Zhou Xiang

Zhou Xiang was a chief strategist for Wang Jian, the founding emperor (Emperor Gaozu) of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Former Shu, during Wang Jian's years of warfare to firmly establish himself as a warlord late in preceding Tang dynasty. After the founding of Former Shu, Zhou served as a chancellor.

During the Tang dynasty It is not known when Zhou Xiang was born, but he was said to be from Xu Prefecture (許州, in modern Xuchang, Henan). The first historical reference to him was in 887, when he was referred to as a former storage officer for Long Prefecture (龍州, in modern Mianyang, Sichuan). Apparently, after leaving that post, he became a guest of the general Wang Jian, who was then the prefect of Li Prefecture (利州, in modern Guangyuan, Sichuan).

In 887, then-reigning Emperor Xizong of Tang commissioned a new military governor (jiedushi) of Shannan West Circuit (山南西道, headquartered in modern Hanzhong, Shaanxi), which Li Prefecture belonged to—Yang Shouliang, the adoptive nephew of the powerful eunuch Yang Fugong. Yang Shouliang was apprehensive about Wang's military abilities, and made several attempts to summon him to Shannan West's capital Xingyuan Municipality . Wang, in fear of what Yang might do to him, refused to go, and asked Zhou for advice.

By 891, the army sieging Chengdu, consisting of troops largely from Wang but also with troops from Gu, had put Chengdu into a chokehold such that the population was starving. However, the imperial government had just suffered a major loss in campaign against another warlord, Li Keyong the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), and the costs of the Xichuan campaign gave Emperor Zhaozong second thoughts. In spring 891, Emperor Zhaozong issued an edict pardoning Chen and ordering Gu and Wang to return to their own circuits (Emperor Zhaozong's having earlier carved out four prefectures of Xichuan as a new Yongping Circuit (永平, headquartered at Qiong Prefecture, which Wang had captured) and made Wang its military governor). Wang, however, believing that this was a prime chance to capture Xichuan, and when he consulted Zhou, Zhou suggested that he urge Wei to return to the imperial court while he himself would then maintain the campaign. Wang then intimidated Wei by executing one of his close associates, Luo Bao , on purported offenses of embezzlement. Wei, frightened, transferred his command to Wang and left for the imperial capital Chang'an. Wang subsequently continued the siege, and in fall 891, Chen and Tian surrendered. Wang took over Xichuan Circuit and was subsequently confirmed by Emperor Zhaozong as its military governor.

There were no further historical references to specific strategic suggestions that Zhou made to Wang, but it was said that much of Wang's subsequent pacification of the region, including his takeover of Dongchuan, could be credited to additional strategies that Zhou offered. In 910, he made Zhou Xiang Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎, the deputy head of the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng)) and chancellor, with the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi . However, nothing else was recorded in history about Zhou's acts during Wang Jian's reign. In 920, he made Zhou the military governor of Yongping Circuit (then-headquartered in modern Ya'an, Sichuan), sending him out of the capital but still having him maintain the Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi designation as an honorary chancellor. Zhou died shortly after due to illness.

Notes and references

Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms , vol. 40. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 256, 257, 258, 270, 271.