Zhang Hongjing (simplified Chinese: 张弘靖; traditional Chinese: 張弘靖; pinyin: Zhāng Hóngjìng) (760 – July 24, 824[1][2]), courtesy name Yuanli (元理), formally the Marquess of Gaoping (高平侯), was an official of the Tang dynasty of China, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xianzong.
Zhang Hongjing, on account of his heritage, was made an officer at Henan Municipality (河南, i.e., the region of the eastern capital Luoyang), and later served as the sheriff of Lantian County (藍田, in modern Xi'an, Shaanxi).
[5] There was an occasion when the officer Linghu Yun (令狐運) had been chasing thugs out of the city that a robbery occurred in the same locale.
[3] Soon afterwards, when Princess Deyang was set to be married,[6] the mansion that Emperor Dezong was constructing for her would have required the destruction of Zhang's ancestral shrine.
Zhang requested an audience with Emperor Dezong, and he pleaded on account of his grandfather's and father's virtues.
Zhang later served successively in a number of positions — Libu Yuanwailang (禮部員外郎), a low-level official at the ministry of rites (禮部, Libu); Bingbu Langzhong (兵部郎中), a supervisorial official at the ministry of defense (兵部, Bingbu) (and at this time, he was also in charge of drafting edicts); Zhongshu Sheren (中書舍人), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng) (and at the time, he was also in charge of selecting officials to be stationed at Luoyang); deputy minister of public works (工部侍郎, Gongbu Shilang); deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎, Hubu Shilang); governor (觀察使, Guanchashi) of Shan'guo Circuit (陝虢, headquartered in modern Sanmenxia, Henan); and military governor (Jiedushi) of Hezhong Circuit (河中, headquartered in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi).
Wu Yuanji refused to allow Li Junhe to enter his domain and further pillaged the cities of the surrounding circuits, thus leading to a general imperial campaign against Zhangyi.
[8] In 815, Zhang's fellow chancellor Wu Yuanheng, who had been put in charge of the campaign against Zhangyi after Li Jifu died late in 814, was assassinated.
Suspicions fell on a number of officers from Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei) stationed at Chang'an, as Chengde's military governor, Wang Chengzong, was an ally of Wu Yuanji's and had been submitting petitions attacking Wu Yuanheng and urging the end of the campaign against Zhangyi.
[9] In 819, after Han Hong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan) went to Chang'an to pay homage to Emperor Xianzong and then requested to remain at Chang'an, Zhang was made the military governor of Xuanwu and continued to carry the honorary chancellor title.
Further, believing that a number of senior army officers, including Zhu Kerong, were difficult to control, he sent them to Chang'an and requested that Emperor Muzong give them promotions.
[11] Upon hearing of the mutiny, Emperor Muzong, intending to calm the mutineers, announced that Zhang would be demoted to be the prefect of Ji Prefecture (吉州, in modern Ji'an, Jiangxi).