20320

2020

Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Zhang Chunhua, a figure from the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, was the wife of Sima Yi, a prominent strategist and politician of the Cao Wei state during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Although not a major player on the battlefield or in political intrigue, Zhang Chunhua is remembered for her significant role in securing the Sima family's future.

Known for her intelligence and decisiveness, Zhang Chunhua famously demonstrated her ruthlessness when Sima Yi, feigning illness to avoid serving Cao Cao, was discovered by a servant to be perfectly healthy. To protect their deception and their future ambitions, Zhang Chunhua personally killed the servant, eliminating the risk of exposure. This act profoundly impressed Sima Yi, though he subsequently treated her with less affection after that event.

Zhang Chunhua bore Sima Yi several sons, including Sima Shi and Sima Zhao, who would later seize power and lay the foundation for the Jin Dynasty. Her decisive actions and support for her husband's ambitions significantly contributed to the Sima family's eventual rise to imperial dominance, solidifying her legacy as a crucial, if often overlooked, figure in the historical narrative.