生平

張士誠，原名張九四，運鹽工出身，因不堪鹽官壓迫，至正十三年（1353年），與其弟張士義、張士德、張士信與鹽販李伯升等十八人起兵反元，不久便攻下泰州、興化、高郵等江北重鎮。

至正十四年正月（1354年），在高郵建國，號大周，自稱誠王，以天佑為年號。

至正十四年（1354年）九月，元朝太師兼右丞相脫脫率重兵南下攻高郵。十一月，于城外大敗張士誠軍，士誠退入城中固守。十二月，元軍攻占外城。危急之時，元順帝聽信讒言，解除脫脫兵權，臨陣換將，元軍軍心渙散。張士誠部趁機反擊，大敗元軍。

至正十六年（1355年），張士誠繼續向南發展，攻入平江路（今蘇州市）並改平江路為隆平府。

至正十七年（1357年），元朝江浙行省平章達識帖睦邇派楊完者攻打張士誠，張士誠由於面臨被元軍與方國珍夾擊的情況便投降元朝，被封為太尉。至正十八年（1358年），分化達識帖睦邇與楊完者的關係，最後成功說服達識帖睦邇聯合攻打楊完者，楊完者兵敗自縊身亡。

張士誠乘朱元璋與陳友諒大戰的機會，勢力不斷擴張，擁有北至徐州、南至紹興的割據實力，擁兵數十萬；並且曾多次運糧十餘萬石至元大都（今北京）。

二十三年（1363年）三月，遣呂珍出擊大敗紅巾軍劉福通部於安豐。劉福通戰死，韓林兒投靠朱元璋。九月，張士誠自稱「吳王」，以其弟張士信為丞相，用黃敬夫、蔡彥文、葉德新三人為參軍，正式割據反元。二十四年（1364年），張士誠逼迫達識帖睦邇自鴆。

此時朱元璋也如張士誠一般，自封「吳王」，兩位吳王不斷交戰，張士誠以漁鹽近海交通便利，並獲得日本倭寇力量暗中支持（朱元璋統一全國後忌憚倭寇並實施海禁，與此不無關係）。朱元璋以「先取通泰諸郡縣，剪士誠肘翼，然後專取浙西」的方式一步步削弱張士誠；在朱元璋消滅陳友諒之後，至正二十六年（1366年）朱元璋開始對張士誠的勢力進攻，張士誠弟名將張士德尤重挫明軍（明軍大將徐達常言：「唯懼張士德」），惟惜士德之馬發狂，被徐達前鋒趙德勝擒，於金陵絕食而死，士誠力量大失；至正二十七年（1367年）十二月包圍張士誠所居的平江；九月平江城被攻破，張士誠被俘，被押解至應天（今南京）後曾企圖自縊但被部將解救。在押往應天的船上，明史載其「至金陵，竟自縊死，年四十七。命具棺葬之。」另說則是朱元璋審問張士誠，張士誠用斜眼看他，罵道：「天日照爾，不照我而已。」朱怒，將其賜死，以弓弦縊斃，又梟其首於城樓，以示官民。

目前蘇州市斜塘鎮有張士誠墓。

張士誠有養子「五太子」，投降朱元璋。

軼事典故

死不怨泰州張

張士誠，人稱「泰州張」，盤踞江南十餘年，保境安民，輕徭薄賦，與元朝籍貫寶慶府的將領楊完者相比，楊的部隊所到之處，屠殺擄掠，不得民心，江浙人稱「生不謝寶慶楊，死不怨泰州張」。

燒久思香

蘇州市中心觀前街南不遠處，有一條叫王府基的小巷，本地人稱作「皇廢基」，這裡曾是張士誠王宮所在地。蘇州至今保留著一個奇怪的風俗，每年農曆七月三十晚，古城的大街小巷裡就會有星星點點的香燭插在地上，俗稱「燒久思香」，據說那天是地藏王菩薩生日，張士誠起兵時自稱是地藏王轉世，而「久思」正是其小名「九四」的諧音，這香便是蘇州百姓在祭拜他，明祭「藏王」，暗祭「張王」（本地的「張王」）。是為報答張士誠的功德而設，此俗從明初延續。據說，明太祖朱元璋曾因此生疑，命地方官查詢，民間謂之為「祭地藏王」 。

都天元帥

張士誠卒後，江南各地哀而祀之，稱之為「張王」、「張元帥」，尤其丹徒信仰最烈。卻遭到明太祖朱元璋派人查問，於是說奉祀的是「都天元帥」張巡，由於張巡是忠義殉國的唐朝名將，朱元璋就安下了心。

張士誠其弟張士德被尊為「小王」。

名號玄機

朱元璋原頗禮遇儒生，在儒學領袖李善長涉叛亂案時，如何發配李讓朱元璋頗猶豫，時人即以張士誠本無名，儒者獻名「士誠」，實語出《孟子》一書：「士，誠小人也。」暗譏張士誠不學無術，讒言儒生對君主之不敬，遂導致李善長遇害 。

羅貫中

寫出不朽文學巨著《三國演義》的羅貫中，本是張士誠幕僚。

挂天燈

當年張士誠從常州敗退，沿途百姓怕「子弟兵」迷路，便在路邊樹立起一根根木棒，挂上燈籠，形似現在的路燈，取名「天燈」。後來。「挂天燈」作為一種節慶習俗一直延續到20世紀中葉，可見影響之久遠。

講張

張士誠被朱元璋打敗後，蘇州百姓仍然思念張士誠的恩澤並私下討論。吳語中用「講張」一詞表示談論張士誠，後來逐漸變成講話的意思並延續至今。

Life

Zhang Shicheng was born in what is today the city of Dafeng (大丰), Taizhou prefecture, Jiangsu Province. He came from a family of salt shippers, and he himself started out in this trade in Northern Jiangsu, transporting both "legal" and "contraband" salt, as did his brothers Zhang Shiyi, Zhang Shide, and Zhang Shixin. By his generosity he earned the respect of other salt workers who made him their leader when they rebelled against the oppressive government in 1353.

Zhang Sicheng with his brother soon conquered Taizhou, Xinghua and Gaoyou in 1353. In 1354 Zhang established Kingdom of Dazhou and declared himself as king with era name Tianyou (天佑). Soon afterward, on the same year Zhang controlled Yangzhou, an important center of salt trade on the Grand Canal of China, just north of the Yangtze.

In 1356 Zhang seized Suzhou, the main hub of transportation and commerce of Jiangnan (the "South of the Lower Yangtze" region), and made the city his capital. The lands he now controlled not only were one of the country's main granaries, but also produced over half of all salt in China. Zhang's regime was mostly patterned on the Yuan Dynasty model, but made use of some of the earlier traditional Chinese terminology as well.

Around that time his main rival for domination in central China became Zhu Yuanzhang, who had just installed himself in Nanjing. It is reported that after several defeats from troops loyal to Zhu in 1356-57, Zhang offered to pay tribute to Zhu in exchange for the recognition of his autonomy. Zhu, however, refused Zhang's offer, and in 1357 Zhang accepted a title from the Yuan government, and agreed to start shipping grain to the Yuan capital (Beijing) region by sea.

Zhang had significantly expanded his domain by 1363, when he declared himself the King of Wu (吴王, Wu Wang), possibly following the example of his main rival, the Nanjing-based Zhu Yuanzhang, who had earlier (1361) made himself the Duke of Wu (吴公, Wu Gong). Not to be outdone, in 1364 Zhu promoted himself to a King (Wang) of Wu

as well.

It is speculated by modern historians that if Zhang had been more decisive and cooperated with another rival (and the western neighbor) of Zhu, Chen Youliang, Zhang and Chen could have crushed Zhu's incipient Ming state. However, "indolent" Zhang was apparently content to merely control the lower Yangtze region; his two attempts to attack Zhu's territories were both defeated decisively.

After Zhu Yuanzhang's victory over Chen Youliang and his son Chen Li and taking full control of their former territories (by around 1365), Zhu was able to turn more of his fighting power against Zhang. Zhu's started with cutting off Zhang from any possible aid from the Yuan rulers in the north. This was accomplished by his taking Gaoyou on the Grand Canal of China on April 24, 1366. In the same year (1366), Zhang lost his younger brother Zhang Shide, who was also an important general in his army, feared by Zhu's troops, when the younger Zhang fell from his horse and died. By late December 1366, Zhang's capital Suzhou was surrounded by Zhu's army.

The struggle between the two "Kings of Wu" came to the end on October 1, 1367, when Suzhou fell to Zhu Yuanzhang's troops after a 10-month siege.

Zhang tried to hang himself. but was discovered in the act, captured, and taken to Zhu's capital, Nanjing. What happened to Zhang there is not known for sure: according to various sources, he was either beaten to death or finally managed to hang himself successfully. Meanwhile, Zhu incorporated a quarter million of Zhang's troops into his army, proclaimed himself the first emperor of the new Ming Dynasty on the (Chinese) New Year Day of 1368 (January 20 or 23, 1368) and punished Zhang's surviving supporters in Suzhou by extortionate taxes.

Zhang Shicheng's tomb in Xietang, Suzhou is still standing today. After his death, his memory still made an impression in the hearts of the peoples of Suzhou. On every 30 July (Zhang's birthday), the locals of Suzhou celebrated with straw dragon toys hanging at the doors of their houses. At the same time, they set fire to 94 straw stems, the significance being "9" and "4" forming Zhang's birth name; at the same time, it was a homonym for "continued remembrance" (久思). According to tradition, as emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang became suspicious of these local practises, and asked local officials to investigate; the locals claimed that they were worshipping Kṣitigarbha (地藏王, Dizangwang in Mandarin). This was again another word play as the locals were actually worshipping Zhang as a local prince (地张王, Dizhangwang). This celebration continued under Communist rule, and lasted until the establishment of the People's Republic of China.

Luo Guanzhong and Zhang Shicheng

Although very little reliable information exists about the life of the famous novelist Luo Guanzhong, some scholars surmise that Luo may have been a member of Zhang Shicheng's staff during the early days of Zhang's kingdom. It is believed Luo became disillusioned with Zhang after he made accommodations with the Mongol rulers. After the disillusionment, Luo turned to a literary career, writing his Romance of the Three Kingdoms. However, the scant historical evidence has been interpreted in various ways, with arguments in favor of Luo having been on the side of other participants in the conflict.