Zhou Chi

Zhou Chi (; 793 – 23 March 851 ), courtesy name Desheng , formally the Baron of Ru'nan , was an official of the Chinese Tang dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xuānzong.

Background Zhou Chi was born in 792, during the reign of Emperor Dezong. and claimed ancestry from the royal family of Zhou dynasty, although the traceable part of Zhou Chi's male-line ancestry only went back to the Liang dynasty official Zhou Lingchao . Subsequent ancestors of Zhou Chi's served as officials of Sui dynasty and Tang dynasty. Zhou Chi's grandfather Zhou Pei served as an advisory official in the Tang imperial government, while his father Zhou Ting served as an imperial guard officer.

Zhou Chi lost his father early and was said to have served his mother piously. He passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi class in 822, during the reign of Emperor Dezong's great-grandson Emperor Muzong.

During Emperor Wuzong's reign After Emperor Wenzong died in 840 and was succeeded by his brother Emperor Wuzong, Zhou Chi was sent out of Chang'an to serve as the prefect of Hua Prefecture (華州, in modern Weinan, Shaanxi), as well as the defender of Tong Pass. He was later made the governor (觀察使, Guanchashi) of Eyue Circuit (鄂岳, headquartered in modern Wuhan, Hubei), as well as the prefect of Eyue's capital E Prefecture . In 846, he was made the governor of Jiangxi Circuit (江西, headquartered in modern Nanchang, Jiangxi), as well as the prefect of its capital Hong Prefecture . Thereafter, he was made, in addition to his chancellor responsibilities, minister of justice (刑部尚書, Xingbu Shangshu) and Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎, the deputy head of the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng)), and given the honorary title Yinqing Guanglu Daifu . He was also put in charge of editing the imperial history.

In 849, when Emperor Xuānzong wanted to know who, in the chancellors' opinions, were capable officials during the reign of his (and Emperor Muzong's) father Emperor Xianzong, Zhou opined that one of his predecessors as governor of Jiangxi Circuit, Wei Dan , was capable and missed by the Jiangxi people long after his term. As a result, Emperor Xuānzong had the scholar Du Mu author text for a monument dedicated to Wei, and promoted Wei's son Wei Zhou .

Meanwhile, though, Zhou was steadfast in his unwillingness to bow to the power of others – including his refusal to transfer the military governor Wang Zai from Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi) to Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan) and give Wang an honorary chancellor title, as Wang had hoped; his refusal to let Emperor Xuānzong's brother-in-law Wei Rang become the mayor of Jingzhao Municipality (京兆, i.e., the Chang'an region) on the basis that Wei was not capable; and his disagreement with Emperor Xuānzong, who wanted to mobilize the army to recapture lands lost decades ago to Tufan. Emperor Xuānzong was offended, and later in 849 made Zhou the military governor of Dongchuan Circuit (東川, headquartered in modern Mianyang, Sichuan). After Zhou's commission was announced, Emperor Xuānzong's son-in-law, the imperial scholar Zheng Hao commented, "Zhou Chi became chancellor due to his honest words, and also was removed from chancellorship due to his honest words." After Zheng's comment, Emperor Xuānzong, while not relenting in his order, bestowed Zhou the honorific title of You Pushe .

After Zhou served there for a year, he considered retiring and returning to his home at the eastern capital Luoyang, but he then grew ill, and decided against retiring until he grew better. He never did, however, and he died in 851. He was given posthumous honors. He had been predeceased by his wife Lady Jiang, but was survived by two sons, Zhou Kuanrao and Zhou Xianxi , both of whom served as imperial officials, as well as a daughter who married the official Xue Meng . His casket was returned to and buried in Luoyang in 851.