In the two preceding articles, we discussed Cao Cao’s recovery of Yan Province and Zhang Miao’s betrayal of Cao Cao. Both accounts involved a key figure: Zhang Chao, Zhang Miao’s younger brother. In December 195, Cao Cao besieged Yongqiu, where Zhang Chao was stationed, eventually conquering the city and executing Zhang Chao and all his family members.
Prior to the fall of Yongqiu, Zhang Chao’s decision to hold the city rather than flee was largely due to his earlier dispatch of a distress letter to his close friend Zang Hong, firmly believing that Zang Hong would come to his aid.
This article explores the deep bond between Zang Hong and Zhang Chao, the circumstances of Zhang Chao’s downfall, and the moral crisis that drove Zang Hong to rebellion—events largely omitted from Luo Guanzhong’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms but vividly recorded in Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms and Fan Ye’s Book of the Later Han.
In the turbulent final years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the struggle for power among warlords often overshadowed the virtues of loyalty, righteousness, and personal integrity. Among the most poignant and tragic stories of this era is the revolt of Zang Hong, a man whose unwavering sense of duty led to a heroic but doomed stand against one of the most powerful warlords of the time, Yuan Shao.
The Fall of Zhang Chao
In December 195 AD, Cao Cao laid siege to Yongqiu, where Zhang Chao, the younger brother of Zhang Miao, was making his final stand. Zhang Chao had joined Lü Bu in rebelling against Cao Cao, and now faced annihilation.
What made Zhang Chao’s defense particularly tragic was his unshakable belief in rescue. As the siege tightened, he told his officers:
“Only Zang Hong will come to save me.”
His subordinates doubted: “Zang Hong now serves Yuan Shao, who is allied with Cao Cao. How could he risk offending Yuan Shao for your sake?”
But Zhang Chao replied with conviction:
“Zang Hong is a true man of righteousness. He will never forget his roots. If he does not come, it will only be because he is restrained.”
This belief was not unfounded—it was rooted in a deep bond forged through years of shared ideals and loyalty.
The Bond between Zang Hong and Zhang Chao
Zang Hong came from a prominent official family and was known in his youth for his eloquence and moral integrity. Disillusioned by the corruption and eunuch dominance of the late Han court, he resigned from office and returned to his hometown.
Zhang Chao, the Governor of Guangling, heard of Zang Hong’s talent and reputation and repeatedly visited him, eventually persuading him to serve as Gongcao (Chief Clerk), a key administrative and military advisor.
When Dong Zhuo seized power in 189 AD, it was Zang Hong who urged Zhang Chao to raise an army against the tyrant. Together, they traveled to Changliu to join Zhang Chao’s elder brother, Zhang Miao, the Governor of Chenliu. The brothers and Zang Hong became central figures in the “Alliance at Suanzao” (190 AD), one of the first major coalitions formed to oppose Dong Zhuo.
This shared struggle forged a deep bond of loyalty and brotherhood between Zang Hong and Zhang Chao—one that transcended mere political alliance.
The Plea for Help and Yuan Shao’s Refusal
When news reached Zang Hong—then serving as Governor of Dong Commandery under Yuan Shao—that Zhang Chao was besieged at Yongqiu, he was overcome with grief and urgency.
He immediately mobilized his own troops and repeatedly petitioned Yuan Shao for reinforcements to rescue his former lord and friend.
However, Yuan Shao was in a delicate political alliance with Cao Cao. Both had recently cooperated to defeat Lü Bu and Yuan Shu, and Yuan Shao had no intention of jeopardizing this relationship over the fate of Zhang Chao, a defeated rebel.
Yuan Shao flatly refused Zang Hong’s requests. Worse, he placed Zang Hong under surveillance, forbidding him from acting independently. Yuan Shao even attempted to relocate Zang Hong to another post to weaken his influence.
Zang Hong was powerless. Despite his desperate efforts, he could not break free from Yuan Shao’s control.
The Fall of Yongqiu
Three months later, in early 196 AD, Yongqiu fell. Zhang Chao and his entire family were executed by Cao Cao, marking the end of the Zhang brothers’ line.
When the news reached Zang Hong, he was shattered. He realized that Yuan Shao valued political expediency over righteousness and had betrayed the very principles of loyalty and justice that Zang Hong held sacred.
In a moment of profound moral clarity, Zang Hong publicly severed ties with Yuan Shao. He declared his independence, raised the banner of rebellion, and prepared to defend his city of Dongwuyang to the death.
The Siege of Dongwuyang
Yuan Shao, furious at the betrayal, first attempted to negotiate. He sent envoys to persuade Zang Hong to surrender, but Zang Hong refused absolutely, declaring:
“You side with Cao Cao and abandon a loyal friend. How can I serve such a lord?”
Seeing diplomacy fail, Yuan Shao laid siege to Dongwuyang with a massive army.
The siege lasted nearly a year. Despite overwhelming odds, Zang Hong inspired the city’s 7,000 soldiers and civilians to resist with unyielding courage.
As food supplies ran out, the defenders resorted to eating tree bark, leather, and even rats. When messengers from Yuan Shao mocked him, saying, “Your cause is hopeless. Why let so many innocent people die?”, Zang Hong replied:
“I know we will perish. But I cannot betray my conscience. Let those who wish to live surrender; I will die with the righteous.”
Yet not a single person defected. In the end, when the city fell, all 7,000 perished—fighting to the last breath or choosing death over surrender.
Zang Hong himself was captured and executed by Yuan Shao, but his name became legendary for his uncompromising loyalty and moral courage.
The forgotten hero of the Three Kingdoms
Though Zang Hong is absent from Romance of the Three Kingdoms, his story is one of the most powerful testaments to personal integrity in the historical record.
His rebellion was not for power or territory, but for principle. He died not as a conqueror, but as a martyr of righteousness.
In an age of betrayal and ambition, Zang Hong stood alone, choosing loyalty over survival, and moral duty over political convenience.
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