Background

Zhang Xun was born in 709, during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang. He was described as over 1.9 meters tall and had an imposing look. The official histories Old Book of Tang and New Book of Tang disagreed about the location where Zhang's family was from, with the Old Book of Tang indicating that the family was from Pu Prefecture (蒲州, roughly modern Yuncheng, Shanxi) and the New Book of Tang indicating that the family was from Deng Prefecture (鄧州, roughly modern Nanyang, Henan). It was said that he was studious in military strategies in his youth and had great ambitions. It was also said that he only associated with those he considered to be gentlemen, and therefore he was not well known. He passed the imperial examinations late in the Kaiyuan era (713–741) of Emperor Zhongzong's nephew Emperor Xuanzong, and initially served on the staff of Emperor Xuanzong's crown prince Li Heng before being made the magistrate of Qinghe County (清河, in modern Xingtai, Hebei). He was said to have served capably at Qinghe, and while there, paid much attention to assisting those who needed help. After his term of service was over, he returned to the Tang Dynasty capital Chang'an. At that time, the governmental affairs were dominated by the chancellor Yang Guozhong, and Zhang's friends encouraged him to meet Yang to ask for another office. Zhang refused, stating that it was inappropriate for an imperial subject to be a flatterer. He later served as the magistrate of Zhenyuan County (真原, in modern Zhoukou, Henan). It was said that at that time, the large clans of the county were both powerful and treacherous, and one of the local officials from one of those clans, Hua Nanjin, was so dominant at the county government that the people often said, "What comes from Hua Nanjin's mouth is as good as what comes from the hand of the government." After Zhang arrived at Zhenyuan, he executed Hua for his abuse of power but pardoned Hua's associates, who were able to correct their ways. He also governed the county simply, and the people favored his governance. His older brother Zhang Xiao was also an imperial official, and both were known for their literary talent.

During the Anshi Rebellion

Battle of Yongqiu

Late in 755, while Zhang Xun was still serving at Zhenyuan County, the general An Lushan rebelled at Fanyang Circuit (范陽, headquartered in modern Beijing) and quickly advanced south to capture the Tang eastern capital Luoyang, where he declared himself the emperor of a new state of Yan. One of his generals, Zhang Tongwu, advanced east from Luoyang and led to the submission of a number of Tang officials, including Zhang Xun's superior Yang Wanshi, the governor of Qiao Commandery (譙郡, roughly modern Zhoukou). Yang forced Zhang Xun to become his secretary general and lead a delegation to welcome Zhang Tongwu. Once Zhang Xun gathered the delegation, however, instead of following Yang's orders, he led the delegation to the temple of Laozi—whom the Tang emperors considered an ancestor and posthumously honored as Emperor Xuanyuan—and led the delegation in a tearful worship of Laozi, before declaring continued loyalty to Tang and opposition against Yan. Several thousands of officials and common citizens followed him. He selected 1,000 men and took them to Yongqiu, where fellow Yan-resistor Jia Bi (賈賁) had taken up position to defend against the Tang-official-turned-Yan-general Linghu Chao (令狐潮). (Yongqiu had been Linghu's outpost when he surrendered to Yan, but once Linghu left the city on a campaign, the city turned against LInghu and submitted to Jia.) When Linghu counterattacked, Jia died in battle, and Zhang became solely in command of Tang forces in defense of Yongqiu. He sent a letter submitting to the general in command of the Tang troops in the region, Li Zhi (李祇) the Prince of Wu, and Li Zhi bestowed him the title of imperial censor to give him official command of the forces at Yongqiu.

Linghu soon returned with a 40,000-strong Yan army, along with other Yan generals Li Huaixian, Yang Chaozong, and Xie Yuantong. Zhang Xun divided his 2,000 men into two groups—a defense group and an attack group, and as Yan forces sieged the city, he launched numerous surprise counterattacks and inflicted losses on Yan forces. Yongqiu was under siege for some 60 days, but Yan forces could not capture Yongqiu and were forced to withdraw.

In spring 756, Linghu returned and put Yongqiu under siege again. During the desperate siege, six of Zhang's officers argued that they should surrender, pointing out that, by that point, Emperor Xuanzong had abandoned Chang'an and fled to Yi Prefecture (益州, roughly modern Chengdu, Sichuan). Zhang feigned agreement, and the next morning, he displayed a portrait of Emperor Xuanzong and led the soldiers in bowing to it, and then summoned the six officers and executed them. It was said that this affirmed the loyalty that the soldiers had for Tang. With Yongqiu not falling to him, Linghu was again forced to lift the siege and withdraw to Chenliu (陳留, in modern Kaifeng, Henan). Meanwhile, when another Yan general, Li Tingwang (李庭望), tried to pass Yongqiu and attack Ningling and Xiangyi (襄邑) (both in modern Shangqiu, Henan), Zhang attacked him and forced him to break off the attack on Ningling and Xiangyi.

In winter 756, Linghu, along with Wang Fude (王福德), again attacked Yongqiu, but was again repelled by Zhang. However, Linghu and Li then built a new fort north of Yongqiu to cut off Yongqiu's supply lines. With several other Tang-held cities in the region falling and Yang Chaozong again ready to attack Ningling, Zhang abandoned Yongqiu and withdrew to Ningling, rendezvousing with Xu Yuan (許遠) the governor of Suiyang Commandery (睢陽, roughly modern Shangqiu) at Ningling. They repelled an attack by Yang, forcing him to flee. Zhang was subsequently made the deputy to the military governor (jiedushi) of Henan Circuit, Li Ju (李巨) the Prince of Guo (who had earlier replaced Li Zhi), but when he requested aid from Li Ju, who was then at Pengcheng, Li Ju refused to provide material aid, only commissioning Zhang's subordinates with official titles.

By this point, An Lushan had been assassinated and replaced as the emperor of Yan by his son An Qingxu. After An Qingxu took the throne, he sent the general Yin Ziqi (尹子奇) to attack Suiyang (i.e., the capital of Suiyang Commandery). Xu, who had returned to Suiyang by that point, sought aid from Zhang. Zhang therefore left his officer Lian Tan (廉坦) in charge of defending Ningling and took most of his forces to Suiyang, defending the city together. They repelled Yin's attack initially, but Yin soon regrouped and put Suiyang under siege. Xu, citing the fact that he was a civilian official and not well versed in military matters, bestowed the command of their joint forces on Zhang and became only responsible for logistics, leaving the military matters to Zhang.

Battle of Suiyang

Yin Ziqi launched repeated attacks on Suiyang, each time repelled by Zhang Xun. Meanwhile, though, the food supplies—which Xu Yuan had initially gathered plenty of in anticipation of a siege but which Li Ju had forced Xu to partially give to two other commanderies, Puyang (濮陽, roughly modern Puyang, Henan) and Jiyin (濟陰, roughly modern Heze, Shandong)—began to run out. By summer 757, Suiyang was in desperate straits, with the soldiers forced to eat a mixture of rice, tea leaves, paper, and bark. Many suffered from illnesses. Despite this, Zhang continued to fight off attack after attack. He also divided the defense zones with Xu, with him defending the northeast side and Xu defending the southwest side, both spending the days and nights with the soldiers in defending the city. He often called out to the Yan troops, trying to persuade them that the Tang cause was righteous, and it was said that often, Yan soldiers would be touched by his words and surrender and join his troops.

Zhang made one desperate attempt to seek aid. He gave his officer Nan Jiyun (南霽雲) 30 cavalry soldiers and had Nan fight his way out of the siege, to head to Linhuai (臨淮, in modern Huai'an, Jiangsu) to seek aid from the Tang general Helan Jinming (賀蘭進明), who had the strongest Tang force in the area. When Nan arrived at Linhuai, however, Helan refused to render aid—believing that by the time that he arrived at Suiyang, Suiyang would have fallen already and he would have merely put his own army at risk. (Historical accounts also indicated that Helan was jealous of Zhang and Xu, and also feared attacks from another Tang general, Xu Shuji (許叔冀), an ally of the chancellor Fang Guan, to whom Helan was a political enemy.) Instead, Helan tried to keep Nan on his staff, and Nan refused. He headed for Ningling and joined forces with Lian Tan and 3,000 men, then headed back toward Suiyang. However, when they arrived back at Suiyang and tried to fight into the city, they suffered heavy losses, and only 1,000 survived.

Zhang's officers urged him to consider abandoning Suiyang and fleeing east. Zhang and Xu discussed the proposal, but eventually decided to keep defending the city, believing that abandoning Suiyang would allow Yan forces to attack and capture the region between the Huai River and the Yangtze River, and that given how weak their troops were, they could not escape disaster even if they abandoned Suiyang. However, the food supplies further ran out, and they began to have to kill their warhorses for food. After the horses were gone, they ate sparrows and rats. Eventually, Zhang killed his beloved concubine and let the soldiers eat her body. Xu then killed his servants for food as well, followed by the women in the city, and then the non-abled body men. It was said that although everyone knew that he or she would die, no one resisted. Eventually, only 400 people remained in the city.

Death and posthumous recognitions

On November 24, 757, Yan forces scaled the walls of the city, and the Tang forces were unable to fight them off. Suiyang thus fell, and Zhang Xun and Xu Yuan were captured. Yin Ziqi admired Zhang and wanted to spare his life, but Yin's subordinates believed that allowing Zhang to stay alive could potentially foster a mutiny. Yin therefore executed Zhang and 36 key officers under him, including Nan Jiyun and Lei Wanchun (雷萬春). Xu was to be delivered to Luoyang, but on the way to Luoyang, Yan soldiers heard that allied Tang and Huige forces commanded by Li Chu the Prince of Chu (the son of Emperor Xuanzong's son Emperor Suzong, who had assumed the throne in the confusion of the Anshi Rebellion) had captured Luoyang, and they killed Xu at Yanshi (偃師, near Luoyang).

After Emperor Suzong returned to Chang'an, he posthumously honored a large number of officials who stayed faithful to Tang and died fighting the Yan forces. However, the matter of whether to honor Zhang and Xu became an immediately controversial matter due to the cannibalism that had occurred at Suiyang. A friend of Zhang's, Li Han, wrote a biography of Zhang's in an impassioned defense of Zhang, arguing that without Zhang's actions, Tang would have lost the war entirely. Li Han was joined in his opinion by several other officials, including Li Shu (李紓), Dong Nanshi (董南史), Zhang Jianfeng Fan Huang (樊晃), and Zhu Juchuan (朱巨川). Emperor Suzong accepted their defense of Zhang's, and honored Zhang, Xu, and Nan in particular, as well as the other officers who died in the siege. He also gave their families great rewards.

A temple was built at Suiyang to honor Zhang and Xu, known as the Double Temple (雙廟, Shuang Miao). The pair also sometimes appear as door gods in Chinese and Taoist temples.

Historical views

Zhang Xun and his deeds were highly praised by many later scholars, government officials, and writers. For example, the Song Dynasty official Wen Tianxiang, who was himself greatly praised for his faithfulness to Song and refusal to submit to Yuan Dynasty, listed Zhang in his Song of Righteousness (Zhengqige, 正氣歌) as one of the persons to admire for their righteousness. However, some, including the Qing Dynasty scholar Wang Fuzhi, severely criticized him for not only permitting but encouraging cannibalism, and some others, such as the modern historian Bo Yang, while not as critical, nevertheless pointed out the lamentable nature of Zhang's actions.

生平事跡

早年

《舊唐書》稱張巡為蒲州河東縣（在今山西省永濟市境）人，《新唐書》稱，鄧州南陽縣人。或稱蒲州河東為其祖籍，或稱生于鄧縣，即今河南省鄧州市彭橋鎮寺北張。

史籍記載，張巡從小博覽群書，曉通戰陣兵法，年輕時就志氣遠大，不拘小節，結交的都是理想遠大者或寬厚長者，而討厭和庸俗之輩交往。在開元末年（741年），張巡中進士。當時，他的兄長張曉已是監察御史，兄弟二人皆以文名稱重一時。之後張巡以太子通事舍人出任清河（今河北清河縣）縣令。由于在其任內治績優良，任滿後張巡被召回長安。當時正值楊國忠當權，有人勸他投靠楊國忠，定會被重用，但他卻拒絕，答曰：「是方為國怪祥，朝宦不可為也。」于是被調到真源縣再當縣令。

當時真源縣轄地很多土豪劣紳。其中以大吏華南金為首最猖狂，時時欺壓百姓，當地流傳：「金南口，明府手」的歌謠。張巡到任不久，就把華南金繩之以法，依法處死。張巡為政簡約，很受民眾擁護。

雍丘抗敵

起兵真源進駐雍丘

天寶十四年（755年）冬，安史之亂爆發。數月後，安祿山就攻陷東都洛陽，稱帝，國號為「大燕」。由于大唐王朝承平日久，而安祿山早有反意，聲勢浩大，于是一些州縣的太守、縣令早被燕軍的氣勢嚇得手足無措，望風而降。

天寶十五年，燕軍將領張通晤攻陷宋、曹等州，譙郡（今安徽亳縣）太守楊萬石投降燕軍，而真源縣正是在譙郡的轄地內。楊萬石降敵後，又逼張巡為長史，並令其向西接應燕軍。張巡得知後很氣憤，率吏民大哭于真源玄元皇帝祠，然後起兵對抗燕軍，響應的有千餘人。

這時候，玄宗任命吳王李祗為靈昌（今河南滑縣東）太守，河南都知兵馬使，統合河南兵馬以抗擊安祿山。單父（今山東單縣）尉賈賁、閬州刺史等人，帶領官兵先到，稱為吳王兵，對宋州展開反攻。張通晤敗走襄邑（今河南睢縣），被頓丘令盧韺所殺。之後，賈賁領兵至雍丘（今河南杞縣）與張巡會合，共有兩千餘兵。這時的雍丘縣令令狐潮已經率全縣投向燕軍。燕軍任令狐潮為軍將，率兵向東馳援襄邑。令狐潮擊敗在襄邑的淮陽軍，俘虜了百餘官兵，並將他們囚禁在雍丘，準備殺害，然後又去見燕軍大將李庭望。淮陽兵俘虜乘機殺掉守衛，雍丘城內頓時大亂。賈賁、張巡等得以乘亂攻入雍丘。令狐潮棄城逃跑，張巡擄獲了令狐潮的妻、子，把他們全部處死。

被圍雍丘奇襲敵軍

舌戰敵將穩定軍心

智盜敵糧草人借箭

出城取木詐降退敵

屢破敵軍穩守不失

轉戰寧陵

死守睢陽城

馳援睢陽肅清內奸

一鼓作氣鳴鼓擾敵

城壕設伏箭射敵將

有一燕軍胡人酋長，率領一千胡兵想招降張巡。于是，張巡先暗中用繩吊下幾十名勇士在護城壕中，各持鉤、陌刀、強弩，並和他們約好：「聞鼓聲而奮。」胡人恃其兵多，未加防備。當胡人行至牆下時，城上鼓聲突然響起，城壕下的伏兵突然殺出，將胡兵一舉擒獲。後面的燕軍不知前面的胡人因何出事，想要救人，但都被強弩射退，無法前行。過了一會兒，藏在胡城壕內的勇士又拉著繩索攀回城內。燕軍這才知道發生什麼事，大為驚諤，從此小心謹慎、按兵不動，圍而不攻。

張巡明白被圍下去也不是辦法。于是，張巡想出了一條計策：擒敵先擒王，射死燕軍主將尹子奇，燕軍群龍無首，必將會退兵。但問題是將士們都不認識尹子奇，無法辨認主將。

張巡就命令用蒿草削作箭頭，射向燕軍。被射中的燕軍士兵，十分高興，以為張巡他們的箭頭已射完，就去報告尹子奇。張巡因此認出了尹子奇，即命手下大將南霽雲拉弓射殺尹子奇。南霽雲本來就是名神箭手。尹子奇正得意間，不料南霽雲一箭正中尹子奇左眼。主將重傷，燕軍陷入混亂。張巡便率唐軍將士趁勢出城掩殺過去，大破敵軍，差點生擒尹子奇。尹子奇帶傷敗逃，睢陽之圍遂解。

糧盡援絕奇謀迭出

七月初六，尹子奇徵兵數萬，又來圍攻睢陽。

本來，許遠在睢陽積存了六萬斛穀物，可以支持軍民一年之用，但虢王李巨堅持要把其中一半份給濮陽、濟陰二郡。許遠堅決反對，但也無濟于事。濟陰得到糧食後，隨即投降燕軍。這時，睢陽城中糧食已經吃盡。將士每人每日給米一合（10合為1升），並夾雜著茶紙、樹皮而食。睢陽守城將士因為死傷得不到援兵，又得不到糧食救應，所以士兵損耗很大，這時的城內僅剩下一千六百士兵，而且大多都因飢餓疾病而戰鬥力不足，以致射箭都難以射不準。後來，守軍只好羅雀掘鼠，煮盔甲、烹弓弦來充飢。

尹子奇得知城中糧盡，加緊攻城。燕軍先是製造一座高大如同半個彩虹的雲梯，上面安置了二百精兵，推至城下，想令士兵跳入城內。于是，張巡事先在城牆上鑿開三個洞，等待雲梯快臨近時，先從一洞中伸出一根大木，木頭末端上設置一鐵鉤，鉤住雲梯使不得退去，由從另一洞中出一根木頭，頂住雲梯使不得前進；在最後一洞中再伸出一大木，木頭上安置了一個鐵籠，籠中裝著火，焚燒雲梯，雲梯從中間被燒斷，梯上的士卒全部被燒死。

之後，尹子奇又造鉤車攻城。燕軍用鉤車的鉤子破壞城上的敵樓，鉤子所經之處，敵樓無不崩陷。于是，張巡準備一根大木，在大木的末端安置個連鎖，並在鎖末安裝一個大鐵環。當鉤車又攻城時，守軍就用大木末端的鐵環套住鉤車的鉤頭，將鉤車拔入城內，折斷鉤車的鉤頭，再把車放掉。

其後，燕軍又造木驢車攻城。于是，張巡就用熔化的高溫鐵水灌入木驢。木驢全部被燒毀。

後來，燕軍在城的西北角不斷堆砌沙土袋和木材，企圖構築成台階，再登上城去。張巡沒有與燕軍正面衝突，而在每天晚上把松明、乾草等易燃物扔到尚在堆砌中的階道上。一連扔了十多日，燕軍也始終沒有發覺。張巡見時機成熟，選了一個風向有利于的日子，出城與燕軍大戰，同時派人順風縱火焚燒台階，于是熊熊大火沖天燃起，燕軍無法救火，經過了二十多天大火才熄滅。

張巡守城，隨機應變，雷厲風行。連燕軍也被他深深折服，不敢繼續攻城，而在城外挖了三道壕溝，並圍城設置木柵，想長期圍困守軍。而張巡也在城內挖了壕溝以防燕軍攻入。

睢陽城告急南霽雲借兵

到八月，睢陽守軍僅剩六百多士兵。多數士兵都是飢餓而死的，仍然生存者大都傷病乏力。于是，張巡、許遠分區守城。張巡守城的東北面，許遠守東南面。兩位主將皆和士兵一樣，吃的是茶紙。守軍不再出城襲擊，只在城上死守。對于前來攻城的燕軍，張巡常常曉以大義。結果，先後有二百多人向張巡投誠，為張巡死戰。張巡前後說降了很多叛將，無不為張巡死戰。其中，有燕軍將領的李懷忠等人。

這時候，御史大夫賀蘭進明接替李巨任河南節度使，並屯兵在臨淮，許叔冀在譙郡、尚衡在彭城，三人皆對睢陽戰況擁兵觀望，不施援手。張巡見城中狀況日益危機，命南霽雲率三十騎兵突圍而出，到臨淮向節度使賀蘭進明告急。

南霽雲出城後，數萬燕軍前來阻擊，南霽雲直衝敵眾，左右施射，所向披靡，突出重圍後僅損失兩名騎兵。南霽雲先到較近的譙郡向許叔冀求援。許叔冀居然送南霽雲幾千匹布，而拒絕出兵。南霽雲怒不可遏，在馬上大罵許叔冀，要與之決戰。許叔冀不敢回應。

南霽雲又到臨淮找節度使賀蘭進明。賀蘭進明竟說：「今日睢陽不知存亡，兵去何益!」霽雲答：「睢陽若陷，霽雲請以死謝大夫。且睢陽既拔，即及臨淮，譬如皮毛相依，安得不救！」賀蘭進明一來妒忌張巡的功名，二來與許叔冀有隙，怕分兵出戰後，自己遭許叔冀偷襲，所以百般推託，拒絕出兵。但他欣賞南霽雲的勇猛，于是不但不發兵，反而想將南霽雲留為己用。他強行留下南霽雲，並設歌舞宴會款待。南霽雲含著淚說：「昨出睢陽時，將士不粒食已彌月。今大夫兵不出，而廣設聲樂，義不忍獨享，雖食，弗下咽。今主將之命不達，霽雲請置一指以示信，歸報中丞也。」南霽雲說完，用佩刀將一節手指切下。席間眾人大都被南霽雲感動而泣。南霽雲知賀蘭進明無出兵之意，就上馬而去；將出城時，抽箭射向佛寺浮圖，那箭射進佛塔磚面半箭之深，喊道：「吾歸破敵，必滅賀蘭！此矢所以志也！」

出城後，南霽雲又到真源，李賁送給南霽雲一百匹馬。八月初三夜晚，南霽雲到達寧陵，與寧陵城使廉垣一起率領步騎兵三千人，突入叛軍重圍圈，且戰且行，回到了睢陽城下，再與燕軍大戰，又破壞敵軍營帳。因為大霧，張巡這時才聽到戰聲，喊道：「此霽雲等聲也。」于是打開城門，南霽雲趕著從燕軍手上劫得的幾百隻牛進城，而能從外面進入城中的士兵只有千餘人。回到城後將士們得知援軍無望，抱頭痛哭。叛軍得知睢陽已經斷絕援軍，圍攻得更加緊迫。

城破被俘慷慨就義

睢陽被圍日久，城中可食之物已經吃盡。有人建議放棄睢陽，向東撤退。張巡和許遠商議，認為：「睢陽，江淮之保障，若棄之去，敵必乘勝長驅，是無江、淮也。且我眾飢羸，走必不達。古者戰國諸侯，尚相救恤，況密邇群帥乎！不如堅守以待之。」（睢陽是江、淮地區的屏障，若棄城撤退，燕軍必然長驅南下，侵占江淮地區。再說我軍士兵飢餓勞累，撤退必定走不脫。戰國時各諸侯還會還互相救援，況且我們周圍還有許多朝廷軍隊的將帥！不如固守待援）

十月初九，燕軍攻上城頭，將士們已經疲病得不能戰鬥了。張巡向西面拜了兩拜，道:「力竭矣，不能全城，生既無以報陛下，死當為厲鬼以殺敵！」隨後，睢陽終于被燕軍攻破。

張巡、許遠都被俘虜。部下見到張巡，無不慟哭，張巡說：「安之，勿怖，死乃命也。」尹子奇見到張巡後，問道：「聞公督戰，大呼輒眥裂血面，嚼齒皆碎，何至是？」張巡答道：「吾欲氣吞逆敵，顧力屈耳。」尹子奇大怒，用刀撬開張巡的嘴巴，只見嘴裡僅有牙齒三四顆。張巡罵道：「我為君父死，爾附敵，乃犬彘也，安得久！」尹子奇佩服張巡的氣節，本想不殺他，但有部下勸止道：「彼守節者也，終不為用。且得士心，存之，將為後患。」于是，尹子奇用刀子脅迫張巡投降。張巡始終不肯屈服。其餘大將三十六人，無一願降。于是尹子奇把張巡與南霽雲、雷萬春、姚訚等三十六人全部殺害。張巡臨刑前，神色自若，面不改色，慷慨赴難，時年四十九歲。許遠則被押送往洛陽，在途中被殺。

守一城而捍天下

在睢陽城破前，唐肅宗已詔中書侍郎張鎬代賀蘭進明為河南節度使。張鎬得知睢陽危機，率兵日夜兼程，趕往睢陽救援，並同時發文書往浙東李希言、浙西司空襲禮、淮南高適、青州鄧景山四位節度使以及譙郡太守閭丘曉，共同發兵救援睢陽。閭丘曉在譙郡，距離最近，但素來傲慢張狂，竟然不從軍令，沒有出兵。等張鎬趕到時，睢陽已被攻陷三日。張鎬一怒之下，召來閭丘曉，用杖刑將其斃命。

睢陽破城七天後被唐軍收複。十天以後，唐軍組織大反攻，廣平王李俶一舉收複東都洛陽（當時為安史燕軍的大燕都城）。

睢陽之戰，張巡在內無糧草，外無援兵之下，面臨強敵，臨敵應變，屢屢制勝。從757年1月開始，到757年10月陷落，張巡用不足萬人守軍，在睢陽苦守了十個月，有力地牽制了燕軍；若算上在雍丘之戰、寧陵之戰，則共與燕軍共對抗了二十一個月。史書載，共經歷大小四百多戰，斬叛將三百餘人，累計殲敵人十餘萬。由於張巡的堅守，阻擋了燕軍南下，使得富庶的江淮地區得以保全，保住唐朝的稅賦重鎮；此外牽制了大量叛軍，又為唐軍組織戰略反攻贏得了寶貴時間。當時的翰林學士李翰等人認為：巡蔽遮江淮，沮敵勢，天下不亡，其功也。

張巡死後，唐肅宗下詔，追贈張巡為揚州大都督，許遠荊州大都督，封其為鄧國公，史稱張中丞；贈張巡妻為申國夫人，賜帛百；又寵張巡子孫，拜張巡兒子張亞夫為金吾大將軍；又免除雍丘、睢陽徭役、兵役兩年。大中年間，更將張巡的畫像置于凌煙閣上。此後，歷代仍有對張巡加封。

特徵

張巡身高七尺，須髯長得如同神像一般，每當發怒會須髯盡張。他記憶力超群，閱讀書籍不超過三遍，終身不忘；與人見一面，問過姓名，就能記住對方的名字。

張巡文才出眾，聰悟過人，寫文章從不打稿，年紀輕輕就進士及第，與他兄長張曉當時都是以「文行知名」。

張巡為人仗義、重氣節，如得知朋友生活困窘，他必會傾資周濟。

用兵特點

• 張巡用兵靈活，不拘泥古法，善于臨敵應變，出奇制勝。他命令部下的將領，按各自的戰術教習戰法，認為：「古者人情敦樸，故軍有左右前後，大將居中，三軍望之以齊進退。今胡人務馳突，雲合鳥散，變態百出，故吾止使兵識將意，將識士情，上下相習，人自為戰爾。」（古人戰法樸素，所以部隊分前後左右軍，主將在中軍，全軍都聽主將號令調動。現在面對的胡人，擅長突襲，行軍忽散忽合，變化不定。所以要求部隊能夠臨敵應變，我讓士卒了解將領的意圖，將領熟悉士兵情況。這樣兵、將都相互了解，部隊各自為戰，不也很好嗎！）

• 死守孤城的部隊，補給往往不能保証。張巡以「取之于敵」的方法解決被圍孤城的後勤補給問題。自從與燕軍交戰，張巡部隊所用的軍械、盔甲、武器，都是從敵軍中繳獲，從來沒自己修理製造過。

• 每次作戰，張巡都身先士卒，親臨前線。有將士要後退，張巡就立在陣地上對說：「我不去此，為我決戰。」（我絕不離去，你們回去為了我與燕軍決戰）戰士們被他感動，沒有再敢後退的，無不奮力死戰，以一擋百，直到擊退敵人的進攻。

• 張巡平常待人誠懇，胸懷坦蕩，同時也號令嚴明，賞罰分明，能與部下士兵們同甘共苦，所以全軍上下無不拼死效力。

評價

• 唐韓愈、宋王安石、岳飛、陸游、文天祥等人對張巡的忠君愛國的精神均有詩文讚頌。

• 據史書記載，張巡防守睢陽，城被圍日久，守軍無糧，曾被迫吃人充飢：

「茶紙既盡，遂食馬；馬盡，羅雀掘鼠；雀鼠又盡，巡出愛妾，殺以食士，遠亦殺其奴；然後括城中婦人食之，繼以男子老弱。」（出自《資治通鑑第二百二十卷唐紀三十六》）

「巡出愛妾曰：『諸君經年乏食，而忠義不少衰，吾恨不割肌以啖眾，寧惜一妾而坐視士飢？』乃殺以大饗，坐者皆泣。巡強令食之，遠亦殺奴僮以哺卒……初殺馬食，既盡，而及婦人老弱凡食三萬口。人知將死，而莫有畔者。城破，遺民止四百而已。」（出自《新唐書卷二百五十列傳第一百一十七》）

「巡乃出其妾，對三軍殺之，以饗軍士。曰：『諸公為國家戮力守城，一心無二，經年乏食，忠義不衰。巡不能自割肌膚，以啖將士，豈可惜此婦，坐視危迫。』將士皆泣下，不忍食，巡強令食之。乃括城中婦人；既盡，以男夫老小繼之，所食人口二三萬，人心終不離變。」（出自《舊唐書·卷一百九十四》

平叛後，就有人議論此事，認為：與夫食人，寧若全人？（與其人吃人，還不如投降以保存人的性命）

如〈柏楊曰〉：「美國和墨西哥戰爭時，大衛·克拉克先生，曾經死守阿拉姆城，但他先疏散沒有戰鬥力的老弱婦孺，然後徵求『與城共存亡』的志願軍，經過一場慘烈的攻守戰，全城被屠，跟睢陽之圍的故事，中國家喻戶曉一樣，阿拉姆之圍的故事，美國也家喻戶曉。然而，阿拉姆之圍，可歌可泣，睢陽之圍，我們沒有歌，只有泣，那是已瘦成一把骨頭的女人和孩子們，被暴官們宰殺時痛徹骨髓的哀泣。中國人沒有生命的尊嚴，在惡君凶臣、強盜匪徒眼中，一文不值；就是在所謂聖君賢相、忠臣義士，以及高級知識份子眼中，也不過是使他成功的一種手段。每一思及，悲憤交集。」

當時的翰林學士李翰等人則認為：張巡率兵以少敵眾，以弱制強，保住江淮地區，以等待陛下派出援軍，但援軍到達，張巡已被殺害。他的功勞實在是太大了。但有的人認為張巡殺人而食有罪，死守睢陽城是愚蠢行為，對于這種貶善揚惡，只寫缺點而拋棄功績的行為，我暗自痛心。張巡固守睢陽城的原因，是想等待其他的軍隊來救援，救兵不到但城中糧盡，只好殺人而食人，這是違背他意願的。假如張巡在當初守城已有殺人而食的意願，殺害了幾百人而來保全天下，我還認為他是功過相當。何況現在是違背他意願呢！

日本著名作家田中芳樹在其著作《中國武將列傳》中認為，未能保証糧食補給，對此朝廷也應負有責任。

家庭

• 兄：張曉，監察御史

• 姐：嫁陸氏，號「陸家姑」，先張巡被害

• 妻：賜申國夫人

• 子：張亞夫，拜金吾大將軍

• 子：張去疾，貞元時受官

信仰

張巡就義後，其殉國事跡很快沿大運河、長江、淮河一帶傳開，豫蘇皖浙各地紛紛為之建廟立祠。其後，道教又尊張巡為「保儀大夫」（或保儀尊王），張巡成為收災降福，懲惡揚善，統領神兵的大神。

河南商丘睢陽區建有張巡祠。安史之亂平定後，唐朝為紀念張巡、許遠建的「雙廟」。後又改建為「五王廟」，加了南霽雲、雷萬春、賈賁三人。北宋時，添加了姚訚，改稱「協忠祠」。後黃河缺堤，祠堂被大水衝毀。明朝正德年間重建，稱為「六忠祠」。1991年，又遷往商丘城南門外改稱「張巡祠」。

蘇浙、閩粵、港澳與台灣、新加坡等地，相當尊崇張巡，單是浙江桐廬就有張巡廟九座，福建省泉州安溪縣人，則視之為茶葉保護神，稱之尪公。相傳農曆五月廿五日為「尪公誕」，一些地方的廟宇會在這天會祭祀張巡，舉行「迎尪公」儀式。

明清時期，福建安溪縣張巡信仰，隨著移民傳入台灣，在台各地奉祀。台灣民間稱之為「張王爺」、「張千歲」、「尪公」，在台灣則一般與許遠共祀，稱為雙忠，張巡也有保儀尊王（少數廟宇與清水祖師同稱為護國尊王）等尊稱。臺北市文山區集應廟奉祠「保儀尊王」張巡，木柵忠順廟奉祠保儀大夫亦為「張巡」，當地老一輩仍稱自己為河洛人，使用河洛話，稱「集應廟」為「尪公廟」（河洛指的是河南洛陽）。

軼事

清朝王漁洋《池北偶談》記載：張巡在安史之亂中被圍困，城中無糧食，遂殺一妾，以肉分食諸軍士。後來，張巡一直轉世為名臣，其妾的冤魂終於在等待一千年後，殺了張巡轉世的後身－徐藹。

元朝陶宗儀所著《說郛‧十八卷下》記載南宋紹興三十一年冬季時，張巡許遠曾奉天帝之命顯聖退敵，史稱造角林之捷。金門地區則傳說此次大捷後，張巡被追封「厲王」，因此金門地區稱呼張巡為「厲王爺」。

註釋