Zhang He

Who was Zhang He?

Zhang He, style name Junyi, was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. He continued serving in the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period until his death.

Zhang He began his military career when the Yellow Turban Rebellion erupted in 184 and subsequently served under the warlords Han Fu and Yuan Shao before defecting to Cao Cao during the Battle of Guandu. He participated in many major campaigns, including those against Yuan Tan, Zhang Lu, Ma Chao, and Liu Bei. After Cao Cao's death in 220, Zhang He was primarily engaged with defending the state of Cao Wei against the Northern Expeditions led by Zhuge Liang of Shu Han. He died from an arrow wound received during an encounter with Shu forces in 231.

Famed for his resourcefulness that even Zhuge Liang was said to be wary of, Zhang He was considered by Chen Shou, author of the historical text Records of the Three Kingdoms, to be one of the Five Elite Generals of Cao Cao, along with Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, Yue Jin and Yu Jin. He was also said to be full of respect for Confucian scholars, and supported the idea of allowing masters of the Five Classics to serve in the imperial court of Cao Pi, the first emperor of Wei.