Zhang Chengye

[1] During the reign of Emperor Xizong's brother and successor Emperor Zhaozong, Zhang was frequently sent as an emissary to the major warlord Li Keyong the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi) and became friendly with Li Keyong.

[1] However, Emperor Zhaozong subsequently chose to flee to Zhenguo Circuit (鎮國, headquartered in modern Weinan), then-ruled by the military governor Han Jian instead.

[5] While Emperor Zhaozong was at Zhenguo's capital Hua Prefecture (華州), Zhang received a title as a general of the Left Shence Army.

[1] Later, Li Keyong's military strengths were greatly decreased, and his archenemy Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan) was the strongest warlord of the land, such that Zhu was even able to put Hedong's capital Taiyuan Municipality under siege in 901 and nearly captured it.

Han had Emperor Zhaozong issue an edict calling for the regional governors to all attack Zhu, and Zhang, as the eunuch monitor of Hedong, advocated that Li Keyong launch an army to aid Fengxiang.

[10] One decision Li Cunxu had to make immediately was how or whether to try to aid his cousin Li Sizhao the military governor of Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in modern Changzhi, Shanxi), who was then under siege at Zhaoyi's capital Lu Prefecture (潞州) by a large Later Liang army.

After the victory, Li Cunxu entrusted much of the governance of the circuit to Zhang, honoring him as an elder brother and often visiting his mansion to pay tribute to his mother.

Jin also launched an army, commanded by Zhang, to try to aid the Qi/Former Shu attack by diverting Later Liang forces.

However, after the Later Liang generals Liu Zhijun and Wang Chongshi (王重師) defeated Qi troops, all three states withdrew.

After the victory, Li Cunxu marched south, initially attending to seize more Later Liang territory; he assigned Zhang and Li Cunzhang the task of sieging Xing Prefecture (邢州, in modern Xingtai, Hebei), although he soon stopped the attack to concentrate on his subsequent campaign against Liu Shouguang, who had declared himself the emperor of a new state of Yan.

You Prefecture fell, and Liu, after initially fleeing, was captured, ending Yan and allowing Jin to seize its territory.

[12][13] Over the years, during Li Cunxu's campaigns, Zhang was in charge of governing the people and overseeing the financial welfare of the state.

He also was in charge of purchasing and manufacturing weapons, acquiring horses, collecting taxes, and enforcing laws fairly.

When Zhang heard this, he went from Jin's capital Taiyuan Municipality to Li Cunxu's then-location at Wei Prefecture (魏州, in modern Handan, Hebei) to try to dissuade him, pointing out that Jin's public appeal had been for the reestablishment of Tang, and that the appeal would be lost if Li Cunxu himself took the throne:[2] You, my Prince, has for generations been faithful to the Tang imperial house, so this old slave of yours has spent more than 30 years gathering wealth and collecting soldiers and horses for you, Prince, swearing to destroy the treasonous bandit and reestablish our dynasty's ancestral temples.

[1] Zhang Chengye is depicted in the Wu Shuang Pu (無雙譜, Table of Peerless Heroes) by Jin Guliang.