It is not known when Zhang Gongduo was born, but it is known that he was from Taiyuan. He was said to have studied literature and history in his youth. At some point, he became a follower of the Later Tang general Meng Zhixiang, then the military governor of Xichuan Circuit, and when Meng built up his military strength by recruiting and establishing a number of army corps, Zhang was put in command of the Yisheng and the Dingyuan corps. As of 932, Meng was in conflict with his erstwhile ally Dong Zhangthe military governor of neighboring Dongchuan Circuit, after the two, who had jointly rebelled against the imperial government earlier, should enter into some rapprochement with the imperial government — given that An Chonghui, the powerful chief of staff to then-reigning emperor Li Siyuan, who had previously been advocates of the imperial campaign against the two of them, had been executed by Li. Meng wanted to at least formally resubmit to the imperial government, but Dong refused, as his son Dong Guangye and Dong Guangye's family, had been executed by the imperial government. Dong, indeed, decided to launch a campaign against Xichuan to conquer it. The two armies, commanded by their respective military governors, encountered each other at Han Prefecture. Zhang's Yisheng and Dingyuan corps were stationed as rearguards in the Xichuan formation. Dong, who was a fierce warrior, was initially winning the battle, killing Meng's subordinates Mao Chongwei and Li Tang. Meng, in fear, pointed at the rearguards — apparently intending to signal retreat. Believing that he was ordered to engage, Zhang led the Yisheng and the Dingyuan corps into battle with a loud shout, crushing the Dongchuan troops, killing several thousands, and capturing Dong's officers Yuan Gui and Dong Guangyan. The Dongchuan troops collapsed, causing Dong to panic and flee back to Dongchuan's capital Zi Prefecture, where he was subsequently killed in a mutiny, with the mutineers then surrendering to Meng. For Zhang's accomplishments, he was given the command of the more prestigious Pengsheng and Konghe corps.
In 934, Meng Zhixiang declared himself the emperor of a new state of Later Shu. He became deathly ill not soon after, however, and he, after entrusting his young son Meng Renzan to Zhang Gongduo and a few other high-level officials and generals — the chancellorZhao Jiliang and the generals Li Renhan, Zhao Tingyin, Wang Chuhui, and Hou Hongshi — died. Meng Chang succeeded him as emperor. Meng Chang conferred on Zhang the honorary title of acting Taiwei. In the aftermaths of Meng Chang's succession, Li Renhan became very arrogant and insisted on being put in command of the imperial guards. Meng Chang initially agreed. However, Zhang, as well as Meng Chang's close associates Han Jixun, Han Baozhen, and An Siqian, all secretly accused Li of plotting treason. Meng Chang thereafter had Han Jixun consult Zhao Jiliang and Zhao Tingyin and, apparently after receiving their blessing, arrested and killed Li. Not long after, he received the title of military governor of Baoning Circuit, as well the chancellor designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi. It was said that he governed with integrity and sternness, and the people benefitted from his governance. In 941, as part of Meng Chang's reforms to end the practice of having high-level officials and generals hold office at the imperial government at the capital Chengdu but continuing to serve also as military governors – as the end result was that they were not attentive to their circuits, and their staff members would effectively rule the circuit and mismanage them – several high-level officials/generals who were doing so, including Zhang, were given some additional honors but stripped of their military governorships. Zhang died in 945. When Meng mourned him, Meng commented, "Only Lord Zhang was capable of being stern but not cruel, and being honest but not restrictive."
