Empress Zhang (Liu Shan's second wife)

Empress Zhang's father was the famous general Zhang Fei and her mother was the niece of Xiahou Yuan, a noble lady from the rival state of Cao Wei. She was the sister of Empress Jing'ai and Zhang Bao.

As usual at the time, Empress Zhang only married Liu Shan for political reasons. Liu Shan's father, Liu Bei founded the Shu Han kingdom alongside his sworn brother, Zhang Fei. The Shu Han strategist, Zhuge Liang, recommended that the daughters of the Zhang family marry the sons of the Liu family to ensure the connection and political privileges between them.

During one of Jiang Wei's campaigns against Cao Wei in the north, Xiahou ba surrenders to the Shu kingdom. The reason for the surrender was that Sima Yi orchestrated a coup d'etat against Cao Shuang, the regent of Cao Wei, so Xiahou Ba was opposed to serving the Sima clan. The Xiahou clan that served the Cao clan for many decades surrenders to the enemy of its ancestors.

Empress Zhang's kinship with Xiahou Ba was vital to a good relationship between the Xiahou clan and the Liu clan. Empress Zhang's mother, Lady Xiahou, was Xiahou Ba's cousin, so Liu Shan accepts the surrender.

In 264, after Shu Han was conquered by the rival state of Cao Wei, Empress Zhang accompanied Liu Shan and her entire family to the Wei capital Luoyang.[1]

Empress Zhang is first introduced as a playable character in the fifth instalment of Koei's Dynasty Warriors video game series. She was omitted from Dynasty Warriors 6, but was reintroduced in Dynasty Warriors 7 and has been present since. She is given the fictional name "Xingcai" (星彩) in the games. Although there is no mention of her sister throughout the series, the Scholar Quiz of Dynasty Warriors 7 confirms that Xingcai is the second empress of Liu Shan.

• Shu Han family trees
• Lists of people of the Three Kingdoms

• Chen, Shou (3rd century). Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).