Zhang Jianzhi - During Wu Zetian's Reign

During Wu Zetian's Reign

Early in Wu Zetian's Shengli era (697-700) (when she was ruling as Empress Regnant of a new Zhou Dynasty, interrupting Tang Dynasty), Zhang Jianzhi was promoted to be Fengge Sheren (鳳閣舍人), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government (鳳閣, Fengge). Around that time, he had a debate with the imperial scholar Wang Yuangan (王元感) over whether the traditional three-year mourning period for a parent's death should be three full years (as Wang advocated) or 25 months—i.e., two full calendar years, extending into the first month of the next year (as Zhang advocated). The people at the time were said to be largely approving Zhang's interpretation.

In 698, Wu Zetian was set to enter into a marriage treaty with Ashina Mochuo, the khan of Eastern Tujue, where her grandnephew Wu Yanxiu (武延秀) the Prince of Huaiyang would marry a daughter of Ashina Mochuo. Zhang opposed, stating, "In ancient times, no Chinese imperial prince had ever married a barbarian woman as his wife." This opposition drew displeasure from Wu Zetian, as she wanted peace with Eastern Tujue, and she demoted Zhang to be the prefect of He Prefecture (合州, modern northern Chongqing). (However, the marriage treaty would be doomed, as Ashina Mochuo, not actually having any intent to give a daughter to Wu Yanxiu or to make peace with Wu Zetian, used the excuse that he had intended to marry his daughter to a prince of the Tang imperial Li clan to instead detain Wu Yanxiu and launch a major attack on Zhou.) Later that year, Zhang was serving as the prefect of Shu Prefecture (蜀州, in modern Chengdu), when he made the suggestion that Shu Prefecture, which was required to send 500 conscript soldiers to take up garrison at Yao Prefecture (姚州, roughly modern Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan), no longer be required to do so, as the road was treacherous and the conditions were so severe that many would die—and further that no garrison be put up at Yao Prefecture at all, treating it as vassal territory rather than part of Zhou proper. Wu Zetian did not accept his suggestion.

At some time prior to 700, Zhang was serving as the secretary general of Jing Prefecture (荊州, roughly modern Jingzhou, Hubei), when, on one occasion, Wu Zetian was having a conversation with the senior chancellor Di Renjie, asking Di's recommendation for someone with extraordinary talent, to serve as chancellor or general. Di responded, "As far as literary talent is concerned, Your Imperial Majesty already have them in Su Weidao and Li Jiao, but if you truly want extraordinary talent, I know Zhang Jianzhi, the secretary general of Jing Prefecture. Even though he is old, he is capable of being chancellor." In response, Wu Zetian promoted Zhang to be the military advisor to the prefect of the capital prefecture Luo Prefecture (洛州, roughly modern Luoyang, Henan), sending Yang Yuanyan (楊元琰) to replace him. (When Yang reached Jing Prefecture, Zhang and Yang rowed a boat on the Yangtze River together, and they secretly discussed Wu Zetian's overthrow of Tang Dynasty. During the conversation, Yang expressed sentiment that he wanted to see Tang's restoration—a sentiment that Zhang kept in his mind for later.) A few days after Zhang's promotion, Wu Zetian was again asking Di for a recommendation, and Di responded, "I had just recommended Zhang Jianzhi, and Your Imperial Majesty has not yet promoted him." She responded, "I already did." Di responded, "I recommended a chancellor, not a military advisor." Wu Zetian then, while not promoting Zhang to be chancellor at that time, promoted him to be the deputy minister of justice (秋官侍郎, Qiuguan Shilang).

In 704, as the chancellor Yao Yuanzhi was set to briefly leave Luoyang to serve as the commander of the forces in the Lingwu region, Wu Zetian also asked him to recommend a talented official. Yao responded, "Zhang Jianzhi is deep-thinking and capable of ruling on great things. He is already old. Please promote him quickly." Wu Zetian therefore gave Zhang the designation Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi (同鳳閣鸞臺平章事), making him a chancellor de facto at the age of 79.

In spring 705, with Wu Zetian being ill, Zhang entered into a plot with a number of officials and generals, including Cui Xuanwei, Huan Yanfan, Jing Hui, and Yuan Shuji, to kill Wu Zetian's lovers Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong, who had become powerful much to the distaste of the chancellors. Zhang reminded Yang of his prior desire to restore Tang, and put him, Huan, Jing, and a general who agreed to the plot, Li Dan (李湛), in charge of some of the corps of the imperial guards. He further persuaded the ethnically Mohe general Li Duozuo to join the plot as well, persuading Li Duozuo, who felt indebted to Emperor Gaozong for having promoted him, that Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong were endangering the positions of Emperor Gaozong's sons with Wu Zetian, Li Xian the Crown Prince and Li Dan the Prince of Xiang (note different character than the general). He also received agreement from Yao. With agreement from Li Xian as well, the coup leaders acted on February 20, killing Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong, and then surrounding Wu Zetian. She, in fear, asked, "Who is disturbing me?" Zhang Jianzhi responded, in a formalistic manner:

Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong committed treason. Following the orders of the Crown Prince, we have executed them. Because we were afraid that the secret would be leaked, we did not dare to first report to Your Imperial Majesty. We are guilty of the great disrespect of moving troops within the palace, and should be executed 10,000 times.

Wu Zetian subsequently tried to have Li Xian returned to the palace of the Crown Prince, but the coup leaders ignored her. While the coup leaders allowed Wu Zetian to retain the title of "emperor," they had her put under house arrest at the secondary palace Shangyang Palace (上陽宮) and forced her to yield the throne to Li Xian, who was formerly emperor, and he was restored to the throne (as Emperor Zhongzong).