Textual Research on the Change of Zhang Zhao's Political Position and the Cause of His Conflict with Sun Quan

As an important subject of Sun Wu, Zhang Zhao helped brothers Sun Ce and Sun Quan suppress the rebellion in the area on the south of the Yangtze River so as to establish Sun Quan's dominant position. With the situation in the north stabilized, however, Zhang Zhao maintained that Sun should submit himself to Cao Cao, but Zhang's proposal was not in agreement with Sun's strategy of separatist rule, so Zhang was squeezed out of the military-political decision-making circle. After Sun Quan became the emperor, Zhang's position dropped continuously, lower than the prime minister's in the end. As a representative of literati and officialdom of the Confucious school, Zhang was a man of considerable culture. His conflict with Sun Quan and his followers resulted from their ideological and cultural difference. It is true that Zhang Zhao made certain contributions to the development of Sun Wu's academic learning and culture.