Zhu Shouyin

Zhu Shouyin (朱守殷) (died November 7, 927 ), nickname Hui'er (會兒), was a Chinese military general and politician of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Later Tang (and Later Tang's predecessor state Jin). He was a close associate of Later Tang's first emperor Li Cunxu, having served as Li Cunxu's attendant ever since both were children. After Li Cunxu's death in a mutiny, Zhu served the succeeding emperor, Li Cunxu's adoptive brother Li Siyuan, but later, fearing that Li Siyuan was ready to act against him, rebelled. His rebellion was quickly defeated, and he killed his family and then had his attendants kill him.

Background and service during Jin It is not known when Zhu Shouyin was born, and his background was not stated in detail in the historical records, although it is known that he was a child servant/attendant to Li Cunxu while both were children (specifically, when Li Cunxu began his studies), suggesting that he was close to Li Cunxu in age. After the death of Li Cunxu's father Li Keyong the Prince of Jin in 908, Li Cunxu became prince, and he made Zhu the commander of the Chengzhi Army (成直軍), but it was said that Zhu did not actually participate in campaigns but was (at that point) only carrying the military title. (However, later that year, when Li Cunxu's uncle Li Kening unsuccessfully plotted against Li Cunxu, Zhu was one of the officers that Li Cunxu, his mother Lady Dowager Cao, and the leading eunuch Zhang Chengye summoned to plan for a counterplot, and subsequently, Li Cunxu and the other main co-conspirator, Li Cunhao (李存顥), were arrested and executed.) It was said that throughout the years, Zhu informed on other officials/officers to Li Cunxu, garnering his trust. as he considered Zhu a close associate.

In light of the deaths of Guo and Li Jilin, many mutinies rose against Li Cunxu throughout the empire. Li Siyuan became involved in one that originally started at Yedu (鄴都, in modern Handan, Hebei) after he was sent to suppress it but was instead forced by his soldiers into joining it.

During Li Siyuan's reign Soon after Li Siyuan became emperor, he made Zhu Shouyin the mayor of Henan Municipality (河南, i.e., the Luoyang region) as well as the acting overall commander of the palace guards; he also gave Zhu the honorary chancellor designation of Shizhong (侍中). He later made Zhu the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan).

In fall 927, Li Siyuan, apparently without explaining a reason, departed the capital Luoyang and headed toward Xuanwu's capital Bian Prefecture (汴州), leading to all kinds of rumors — the chief among which were that he was intending to attack Later Tang's southeastern neighbor Wu, or that he was intending to act against one the rebellious military governors to the east. Zhu became fearful that Li Siyuan was targeting him. His secretary Sun Sheng suggested that he resist, and so he closed the city and prepared for siege. Li Siyuan, at the urging of his general Fan Yanguang, had Fan take 500 men to head toward Bian Prefecture to make an initial raid to unsettle the city, and then sent his son-in-law Shi Jingtang with a larger force to follow up. Fan's attack surprised the people at Bian Prefecture, as intended, and once Shi, and then Li Siyuan himself, arrived at Bian, the people surrendered in droves. Zhu knew that he was near defeat and killed his family before ordering his followers to cut off his head.

Notes and references

History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 74. New History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 51. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 266, 272, 274, 275, 276.