Zhang Jiafu

Who was Zhang Jiafu?

Zhang Jiafu was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, briefly serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Shang.

Despite Zhang's high status, little is firmly established about his career except for the time that he served as chancellor—as, unusual for a chancellor, he did not have a biography in either the Book of Tang or the New Book of Tang. He was not even included among the chancellors of the Zhang clan in the table of the chancellors' family trees in the New Book of Tang.

As of 691, during Wu Zetian's reign, Zhang Jiafu was serving as Fengge Sheren, a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government, when he was involved in instigating a petition drive led by Wang Qingzhi to persuade Wu Zetian to make her nephew Wu Chengsi the Prince of Wei crown prince to displace her son Li Dan, who was emperor from 684 to 690 until Wu Zetian took the throne herself. The petition drive initially got Wu Zetian's attention, and the chancellors Cen Changqian and Ge Fuyuan were executed for vehemently opposing it. However, she never made Wu Chengsi crown prince, and after Wang was killed by the official Li Zhaode later in the year, the petition drive dissipated.