (granduncle)
Children
  • Chen Can
  • Chen Yu
OccupationOfficial
Courtesy nameFengzong (奉宗)
Posthumous nameMarquis Zhong (忠侯)
In this Chinese name, the family name is Chen.

Life

Chen Zhi was from Runan Commandery (汝南郡), which covered parts of present-day southern Henan and northwestern Anhui. He was a maternal grandson of an elder brother of Xu Jing, who briefly served as Minister over the Masses of the state of Shu during the early Three Kingdoms period. As he was orphaned at a young age, he was raised by his granduncle Xu Jing.[1]

Chen Zhi had quite a reputation in Shu by the time he was about 19 years old. He started his career as an low-level official in the selection bureau of the imperial secretariat of Shu. He was known for having a stern and dignified demeanour. As he was well-versed in a variety of arts and crafts, he impressed Fei Yi, the head of the Shu government between 246 and 253. Following Dong Yun's death in 246, Fei Yi recommended Chen Zhi to replace Dong Yun as a Palace Attendant (侍中).[2]

Chen Zhi quickly earned the favour of the Shu emperor Liu Shan, and formed an alliance with the eunuch Huang Hao to dominate the political scene together. Huang Hao gained power for the first time in his life after Dong Yun's death because Dong Yun distrusted Huang Hao and actively kept him out of politics while he was still alive.[3] Ever since Chen Zhi became one of his most favoured officials, Liu Shan gradually began to resent Dong Yun and see him as "arrogant and disrespectful". Chen Zhi and Huang Hao also often spoke ill of Dong Yun in front of Liu Shan and make the emperor hate Dong Yun even more.[4]

When Lü Yi, the Prefect of the Masters of Writing (尚書令), died in 251,[5] Liu Shan ordered Chen Zhi to replace him. In addition to his appointment as Prefect of the Masters of Writing, Chen Zhi concurrently held the positions of Palace Attendant (侍中) and General Who Guards the Army (鎮軍將軍). Although Chen Zhi ranked lower than General-in-Chief Jiang Wei in the military hierarchy, he had greater influence in politics because he was in the emperor's favour and had Huang Hao's support. Besides, Jiang Wei was also away on military campaigns against Shu's rival state Wei most of the time so he did not regularly attend imperial court sessions.[6]

Chen Zhi died in 258. Liu Shan shed tears and deeply lamented his death, and issued an imperial decree to honour him with the posthumous title "Marquis Zhong" (忠侯; "loyal marquis").[7]

After Chen Zhi's death, Huang Hao continued to rise through the ranks and gain greater power while showing favouritism towards his supporters and those who fawned on him. The Shu government also became more corrupt under Huang Hao's influence until its eventual collapse[8] in 263.[9]

Family

Liu Shan enfeoffed Chen Zhi's first son, Chen Can (陳粲), as a Secondary Marquis (關內侯), and appointed his second son, Chen Yu (陳裕), as a Gentleman of the Yellow Gate (黃門侍郎).[10]

See also

References
  1. ([陳]祗字奉宗，汝南人，許靖兄之外孫也。少孤，長於靖家。) Sanguozhi vol. 39.
  2. (弱冠知名，稍遷至選曹郎，矜厲有威容。多技藝，挾數術，費禕甚異之，故超繼允內侍。) Sanguozhi vol. 39.
  3. (陳祗代允為侍中，與黃皓互相表裏，皓始預政事。) Sanguozhi vol. 39.
  4. (自祗之有寵，後主追怨允日深，謂為自輕，由祗媚茲一人，皓搆閒浸潤故耳。) Sanguozhi vol. 39.
  5. Sima (1084), vol. 75.
  6. (呂乂卒，祗又以侍中守尚書令，加鎮軍將軍，大將軍姜維雖班在祗上，常率衆在外，希親朝政。祗上承主指，下接閹豎，深見信愛，權重於維。) Sanguozhi vol. 39.
  7. (景耀元年卒，後主痛惜，發言流涕，乃下詔曰：「祗統職一紀，柔嘉惟則，幹肅有章，和義利物，庶績允明。命不融遠，朕用悼焉。夫存有令問，則亡加美謚，謚曰忠侯。」) Sanguozhi vol. 39.
  8. (祗死後，皓從黃門令為中常侍、奉車騎都尉，操弄威柄，終至覆國。) Sanguozhi vol. 39.
  9. Sima (1084), vol. 78.
  10. (賜子粲爵關內侯，拔次子裕為黃門侍郎。) Sanguozhi vol. 39.
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