Zhang Hongjing - During Emperor Xianzong's Reign

During Emperor Xianzong's Reign

In 814, when Emperor Dezong's grandson Emperor Xianzong was emperor, Zhang Hongjing was recalled to Chang'an and made the minister of justice (刑部尚書) as well as chancellor de facto with the title of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事). Soon after he became chancellor, the warlord Wu Shaoyang the military governor of Zhangyi Circuit (彰義, headquartered in modern Zhumadian, Henan) died, and at the advice of Zhang's fellow chancellor Li Jifu, Emperor Xianzong prepared for a campaign to seize control of Zhangyi by force if necessary, rather than allowing Wu's son Wu Yuanji to inherit the circuit. Zhang suggested first declaring a mourning period for Wu Shaoyang and then sending a key official to Zhangyi to mourn Wu Shaoyang and observe what Wu Yuanji's attitude was. Emperor Xianzong agreed and sent the official Li Junhe (李君何) to Zhangyi. 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. Around this time, Zhang was created the Marquess of Gaoping.

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. The Chengde officers were arrested and interrogated, and they confessed to assassinating Wu Yuanheng. Zhang, suspecting that these confessions were extracted by torture, requested further investigations. Emperor Xianzong declined and had them executed, and subsequently declared Wang a renegade, although he did not immediately order a campaign against Wang. However, Wang subsequently reacted by pillaging his surrounding circuits, and Emperor Xianzong was set to do so. Zhang, pointing out that it would be difficult for the empire to maintain two campaigns simultaneously, suggested waiting until the campaign against Zhangyi were complete. Emperor Xianzong did not agree, and Zhang thus offered to resign. In spring 816, Emperor Xianzong thus made Zhang the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), still carrying the chancellor title as an honorary title. Emperor Xianzong, who did not want to publicly go against Zhang's advice while Zhang remained chancellor, then declared a general campaign against Wang, even before Zhang could arrive at Taiyuan. Zhang prepared the Hedong army and requested to personally command the troops against Wang. Emperor Xianzong allowed him to send his troops but declined his request to personally command them. The imperial army was unsuccessful against Wang, but Wang became fearful after Wu Yuanji was captured and executed in 817, and subsequent submitted to the imperial government and surrendered two of his six prefectures to imperial control.

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. It was said that when Zhang served at Hedong and Xuanwu, as he succeeded stern military governors, he was lenient and frugal, and the armies and the people were comforted by his leniency and frugality.