He Zhi was a minister of Eastern Wu

Eastern Wu

Eastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...

 during the late Three Kingdoms

Three Kingdoms

The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...

 period of Chinese history

History of China

Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...

. He Zhi was the younger brother of emperor Sun Hao

Sun Hao

Sun Hao , style name Yuanzong , originally named Sun Pengzu with the style name Yuanzong , was the fourth and last emperor of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period. He was the son of Sun He, a one-time crown prince of the founding emperor Sun Quan...

's mother, Empress Dowager He

Empress Dowager He (Sun Hao)

Empress Dowager He, personal name unknown, was an empress dowager during the reign of her son Sun Hao, the fourth and last emperor of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history....

, making him the uncle of the emperor. Sun Hao followed in asking He Zhi to come up with a plan to respond to the opposing Sima Yan (Emperor of Jin), who raised an army to invade and capture Wu. He Zhi, along with others, consented towards the water steel plan.