Zhang Shicheng (1321 - 1367) was a rebel leader and one of the local separatist forces in the late Yuan and early Ming Dynasties. At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, he was born in Baijuchang, Taizhou (now Dafeng City, Jiangsu Province); among the leaders of the anti-Yuan uprising in the end of the Yuan Dynasty, there was a saying that "(Chen) Youliang was the most noble, and (Zhang) Shicheng was the richest."

Zhang Shicheng's nickname, 94, was born as a salt transporter. Due to the oppression of salt officials, in the 13th year of Zhizheng (1353), he and his brothers Zhang Shiyi, Zhang Shide, Zhang Shixin, and salt trader Li Bosheng and other eighteen other people rose to fight against the Yuan Dynasty. Soon, they captured Taizhou, Xinghua, Gaoyou and other important towns in Jiangbei. In the first month of the 14th year (1354), the founding of the People's Republic of China was founded in Gaoyou. It was called the Great Zhou Dynasty. He called himself King Cheng and used Tianyou as the year name.

In September of the 14th year of Yuan Zhizheng (1354), Tuotuo, the right prime minister of the Yuan Dynasty, led a heavy army south to attack Gaoyou. In November, Zhang Shicheng's army was defeated outside the city, and Shicheng retreated and defended in the city. In December, the Yuan army captured the outer city. In the critical moment, Emperor Yuan Shun listened to calumny, relieved Tuotuo's military power, and changed generals at the moment. The morale of the Yuan army was disorganized. Shicheng's army took the opportunity to counterattack and defeat the Yuan army. In the 16th year of Zhizheng (1355), Zhang Shicheng continued to develop southward, invaded Pingjiang Road (now Suzhou City) and changed Pingjiang Road to Longping Prefecture. In the 17th year of Zhizheng (1357), the Yuan Dynasty sent troops to attack Zhang Shicheng. Facing being attacked by the Yuan Army and Fang Guozhen, Zhang Shicheng surrendered to the Yuan Dynasty and was granted the title of Marshal.

Zhang Shicheng was arrogant and extravagant. Taking advantage of the war between Zhu Yuanzhang and Chen Youliang, his power continued to expand. He had separatist power stretching from Xuzhou in the north and Shaoxing in the south, and supported hundreds of thousands of troops. He also transported more than 100,000 stones of grain to Dadu (Beijing) many times. In March of the twenty-third year (1363), Lu Zhen was sent to attack Yu Anfeng, under Liu Futong of the Red Turbans Army, forcing Liu Futong and Han Liner to join Zhu Yuanzhang. In September, Zhang Shicheng called himself King of Wu, took his brother Zhang Shixin as prime minister, and used Huang Jingfu, Cai Yanwen, and Ye Dexin to join the army, and no longer submitted to the Yuan Dynasty. The following year, Zhu Yuanzhang also called himself "King of Wu"; Luo Guanzhong, the famous author of the novel "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", also served in Zhang Shicheng.

The forces of Zhang Shicheng and Zhu Yuanzhang continued to fight. Zhang's troops provided convenient transportation for fishing and salt offshore, and they had secret support from Japan. The implementation of the "sea ban policy" after the establishment of the Ming Dynasty was related to this (including the subsequent rebellion of General Lan Yu). Zhu Yuanzhang said,"First take the counties of Tongtai, cut off the elbows of Shi Cheng, and then take western Zhejiang exclusively."("The Record of Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty" Volume 18) weakened Zhang Shicheng step by step; after Zhu Yuanzhang eliminated Chen Youliang, in the twenty-fifth year of Zhizheng (1366), Zhu Yuanzhang began to attack Zhang Shicheng's forces, and Zhang Shicheng's younger brother, the famous general Zhang Shide (Xu Da, a general of the Ming Army, often said: "I only fear Zhang Shide.") His horse died for no reason, and his horse went crazy, which severely damaged the fighting power of the Wu army; in December of the 26th year of Zhizheng (1367), Pingjiang, where Zhang Shicheng lived, was besieged; in September, Pingjiang City was breached, and Zhang Shicheng was captured. He was later escorted to Yingtian (present-day Nanjing), where he hanged himself.

Comment: Being a saint inside and king outside, being a king with insufficient morality can only be humiliating for himself.