Zhang Changpu

Zhang Changpu (onyomi: Chou Shou Ho) is Zhong Hui's mother and Zhong Yao's concubine. Zhong Hui wrote her biography and is the only real source of information on her. She was a strict mother to Hui helped insure his education was top notch. Her insightfulness helped secure both herself and son during the turbulent times.

Role in Games
Introduced in Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV, her stats favor domestic tasks with her intelligence being in the low 70's while her stats for war and leadership being very low. She can be found in Wan as a free officer and as a Wei affiliated officer otherwise. Her single character trait extends the period when a male enemy unit within range will suffer debilitating effects (Talented Woman) and she can only be deployed in battle with the defensive Ring formation which is suitable for prolonged warfare. Her administrative policy increases the rate of experience affiliated officers receive (Imperial Academy Lv 03).

Historical Information
Lady Zhang Changpu was born in Zishi County and only had a stipend enough to cover half the meals needed per year. Adding to her troubles, she was orphaned at a young age. To secure her future, she became Zhong Yao's concubine, despite their age difference (she was about the same age as Yao's oldest son, Zhong Yu). Hui described her as extremely bright, being trained in a lot of classics on philosophy, poetry, and history. Changpu even wrote her commentary on the Yijing though it has been lost.

Zhang Changpu had an ongoing rivalry with Zhong Yao's primary wife, Lady Sun. Around 225 Changpu became pregnant with Zhong Hui, and Lady Sun's jealousy flared up enough to try and kill Changpu with poison. However, When Lady Zhang Changpu eat the poisoned food, she thought something was off about it and forced it back up, avoiding a fatal poisoning. The toxins were strong, however, and she was laid up for several days due to the attempt on her life. Instead of reporting the attempt to Zhong Yao, Changpu instead chose to wait and allow Lady Sun to incriminate herself. As expected, Sun attempted to refute the report she expected, exposing her attempted murder to her husband. As a result, Zhong Yao divorced Lady Sun and increased his appreciation of Zhang Changpu's intelligence and respect for family authority.

Yao took Lady Jia to be his new principle wife, in part to avoid potential scandal over divorcing Lady Sun just to marry Zhang Changpu. Zhang Changpu played a key role in Zhong Hui's education, requiring him to read many important and lengthy texts, including Classic of Filial Piety, Analects, Spring and Autumn Annals, and the Yijing. This study included Zhong Hui's fathers' commentaries.

In 247, after Changpu heard the report from Zhong Yu how Cao Shuang conducted himself in court, she predicted he would soon be his own downfall and warned Zhong Hui to avoid his pattern. Two years later, Sima Yi led his coup d'etat against Cao Shuang while Shuang was with the Emperor at the Gaoping Tombs. Zhong Hui had also accompanied the Cao Fang and several officials, including Wei Guan and Xaihou He, feared he and his mother by extension would be swept up and killed in the rebellion. However, Changpu remained calm, believing that Sima Yi was only after Cao Shuang and his lackeys. As Zhong Hui wasn't one of Shuang's minions and would remain at the Emperor's side, no harm would never befall him. Lady Zhang Changpu was proven right shortly after this conversation. She lived until the year 257, and at her passing, Emperor Cao Mao ordered Sima Zhao to pay for all of her funeral expenses.