Zhang Yue

Who was Zhang Yue?

Zhang Yue, courtesy name Daoji or Yuezhi, formally Duke Wenzhen of Yan, was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as a chancellor three separate stints during the reigns of Emperor Ruizong and Emperor Xuanzong. He is known for having suggested the transition of Tang central government armed forces from being conscription-based to recruitment-based, and for turning the office of the chancellor into a specialized post with strong executive powers.

Zhang Yue was a well-respected literary figure of his time, and was ranked alongside Su Ting as the two great writers of the Kaiyuan era. They were known in unison as 燕许大手笔.