In order to cultivate useful talents, he hired famous scholars, professors and progressives to teach in the school and opened some new courses. The new course of historical materialism and sociology history taught by Li has attracted many young people, and some people have since accepted progressive ideas and embarked on the revolutionary road. Zhang actively advocated democracy and gave students more freedom of thought and speech. He also attaches great importance to the role of student autonomy. Let the student union organize students to discuss current events, rehearse new plays, assist in school affairs and supervise meals. Cancel the system of invigilation and fasting supervision, and let students manage themselves. In the case of school funding difficulties, he planned in many ways to rebuild the sports ground, library and lecture hall, build school gates and girls' dormitories, and strive to run this highest institution in Hubei. Later, due to the long-term unresolved problem of the treatment of students at public expense, he ran into a wall many times and resigned as the principal in the summer of 1924.
1in the summer of 938, the Japanese invaders approached Wuhan. At that time, Zhang was the principal and chairman of the private Jingnan junior high school. In order to protect the school property from war, he moved all the books and instruments of private Jingnan Middle School to Zhijiang Chengguan. In autumn, he led the teachers who moved with him to borrow some school buildings of Zhijiang County Central Primary School to recruit new students to resume classes. 1June, 940, Zhijiang jiangbei area fell. Emergency relocation of county organs. According to reports, Zhang rented a house in Jiaguoshan, with 40 acres of paddy fields, rushed to build a school building with earth walls, enrolled students in autumn, increased the number of classes, and started classes. 1May 943 12 On the night, the Japanese army crossed the river to the south. In an emergency, he called the whole school teachers and students to mobilize everyone to organize against the Japanese invaders. At the meeting, he recounted the crimes of Japanese aggression against China, and all the audience were filled with indignation. Later, he led more than 100 teachers and students to Enshi. Go to Yidu, Changyang, Badong, Jianshi and other counties, climb mountains and wade, and walk for 22 days for hundreds of miles. Dig wild vegetables along the way to satisfy hunger and drink spring water to quench thirst. Zhang, who is over 60 years old, is skinny, and he always cares about the weak teachers and students. After arriving in Enshi, when her daughter washed his feet, she found that his toenails had been kicked off. As soon as Zhang arrived in Enshi, he tried his best to arrange for accompanying students to borrow from various schools in Enshi, and the graduates took the entrance examination, caring for the students and being responsible to the end. People from all walks of life in the provincial capital admire Zhang's patriotic feat.
During the Anti-Japanese War, his good friend Wan Shengyang once gave him a pair of book couplets: "If you have leisure today, there will be no today;" It's not worth a penny. " Zhang took this as his motto and never slackened off for decades. Enshi founded Hubei Normal University and hired Zhang as a professor of Chinese Department. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, the hospital moved to Hankou and merged into Wuhan University after liberation.