Career
Foreign the Chinese-British writer, see Jung Chang
A native of Jiangsu, he entered upon official life as secretary to the Prince of Xin"an. This caused the Emperor to say sarcastically that he must be provided with some well-paid post, and to send him to Fengxi (封溪) in Annam. Zhang declared at starting that he had no fear as to returning.
His only fear was that he might be sent back again.
On the road, he fell into the hands of bandits. But when they were about to cut his head off, they found him quietly inditing a poem, at which they were so astonished that they let him go.
He managed to reach Huế after a long passage, during which he composed a famous poem, called Song of the Sea (海賦), admitted by Xu Kaizhi (徐凱之) to be superior to his own work under the same title. On his return, he was raised to high office, and was subsequently a great favourite with the Emperor Gao of Southern Qi, who said that he could not do without one such man, nor with two.
In spite of his exalted rank he dressed so poorly that on one occasion his Majesty sent him an old suit of clothes, with a message that a tailor had been instructed to take his measure for a new one.