Zhang Chai was a minister and regent of China's Later Zhao dynasty during the Sixteen Kingdoms period.
17 Facts About Zhang Chai
1.
2.
Zhang Chai was a man from Guangping County in Julu Commandery.
3.
Zhang Chai appears to have followed Shi Le during the split.
4.
Zhang Chai had a son with Shi Hu, who they named Shi Shi.
5.
Zhang Chai had just executed his heir, Shi Xuan, who plotted to assassinate him before he was discovered.
6.
Under the guise of concern, Zhang Chai actually wanted Shi Shi installed because he was still a child.
7.
Zhang Chai was confident that Shi Hu was about to die soon, and supporting Shi Shi would greatly increase his personal power.
8.
When Shi Hu sent Zhang Chai to ask why, he expressed his belief that it was not proper to have a child be emperor.
9.
Zhang Chai was appointed Grand General Who Guards And Protects, General Who Leads The Army, and Supervisor of the Masters of Writing.
10.
Once Shi Bin started participating in excessively indulgent activities, Empress Liu and Zhang Chai forged an edict denouncing him as an unfilial son and had him confined in his home, where Zhang had his brother Zhang Xiong watch the prince with his soldiers.
11.
Zhang Chai later sent a false edict to his brother telling him to kill Shi Bin.
12.
Zhang Chai was to hold so much power that it was comparable to that of Huo Guang during the Han dynasty.
13.
However, Zhang Chai objected and instead suggested that Shi Zun and the Prince of Yiyang, Shi Jian be made Prime Ministers of the Left and Right respectively to appease them, which she agreed.
14.
Zhang Chai planned to execute him but one of the conspirators, Zhang Ju was a friend of Li Nong, so he leaked the plot to him, giving Li ample time to flee to Guangzong.
15.
Meanwhile, Zhang Chai appointed Zhang Li as Grand General Who Guards The Army and Chief of all military affairs to act as his adjutant.
16.
Zhang Chai tried to kill as many defectors that he can but most of them escaped to the opposing side.
17.
Zhang Chai was executed at the Pingle market square in Ye along with his family members to the third degree.