Zhang Hao (Chinese: 張顥; pinyin: Zhāng Hào) (died June 18, 908[1][2]) was a guard commander for late Chinese Tang dynasty warlord Yang Xingmi the Prince of Wu, who was the military governor (jiedushi) of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu), and Yang Xingmi's son Yang Wo (Prince Wei of Hongnong) early in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.
Along with fellow guard commander Xu Wen, he took over reins of the Hongnong state (which, in later times, would be known as Wu) by effectively putting Yang Wo under physical control.
Rather, he allied with Ni Zhang (倪章) the prefect of Shu Prefecture (舒州, in modern Anqing, Anhui) to jointly resist Yang.
Yang initially assigned him to serve under Yuan Zhen (袁稹) the commander of Yinqiang Corps (銀槍都).
[3] Zhang Hao's activities over the next 12 years were not recorded in history, but by 905, by which time Yang Xingmi had come to control the territory between Huai River and Lake Tai and carried the Tang-bestowed title of Prince of Wu, Zhang was serving as the commander of the right guard corps (with another officer of Yang's, Xu Wen, serving as the commander of the left guard corps).
Yang Wo succeeded him and used the lesser title (bestowed by Emperor Zhaozong's emissary Li Yan) the Prince of Hongnong.
[8] After Yang Wo annexed Zhennan Circuit (鎮南, headquartered in modern Nanchang, Jiangxi) in 906,[8] he became increasingly arrogant and intolerant.
When Zhang Hao and Xu Wen tried to tearfully dissuade him from such behavior, he angrily stated to them, "If you believe that I am not capable enough, why do you not kill me and take over yourselves?"
[1] However, Zhang Hao and Xu Wen remained in effective control of the headquarters, and Yang Wo was hoping to, but unable to, eliminate them.
They considered their own positions precarious, however, and they resolved to kill Yang Wo, divide the domain between themselves, and then submit to Later Liang.