Chen Chang - Early Life

Early Life

Chen Chang was born in 537, as the son of Chen Baxian and his second wife, Zhang Yao'er, during the reign of Emperor Wu of Liang. When Chen Baxian was invited by Xiao Ying (蕭映) the Marquess of Xinyu, who was also the governor of Guang Province (廣州, modern Guangdong), to serve on Xiao Ying's staff, around 540, it appeared that both Lady Zhang and Chen Chang accompanied him to Guang Province, but when he was subsequently commissioned in 544 to campaign against the rebel Li Ben in modern northern Vietnam, he sent them back to his home commandery of Wuxing (吳興, roughly modern Huzhou, Zhejiang). When the general Hou Jing rebelled in 548 and subsequently captured the Liang capital Jiankang in 549, both Lady Zhang and Chen Chang were taken captive by Hou, but despite Chen Baxian's subsequent major participation in the campaign against Hou, Hou did not kill Lady Zhang or Chen Chang.

After Hou was defeated in 552, for Chen Baxian's contributions in the campaign, Emperor Yuan of Liang created Chen Baxian the Marquess of Changcheng, and Chen Chang received the title of the Heir Apparent of Changcheng. Emperor Yuan also made him the governor of Wuxing Commandery, despite his young age. Chen Baxian sent the officials Xie Zhe (謝哲) and Cai Jingli (蔡景歷) to assist him in governance, and the scholar Du Zhiwei (杜之偉) to teach him in his studies. As a young man, Chen Chang was described to be handsome and intelligent.