Zhang Er
His friendship unto death with Chen Yu turned into bitter enmity; after defeating Zhao alongside Han Xin, he was made King of Zhao.
Life
Retainer of the Lord of Xinling
Zhang Er was a native of Daliang in the State of Wei. As a young man he had been a retainer of Lord Xinling, and Liu Bang in his early years had also been a guest in his household. He and Chen Yu were friends unto death.
Sworn friendship turned enmity
At the end of the Qin the two joined Chen Sheng and later set up Zhao Xie as King of Zhao. During the siege of Julu, Chen Yu refused to risk his life to come to the rescue, and the two fell out over it. Zhang Er later submitted to Liu Bang.
Defeated Zhao at Jingxing
In 204 BCE he went east with Han Xin, crushed the Zhao army at Jingxing, and killed Chen Yu. In 203 BCE Liu Bang made him King of Zhao, and he died the following year.
Legacy
Zhang Er and Chen Yu went from sworn friends to mortal enemies; Sima Qian lamented that the two "seized states and fought for power until they destroyed each other," and asked, "Was it not a friendship built on power and profit?"
Major works & achievements
- Pacified Zhao with Han Xin
Did you know? As a young man, Liu Bang once stayed as a guest in Zhang Er's home for several months.
Key dates
- 209 BCEJoined Chen Sheng's uprising
- 207 BCEFell out with Chen Yu during the siege of Julu
- 204 BCEDefeated Zhao alongside Han Xin and killed Chen Yu
- 203 BCEMade King of Zhao
- 202 BCEDied