张敞 / Zhang Chang (Western Han)

Overview

张敞 / Zhang Chang enters the wiki through Hanji 469 as a Western Han official proposed by 郑朋 as a possible crown-prince teacher under 汉元帝.

Current Profile

Hanji 469 presents Zhang Chang as competent but informal. Xiao Wangzhi acknowledges his ability, especially in difficult local administration, yet judges him insufficiently learned and dignified for the role of crown-prince teacher. Yuan summons Zhang for another office, but Zhang dies before taking it. The host uses the familiar story of Zhang painting his wife’s eyebrows as a contrast to Xiao Wangzhi: Zhang is portrayed as more internally stable under outside judgment.

Key Characteristics

• Capable Western Han official associated in this source with practical local governance ability.
• Proposed by Zheng Peng for crown-prince education but judged unsuitable by Xiao Wangzhi.
• Used by the host as a case of stable self-possession under social criticism.
• His full career remains outside the current source’s bounded evidence.

Evidence

Capability and appointment:

• Hanji 469 says Zheng Peng recommends Zhang Chang, and Xiao Wangzhi agrees Zhang is capable at governing difficult local affairs.
• Hanji 469 says Xiao considers Zhang’s learning and dignified bearing insufficient for crown-prince instruction, and Zhang dies before taking the office Yuan summons him toward.

Self-possession:

• Hanji 469 uses Zhang’s eyebrow-painting story to present him as someone not governed by other people’s measuring sticks.

Qualifications

This page is source-scoped to Hanji 469. It does not reconstruct Zhang Chang’s full offices, legal record, administrative achievements, or the historical development of the eyebrow-painting anecdote.

What Changed

• Created from Hanji 469 as a competent but informal Western Han official contrasted with Xiao Wangzhi’s reputation vulnerability.

Relationships

• 汉元帝 - ruler who consults Xiao Wangzhi and summons Zhang toward office.
• 萧望之 - evaluator who distinguishes Zhang’s practical ability from crown-prince-teacher suitability.
• 郑朋 - recommender who brings Zhang into the episode’s court discussion.