A Chinese Biographical Dictionary/Chang Yen-shang

by Herbert A. Giles

126 Chang Yen-shang 張延賞. 8th cent. A.D. An official who served under the Emperors Su Tsung and Tai Tsung of the T'ang dynasty. He was a relative of Chang Chia-chêng, the faithful Minister of the Emperor Ming Huang and some time opponent of the great Chang Yüeh, and rose to the highest offices of State. On the occasion of an important criminal case he refused successive bribes of 30,000 and 50,000 strings of cash, but his virtue succumbed to an offer of 100,000 strings. He excused this lapse on the ground that 100,000 strings would tempt even the gods, who would resent the refusal of such a bribe by a mere mortal. He died at the age of 61, and was canonised as 成.