Hou Andu
Encyclopedia
Hou Andu (520–563), courtesy name Chengshi (成師), was a Chen Dynasty
general, whose military accomplishments under Emperor Wu
and Emperor Wen
made him one of the most powerful individuals in the state, but whose arrogance and rudeness raised suspicions from Emperor Wen, and Emperor Wen arrested him and forced him to commit suicide.
, Guangdong
). In his youth, he was known for being skilled at calligraphy
, playing the qin
, riding, and archery. When the rebel general Hou Jing
(no relation) attacked the capital Jiankang
and captured it in 549, the local general Chen Baxian decided to try to raise an army to try to assist in recovering Jiankang. Hou Andu gathered 3,000 men and joined Chen's army. He, as one of Chen's three key lieutenants (along with Du Sengming (杜僧明) and Zhou Wenyu (周文育)) subsequently assisted Chen in his campaigns against local warlords Cai Luyang (蔡路養) and Li Qianshi (李遷仕), and, when Chen served as the lieutenant of Emperor Yuan
's general Wang Sengbian
in 552 in defeating Hou Jing and recapturing Jiankang with contribution from Hou Andu, Emperor Yuan awarded Hou Andu with a general title and created him as the Viscount of Fuchuan.
attacked Emperor Yuan's new capital Jiangling (江陵, in modern Jingzhou
, Hubei
), capturing it, and Western Wei forces put Emperor Yuan to death around the new year 555. Initially, Wang and Chen prepared to declare Emperor Yuan's only surviving son Xiao Fangzhi
the Prince of Jin'an emperor, but after Wang's forces suffered defeats by Northern Qi
forces, Wang accepted the proposal by Emperor Wenxuan of Northern Qi
to declare Emperor Yuan's cousin Xiao Yuanming
emperor. Chen, then stationed at Jingkou (京口, in modern Zhenjiang
, Jiangsu
), was displeased with Xiao Yuanming's elevation and, in fall 555, upon hearing rumors that Northern Qi may attack, decided to overthrow Wang and Xiao Yuanming. In doing so, he consulted only with Hou, Zhou, and Xu Du (徐度), and then launched a surprise attack on Jiankang under the guise that he was only making troop movements to defend against a possible Northern Qi attack. However, as the army departed, Chen hesitated, and only followed the army after Hou chased him down and told him, "Today, we are all prepared to be bandits. Why hesitate? Do you think that your hesitation can save you from decapitation?" Chen thereafter resolved to launch the attack, and Wang was caught by surprise when Hou entered his headquarters at the fortress of Shitou, near Jiankang. Wang was unable to resist, and Hou captured him. Chen put Wang to death and deposed Xiao Yuanming, declaring Xiao Fangzhi emperor (as Emperor Jing). Subsequently, when Chen was away from Jiankang to attack Wang's son-in-law Du Kan (杜龕), Hou and Du Leng (杜稜) were left in charge of the capital, and Hou fended the capital against a surprise attack by the generals Xu Sihui (徐嗣徽) and Ren Yue (任約), who were loyal to Wang. When Northern Qi sent forces to aid Xu and Ren, Chen returned to the capital and commissioned Hou to defend against Northern Qi attacks. After Hou repelled Northern Qi forces, the armies stalemated, and around the new year 556, Northern Qi forces sued for peace.
) also resisted Chen, and Chen sent Hou Andu and Zhou against Hou Tian. However, as they were departing Jiankang, Northern Qi prepared another attack in spring 556, and they had to be diverted to defend against Northern Qi again. Hou Andu was effective in resisting Northern Qi attacks. Northern Qi forces subsequently reached Jiankang's vicinity, and Hou Andu, seeing the situation as critical, fought against the wind (even though doing so was against military principles at the time) and was able to fight off Northern Qi forces. Eventually, when Northern Qi forces ran out of food supplies, Chen's armies crushed them. For Hou Andu's contributions, Chen initially promoted him to marquess, and then further created him the Duke of Xijiang.
) declared an uprising against the Chen-led imperial administration, Chen initially sent only Zhou to fight Xiao Bo's forces. After Zhou crushed and captured Xiao Bo's general Ouyang Wei (歐陽頠), however, Xiao Bo's own generals assassinated him, throwing Guang Province into a state of confusion. Chen, because Ouyang was an old friend of his, made Ouyang the governor of Guang Province and sent Hou south to assist Zhou to pacify the region. They defeated Xiao Bo's generals Xiao Zi (蕭孜) and Yu Xiaoqing (余孝頃), and soon pacified the region.
Meanwhile, also resisting Chen was the general Wang Lin
, who controlled the modern Hunan
and part of modern Hubei
region. In summer 557, Chen sent Hou and Zhou to attack Wang.
as its Emperor Wu. When the news reached Hou and Zhou's forces, which had captured Wuchang (武昌, in modern Ezhou
, Hubei
) from Wang's general Fan Meng (樊猛), Hou lamented, "We will surely be defeated, because we have lost our cause." (He was referring to that ostensibly, his and Zhou's forces had been launched against Wang because Wang was rejecting Emperor Jing's edicts—but now, Emperor Wu had himself overthrown Emperor Jing, and therefore lost any ability to refer to Wang as a rebel.) Hou and Zhou's forces were also beset by disagreements between the two of them. When they eventually engaged Wang's at Dunkou (沌口, in modern Wuhan
, Hubei
), Wang dealt them a crushing defeat—so completely that both Hou and Zhou, as well as their lieutenants Xu Jingcheng (徐敬成), Zhou Tiehu (周鐵虎), and Cheng Lingxi (程靈洗), were all captured. Wang put Zhou Tiehu, who insulted him, to death, while imprisoning the others, including Hou, in a lower deck on his own command ship.
They remained in Wang's captivity until winter 558, when Hou, along with Zhou Wenyu and Xu, promised to pay Wang's associate Wang Zijin (王子晉) a large bribe, and Wang Zijin released them at night. They fled. on foot, to the Chen army and then returned to Jiankang, where they offered apologies to Emperor Wu. Emperor Wu pardoned them and returned them to command positions in the Chen forces. Meanwhile, perhaps because of this incident, Wang Lin, who had by that point declared Emperor Yuan's grandson Xiao Zhuang
the Emperor of Liang, agreed to a truce with Chen.
, Jiangxi
) against Chen, Emperor Wu sent Zhou against Yu Xiaomai, while sending Hou to follow Zhou subsequent to Zhou's departure. Wang sent his general Cao Qing (曹慶) to assist Yu, and in spring 559, Zhou was ambushed by the warlord Xiong Tanlang (熊曇朗), who was ostensibly assisting Chen troops. Hou withdrew briefly, but then engaged Cao and defeated him.
, was then detained by Western Wei's successor state Northern Zhou
at its capital Chang'an
. Emperor Wu's wife Empress Zhang Yao'er
, after consulting Du Leng and Cai Jingli (蔡景歷), kept Emperor Wu's death a secret and summoned Emperor Wu's nephew Chen Qian
the Prince of Linchuan from Nanhuan (南皖, in modern Anqing
, Anhui
), where Chen Qian was building a fortress. Hou happened to be at Nanhuan at the time as well, and so he returned to Jiankang with Chen Qian. Hou, after discussing the matter with other officials, decided to support Chen Qian as emperor, but Empress Zhang was still hesitant, hoping that Chen Chang, her son, would return. Hou stated, "Now, the four corners of the world have not been pacified; how can we wait for an imperial prince from afar? The Prince of Linchuan had had great contributions to the state, and we support him. Anyone who dares not to speak up should be executed." He even proceeded toward Empress Zhang, with his hand on his sword hilt, requesting her to yield the imperial seal. He further pushed Chen Qian to the position where the imperial heir was supposed to stand for the wake. Only then did Empress Zhang issue an edict having Chen Qian take the throne (as Emperor Wen).
In winter 559, after hearing that Emperor Wu had died, Wang Lin, with Northern Qi assistance, launched a major attack on Chen, hoping to destroy it and reestablish Liang. Emperor Wen sent Hou Tian (who had, after initial resistance, submitted to Chen), Hou Andu, and Xu Du against Wang. In spring 560, Wang was defeated by Hou Tian, and both he and Xiao Zhuang fled to Northern Qi; the territory under their control was divided between Chen and Emperor Xuan of Western Liang
, whom Northern Zhou supported. (The degree of Hou Andu's involvement in the victory is unclear.)
, Hubei
). After Xiao Zhuang's flight to Northern Qi, Chen Chang continued his journey to the Yangtze River
-- and on his way, he wrote impolite letters to Emperor Wen, which Emperor Wen took as a demand for the throne. Emperor Wen, displeased, nevertheless put on a calm face and summoned Hou Andu, telling him, "The Crown Prince is about to return. I will retire and ask for a princely domain." Hou replied, "Ever since ancient times, emperors were not allowed to retire. Although I am foolish, I will not accept this edict." He thereafter requested to personally escort Chen Chang, and Emperor Wen sent him to meet Chen Chang and created Chen Chang the Prince of Hengyang. Once Hou Andu met Chen Chang, he escorted him down the Yangtze River, and on the way, had Chen Chang killed and thrown into the Yangtze. He then returned to Jiankang, announcing that Chen Chang had slipped and fallen into the river. Grateful that Hou had eliminated a rival for him, Emperor Wen created Hou the Duke of Qingyuan—going from being the duke of a county to the duke of a commandery.
Because of Hou Andu's contributions, at some point during Chen Dynasty (but unclear when), his father Hou Wenhan (侯文捍) had been made the governor of his home commandery, Shixing. In summer 560, when Hou Wenhan died, Emperor Wen sent imperial messengers to escort Hou Andu's mother back to Jiankang, but she declined, as she preferred to stay at Shixing. To honor the Hous, Emperor Wen carved out the surrounding region into an Eastern Heng Province and made Hou Andu's cousin Hou Xiao (侯曉) its governor, while making Hou Andu's eight-year-old son Hou Mi (侯秘) the commandery governor, to look after Hou Andu's mother. He also created Hou Andu the Duke of Guiyang, an even larger commandery than Qingyuan.
In winter 560, with Hou Tian in a stalemate against the Northern Zhou generals Heruo Dun (賀若敦) and Dugu Sheng (獨孤盛), trying to seize the modern Hunan
region from Northern Zhou and its vassal Western Liang, Emperor Wen sent Hou Andu to assist Hou Tian. By spring 561, however, without apparent involvement by Hou Andu, Hou Tian was able to negotiate an agreement with Heruo to have him yield the territory to Chen, in exchange for guarantee of safe passage for his troops back to Northern Zhou.
In winter 561, Emperor Wen, wanting to force the warlord Liu Yi (留異), who controlled modern eastern Zhejiang
, to submit, sent Hou Andu against Liu. In spring 562, Hou surprised Liu by taking his army over the mountain and descending on Liu's stronghold of Dongyang (東陽, in modern Jinhua
, Zhejiang
). When Hou tried to besiege Liu's fotress at Taozhi Mountain (桃枝嶺, in modern Lishui
, Zhejiang
), he was wounded by an arrow, but nevertheless continued his assault and defeated Liu. Liu fled to Jin'an (晉安, in modern Fuzhou
, Fujian
), to his son-in-law Chen Baoying (陳寶應). Hou took Liu's territory and returned to Jiankang. (Subsequently, the other generals were able to defeat Chen Baoying and another warlord, Zhou Di (周迪), largely integrating their territories into direct imperial control.)
In the meantime, however, Hou, because of his contributions, was growing arrogant and rude, much to Emperor Wen's displeasure, although Emperor Wen's displeasure went unnoticed by Hou. His officers, knowing that Hou would protect them, had largely ignored laws, and whenever they were sought on criminal amtters, they would flee to Hou and go unpunished. When attending imperial gatherings, Hou would often take impolite postures, and once, while attending an imperial feast, he asked Emperor Wen, "How do you feel compared to when you were the Prince of Linchuan?" Emperor Wen initially refused to answer, but after Hou asked again, he responded, "Although it was by the will of Heaven, it is also by your contributions." Upon the completion of the feast, Hou asked that the imperial decorations be lent to him for his own feast, and Emperor Wen, while displeased, agreed. The next day, Hou held his feast, while sitting on the same seat Emperor Wen sat on, while his guests sat at the seats that imperial officials sat on—acts that Emperor Wen could not tolerate, and his anger was exacerbated when a fire occurred at Chongyun Palace (重雲宮) -- and Hou, while trying to command the soldiers to put out the fire, entered the palace in full armor. Emperor Wen thus became resolved to act against Hou.
Therefore, when Zhou Di officially rebelled in winter 562, although the imperial officials largely recommended that Hou be put in command of the troops against Zhou, Emperor Wen sent Wu Mingche
instead, and further began to investigate Hou's protection of criminals. Hou began to sense that something was wrong, and he sent his assistant Zhou Hongshi (周弘實) to try to get information from the Cai Jingli. Cai recorded details of Zhou Hongshi's contact and secretly accused Hou of planning a rebellion. Emperor Wen, worried that if he simply summoned Hou that Hou would refuse, issued an edict transferring Hou from being the governor of Southern Xu Province (南徐州, roughly modern Zhenjiang
, Jiangsu
) to being the governor of Jiang Province. Hou, believing this to be a routine transfer, stopped at Jiankang before going to Jiang Province. Emperor Wen invited him to a feast and arrested him there; he also arrested Hou's officers, but released them after confiscating their horses and weapons. Emperor Wen then issued an edict announcing Hou's crimes, and the next day ordered Hou to commit suicide, but spared his wife and children and buried Hou at imperial expense. In 571, Emperor Wen's brother Emperor Xuan
posthumously created Hou the Marquess of Chenji and allowed his son Hou Dan (侯亶) to inherit the title.
Traditional historians believe that Hou's (and Zhou Wenyu's) fate were foretold by Chen Baxian. According to their accounts, while Chen was still a Liang general defending Jingkou, he once held a feast with his officers. Du Sengming, Zhou, and Hou were all bragging about their contributions. Chen responded:
(It should be noted, however, that if this account was true, Chen was not accurate abut Du, who died honorably of natural causes, albeit before the establishment of Chen Dynasty.)
Chen Dynasty
The Chen Dynasty , also known as the Southern Chen Dynasty, was the fourth and last of the Southern dynasties in China, eventually destroyed by the Sui Dynasty....
general, whose military accomplishments under Emperor Wu
Emperor Wu of Chen
Emperor Wu of Chen , personal name Chen Baxian , courtesy name Xingguo , nickname Fasheng , was the first emperor of the Chinese Chen Dynasty. He first distinguished himself as a Liang Dynasty general during the campaign against the rebel general Hou Jing, and he was progressively promoted...
and Emperor Wen
Emperor Wen of Chen
Emperor Wen of Chen , personal name Chen Qian , courtesy name Zihua , was an emperor of the Chinese Chen Dynasty. He was the nephew of the founding emperor, Emperor Wu , and after Emperor Wu's death in 559, the officials supported him to be emperor since Emperor Wu's only surviving son, Chen...
made him one of the most powerful individuals in the state, but whose arrogance and rudeness raised suspicions from Emperor Wen, and Emperor Wen arrested him and forced him to commit suicide.
Hon Andu gains prominence
Hou Andu came from a prominent clan of Shixing Commandery (始興, roughly modern ShaoguanShaoguan
Shaoguan , historically known as Shaokwan and Shao-chow, is a prefecture-level city in the north of Southern China's Guangdong province...
, Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
). In his youth, he was known for being skilled at calligraphy
Calligraphy
Calligraphy is a type of visual art. It is often called the art of fancy lettering . A contemporary definition of calligraphic practice is "the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner"...
, playing the qin
Guqin
The guqin is the modern name for a plucked seven-string Chinese musical instrument of the zither family...
, riding, and archery. When the rebel general Hou Jing
Hou Jing
Hou Jing , courtesy name Wanjing , was a general for the Chinese states Northern Wei, Eastern Wei, and Liang Dynasty, and briefly, after controlling the Liang imperial regime for several years, usurped the Liang throne, establishing a state of Han...
(no relation) attacked the capital Jiankang
Jiankang
Jiankang was the capital city of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and Southern Dynasties. Its walls are extant ruins in the modern municipal region of Nanjing.-History:...
and captured it in 549, the local general Chen Baxian decided to try to raise an army to try to assist in recovering Jiankang. Hou Andu gathered 3,000 men and joined Chen's army. He, as one of Chen's three key lieutenants (along with Du Sengming (杜僧明) and Zhou Wenyu (周文育)) subsequently assisted Chen in his campaigns against local warlords Cai Luyang (蔡路養) and Li Qianshi (李遷仕), and, when Chen served as the lieutenant of Emperor Yuan
Emperor Yuan of Liang
Emperor Yuan of Liang , personal name Xiao Yi , courtesy name Shicheng , nickname Qifu , was an emperor of the Chinese Liang Dynasty...
's general Wang Sengbian
Wang Sengbian
Wang Sengbian , courtesy name Juncai , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Liang Dynasty. He came to prominence as the leading general under Emperor Yuan 's campaigns against the rebel general Hou Jing and other competitors for the Liang throne, and after Emperor Yuan was defeated by Western Wei...
in 552 in defeating Hou Jing and recapturing Jiankang with contribution from Hou Andu, Emperor Yuan awarded Hou Andu with a general title and created him as the Viscount of Fuchuan.
a surprise attack under the guise of troop movements
In 554, Western WeiWestern Wei
The Western Wei Dynasty followed the disintegration of the Northern Wei, and ruled northern China from 535 to 556.After the Xianbei general Yuwen Tai killed the Northern Wei emperor Yuan Xiu, he installed Yuan Baoju as emperor of Western Wei while Yuwen Tai would remain as the virtual ruler...
attacked Emperor Yuan's new capital Jiangling (江陵, in modern Jingzhou
Jingzhou
Jingzhou is a prefecture-level city in Hubei Province, People's Republic of China. The city is located on the banks of the Yangtze River.Its population is 5,691,707 at the 2010 census whom 1,154,086 in the built up area made of 3 urban districts.-Geography:Jingzhou occupies an area of...
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
), capturing it, and Western Wei forces put Emperor Yuan to death around the new year 555. Initially, Wang and Chen prepared to declare Emperor Yuan's only surviving son Xiao Fangzhi
Emperor Jing of Liang
Emperor Jing of Liang , personal name Xiao Fangzhi , courtesy name Huixiang , nickname Fazhen , was an emperor of the Chinese Liang Dynasty. As the only surviving son of Emperor Yuan, he was declared emperor by the general Chen Baxian in 555, but in 557 Chen forced him to yield the throne and...
the Prince of Jin'an emperor, but after Wang's forces suffered defeats by Northern Qi
Northern Qi
The Northern Qi Dynasty was one of the Northern dynasties of Chinese history and ruled northern China from 550 to 577.-History:The Chinese state of Northern Qi was the successor state of the Chinese/Xianbei state of Eastern Wei and was founded by Emperor Wenxuan...
forces, Wang accepted the proposal by Emperor Wenxuan of Northern Qi
Emperor Wenxuan of Northern Qi
Emperor Wenxuan of Qi , personal name Gao Yang , courtesy name Zijin , was the first emperor of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi. He was the second son of Eastern Wei's paramount general Gao Huan, and the death of his brother and Gao Huan's designated successor Gao Cheng in 549 became the regent...
to declare Emperor Yuan's cousin Xiao Yuanming
Xiao Yuanming
Xiao Yuanming , courtesy name Jingtong , often known by his pre-ascension title of Marquess of Zhenyang , at times known by his post-removal title Duke of Jian'an , honored Emperor Min by Xiao Zhuang, was briefly an emperor of the Chinese Liang Dynasty. He was the nephew of the founding emperor...
emperor. Chen, then stationed at Jingkou (京口, in modern Zhenjiang
Zhenjiang
Zhenjiang is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Jiangsu province in the eastern People's Republic of China . Sitting on the southern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the west, Changzhou to the east, and Yangzhou across the river to the north.Once...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
), was displeased with Xiao Yuanming's elevation and, in fall 555, upon hearing rumors that Northern Qi may attack, decided to overthrow Wang and Xiao Yuanming. In doing so, he consulted only with Hou, Zhou, and Xu Du (徐度), and then launched a surprise attack on Jiankang under the guise that he was only making troop movements to defend against a possible Northern Qi attack. However, as the army departed, Chen hesitated, and only followed the army after Hou chased him down and told him, "Today, we are all prepared to be bandits. Why hesitate? Do you think that your hesitation can save you from decapitation?" Chen thereafter resolved to launch the attack, and Wang was caught by surprise when Hou entered his headquarters at the fortress of Shitou, near Jiankang. Wang was unable to resist, and Hou captured him. Chen put Wang to death and deposed Xiao Yuanming, declaring Xiao Fangzhi emperor (as Emperor Jing). Subsequently, when Chen was away from Jiankang to attack Wang's son-in-law Du Kan (杜龕), Hou and Du Leng (杜稜) were left in charge of the capital, and Hou fended the capital against a surprise attack by the generals Xu Sihui (徐嗣徽) and Ren Yue (任約), who were loyal to Wang. When Northern Qi sent forces to aid Xu and Ren, Chen returned to the capital and commissioned Hou to defend against Northern Qi attacks. After Hou repelled Northern Qi forces, the armies stalemated, and around the new year 556, Northern Qi forces sued for peace.
Hou Andu is sent against Hou Tian but returns
Meanwhile, Hou Tian (侯瑱), the governor of Jiang Province (江州, modern northern JiangxiJiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
) also resisted Chen, and Chen sent Hou Andu and Zhou against Hou Tian. However, as they were departing Jiankang, Northern Qi prepared another attack in spring 556, and they had to be diverted to defend against Northern Qi again. Hou Andu was effective in resisting Northern Qi attacks. Northern Qi forces subsequently reached Jiankang's vicinity, and Hou Andu, seeing the situation as critical, fought against the wind (even though doing so was against military principles at the time) and was able to fight off Northern Qi forces. Eventually, when Northern Qi forces ran out of food supplies, Chen's armies crushed them. For Hou Andu's contributions, Chen initially promoted him to marquess, and then further created him the Duke of Xijiang.
Hou is sent as a peacemaker
In spring 557, when Xiao Bo (蕭勃) the Marquess of Qujiang and governor of Guang Province (廣州, modern central GuangdongGuangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
) declared an uprising against the Chen-led imperial administration, Chen initially sent only Zhou to fight Xiao Bo's forces. After Zhou crushed and captured Xiao Bo's general Ouyang Wei (歐陽頠), however, Xiao Bo's own generals assassinated him, throwing Guang Province into a state of confusion. Chen, because Ouyang was an old friend of his, made Ouyang the governor of Guang Province and sent Hou south to assist Zhou to pacify the region. They defeated Xiao Bo's generals Xiao Zi (蕭孜) and Yu Xiaoqing (余孝頃), and soon pacified the region.
Meanwhile, also resisting Chen was the general Wang Lin
Wang Lin
Wang Lin , courtesy name Ziheng , formally Prince Zhongwu of Baling , was a general of the Chinese dynasties Liang Dynasty and Northern Qi...
, who controlled the modern Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
and part of modern Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
region. In summer 557, Chen sent Hou and Zhou to attack Wang.
Hou Andu is captured
However, before Hou Andu and Zhou Wenyu could engage Wang Lin's forces, Chen Baxian had Emperor Jing yield the throne to him in winter 557, establishing Chen DynastyChen Dynasty
The Chen Dynasty , also known as the Southern Chen Dynasty, was the fourth and last of the Southern dynasties in China, eventually destroyed by the Sui Dynasty....
as its Emperor Wu. When the news reached Hou and Zhou's forces, which had captured Wuchang (武昌, in modern Ezhou
Ezhou
-Geography and climate:Ezhou is located in southeastern Hubei province, on the southern bank of the Yangtze River east of Wuchang , and across the river from the city of Huanggang, to which it is connected by the Ehuang Bridge...
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
) from Wang's general Fan Meng (樊猛), Hou lamented, "We will surely be defeated, because we have lost our cause." (He was referring to that ostensibly, his and Zhou's forces had been launched against Wang because Wang was rejecting Emperor Jing's edicts—but now, Emperor Wu had himself overthrown Emperor Jing, and therefore lost any ability to refer to Wang as a rebel.) Hou and Zhou's forces were also beset by disagreements between the two of them. When they eventually engaged Wang's at Dunkou (沌口, in modern Wuhan
Wuhan
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
), Wang dealt them a crushing defeat—so completely that both Hou and Zhou, as well as their lieutenants Xu Jingcheng (徐敬成), Zhou Tiehu (周鐵虎), and Cheng Lingxi (程靈洗), were all captured. Wang put Zhou Tiehu, who insulted him, to death, while imprisoning the others, including Hou, in a lower deck on his own command ship.
They remained in Wang's captivity until winter 558, when Hou, along with Zhou Wenyu and Xu, promised to pay Wang's associate Wang Zijin (王子晉) a large bribe, and Wang Zijin released them at night. They fled. on foot, to the Chen army and then returned to Jiankang, where they offered apologies to Emperor Wu. Emperor Wu pardoned them and returned them to command positions in the Chen forces. Meanwhile, perhaps because of this incident, Wang Lin, who had by that point declared Emperor Yuan's grandson Xiao Zhuang
Xiao Zhuang
Xiao Zhuang , often known by his princely title of Prince of Yongjia , was a grandson of Emperor Yuan of Liang, who was declared by the general Wang Lin to be the legitimate emperor of Liang Dynasty in 558, under military assistance by Northern Qi...
the Emperor of Liang, agreed to a truce with Chen.
Hou defeats Cao
In winter 558, with Yu Xiaoqin's brother Yu Xiaomai (余孝勱) defending Xinwu (新吳, in modern YichunYichun
Yichun can refer to two cities in China:*Yichun, Heilongjiang , city in Heilongjiang province*Yichun, Jiangxi , city in Jiangxi province*Yichun dialect, dialect of the Gan language, spoken in Yichun, Jiangxi...
, Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
) against Chen, Emperor Wu sent Zhou against Yu Xiaomai, while sending Hou to follow Zhou subsequent to Zhou's departure. Wang sent his general Cao Qing (曹慶) to assist Yu, and in spring 559, Zhou was ambushed by the warlord Xiong Tanlang (熊曇朗), who was ostensibly assisting Chen troops. Hou withdrew briefly, but then engaged Cao and defeated him.
Hou Andu supports Chen Qian
While Hou Andu was still on the campaign, however, Emperor Wu suffered a sudden illness in summer 559 and soon died, creating a succession crisis—as Emperor Wu's only surviving son, Chen ChangChen Chang
Chen Chang , courtesy name Jingye , formally Prince Xian of Hengyang , was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Chen Dynasty...
, was then detained by Western Wei's successor state Northern Zhou
Northern Zhou
The Northern Zhou Dynasty followed the Western Wei, and ruled northern China from 557 to 581. It was overthrown by the Sui Dynasty.Northern Zhou's basis of power was established by Yuwen Tai, who was paramount general of Western Wei, following the split of Northern Wei into Western Wei and...
at its capital Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
. Emperor Wu's wife Empress Zhang Yao'er
Empress Zhang Yao'er
Empress Zhang Yao'er , formally Empress Xuan , was an empress of the Chinese Chen Dynasty. Her husband was the founding emperor Emperor Wu ....
, after consulting Du Leng and Cai Jingli (蔡景歷), kept Emperor Wu's death a secret and summoned Emperor Wu's nephew Chen Qian
Emperor Wen of Chen
Emperor Wen of Chen , personal name Chen Qian , courtesy name Zihua , was an emperor of the Chinese Chen Dynasty. He was the nephew of the founding emperor, Emperor Wu , and after Emperor Wu's death in 559, the officials supported him to be emperor since Emperor Wu's only surviving son, Chen...
the Prince of Linchuan from Nanhuan (南皖, in modern Anqing
Anqing
Anqing is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Anhui province, East China. It borders Lu'an to the north, Chaohu to the northeast, Tongling to the east, Chizhou to the southeast, and the provinces of Jiangxi and Hubei to the south and west respectively....
, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
), where Chen Qian was building a fortress. Hou happened to be at Nanhuan at the time as well, and so he returned to Jiankang with Chen Qian. Hou, after discussing the matter with other officials, decided to support Chen Qian as emperor, but Empress Zhang was still hesitant, hoping that Chen Chang, her son, would return. Hou stated, "Now, the four corners of the world have not been pacified; how can we wait for an imperial prince from afar? The Prince of Linchuan had had great contributions to the state, and we support him. Anyone who dares not to speak up should be executed." He even proceeded toward Empress Zhang, with his hand on his sword hilt, requesting her to yield the imperial seal. He further pushed Chen Qian to the position where the imperial heir was supposed to stand for the wake. Only then did Empress Zhang issue an edict having Chen Qian take the throne (as Emperor Wen).
In winter 559, after hearing that Emperor Wu had died, Wang Lin, with Northern Qi assistance, launched a major attack on Chen, hoping to destroy it and reestablish Liang. Emperor Wen sent Hou Tian (who had, after initial resistance, submitted to Chen), Hou Andu, and Xu Du against Wang. In spring 560, Wang was defeated by Hou Tian, and both he and Xiao Zhuang fled to Northern Qi; the territory under their control was divided between Chen and Emperor Xuan of Western Liang
Emperor Xuan of Western Liang
Emperor Xuan of Liang , personal name Xiao Cha , courtesy name Lisun , was a emperor of the Chinese Liang Dynasty...
, whom Northern Zhou supported. (The degree of Hou Andu's involvement in the victory is unclear.)
Hon Andu as a royal escort
Wang's defeat, however, precipitated another succession crisis. After news of Emperor Wu's death reached Northern Zhou, Northern Zhou had sent Chen Chang back to Chen, but because his way was blocked by the territory under Xiao Zhuang's control, he was forced to stop at Anlu (安陸, in modern XiaoganXiaogan
Xiaogan is a prefecture-level city in Hubei province of the People's Republic of China. Its population is 5,060,000 residents.-Subdivisions:*Xiaonan District *Yingcheng City *Anlu City *Hanchuan City *Xiaochang County...
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
). After Xiao Zhuang's flight to Northern Qi, Chen Chang continued his journey to the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
-- and on his way, he wrote impolite letters to Emperor Wen, which Emperor Wen took as a demand for the throne. Emperor Wen, displeased, nevertheless put on a calm face and summoned Hou Andu, telling him, "The Crown Prince is about to return. I will retire and ask for a princely domain." Hou replied, "Ever since ancient times, emperors were not allowed to retire. Although I am foolish, I will not accept this edict." He thereafter requested to personally escort Chen Chang, and Emperor Wen sent him to meet Chen Chang and created Chen Chang the Prince of Hengyang. Once Hou Andu met Chen Chang, he escorted him down the Yangtze River, and on the way, had Chen Chang killed and thrown into the Yangtze. He then returned to Jiankang, announcing that Chen Chang had slipped and fallen into the river. Grateful that Hou had eliminated a rival for him, Emperor Wen created Hou the Duke of Qingyuan—going from being the duke of a county to the duke of a commandery.
Because of Hou Andu's contributions, at some point during Chen Dynasty (but unclear when), his father Hou Wenhan (侯文捍) had been made the governor of his home commandery, Shixing. In summer 560, when Hou Wenhan died, Emperor Wen sent imperial messengers to escort Hou Andu's mother back to Jiankang, but she declined, as she preferred to stay at Shixing. To honor the Hous, Emperor Wen carved out the surrounding region into an Eastern Heng Province and made Hou Andu's cousin Hou Xiao (侯曉) its governor, while making Hou Andu's eight-year-old son Hou Mi (侯秘) the commandery governor, to look after Hou Andu's mother. He also created Hou Andu the Duke of Guiyang, an even larger commandery than Qingyuan.
In winter 560, with Hou Tian in a stalemate against the Northern Zhou generals Heruo Dun (賀若敦) and Dugu Sheng (獨孤盛), trying to seize the modern Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
region from Northern Zhou and its vassal Western Liang, Emperor Wen sent Hou Andu to assist Hou Tian. By spring 561, however, without apparent involvement by Hou Andu, Hou Tian was able to negotiate an agreement with Heruo to have him yield the territory to Chen, in exchange for guarantee of safe passage for his troops back to Northern Zhou.
In winter 561, Emperor Wen, wanting to force the warlord Liu Yi (留異), who controlled modern eastern Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
, to submit, sent Hou Andu against Liu. In spring 562, Hou surprised Liu by taking his army over the mountain and descending on Liu's stronghold of Dongyang (東陽, in modern Jinhua
Jinhua
Jinhua is a prefecture-level city in central Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It borders the provincial capital of Hangzhou to the northwest, Quzhou to the southwest, Lishui to the south, Taizhou to the east, and Shaoxing to the northeast....
, Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
). When Hou tried to besiege Liu's fotress at Taozhi Mountain (桃枝嶺, in modern Lishui
Lishui
Lishui is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It borders Quzhou, Jinhua and Taizhou to the north, Wenzhou to the southeast, and the province of Fujian to the southwest...
, Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
), he was wounded by an arrow, but nevertheless continued his assault and defeated Liu. Liu fled to Jin'an (晉安, in modern Fuzhou
Fuzhou
Fuzhou is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute the Mindong linguistic and cultural area....
, Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
), to his son-in-law Chen Baoying (陳寶應). Hou took Liu's territory and returned to Jiankang. (Subsequently, the other generals were able to defeat Chen Baoying and another warlord, Zhou Di (周迪), largely integrating their territories into direct imperial control.)
In the meantime, however, Hou, because of his contributions, was growing arrogant and rude, much to Emperor Wen's displeasure, although Emperor Wen's displeasure went unnoticed by Hou. His officers, knowing that Hou would protect them, had largely ignored laws, and whenever they were sought on criminal amtters, they would flee to Hou and go unpunished. When attending imperial gatherings, Hou would often take impolite postures, and once, while attending an imperial feast, he asked Emperor Wen, "How do you feel compared to when you were the Prince of Linchuan?" Emperor Wen initially refused to answer, but after Hou asked again, he responded, "Although it was by the will of Heaven, it is also by your contributions." Upon the completion of the feast, Hou asked that the imperial decorations be lent to him for his own feast, and Emperor Wen, while displeased, agreed. The next day, Hou held his feast, while sitting on the same seat Emperor Wen sat on, while his guests sat at the seats that imperial officials sat on—acts that Emperor Wen could not tolerate, and his anger was exacerbated when a fire occurred at Chongyun Palace (重雲宮) -- and Hou, while trying to command the soldiers to put out the fire, entered the palace in full armor. Emperor Wen thus became resolved to act against Hou.
Therefore, when Zhou Di officially rebelled in winter 562, although the imperial officials largely recommended that Hou be put in command of the troops against Zhou, Emperor Wen sent Wu Mingche
Wu Mingche
Wu Mingche , courtesy name Tongzhao , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Chen Dynasty. He first served under the dynasty's founder Emperor Wu, but became the most prominent general of the state during the reign of Emperor Wu's nephew Emperor Xuan, successfully commanding the Chen army in...
instead, and further began to investigate Hou's protection of criminals. Hou began to sense that something was wrong, and he sent his assistant Zhou Hongshi (周弘實) to try to get information from the Cai Jingli. Cai recorded details of Zhou Hongshi's contact and secretly accused Hou of planning a rebellion. Emperor Wen, worried that if he simply summoned Hou that Hou would refuse, issued an edict transferring Hou from being the governor of Southern Xu Province (南徐州, roughly modern Zhenjiang
Zhenjiang
Zhenjiang is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Jiangsu province in the eastern People's Republic of China . Sitting on the southern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the west, Changzhou to the east, and Yangzhou across the river to the north.Once...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
) to being the governor of Jiang Province. Hou, believing this to be a routine transfer, stopped at Jiankang before going to Jiang Province. Emperor Wen invited him to a feast and arrested him there; he also arrested Hou's officers, but released them after confiscating their horses and weapons. Emperor Wen then issued an edict announcing Hou's crimes, and the next day ordered Hou to commit suicide, but spared his wife and children and buried Hou at imperial expense. In 571, Emperor Wen's brother Emperor Xuan
Emperor Xuan of Chen
Emperor Xuan of Chen , personal name Chen Xu , courtesy name Shaoshi , nickname Shili , was an emperor of the Chinese Chen Dynasty. He seized the throne from his nephew Emperor Fei in 569 and subsequently ruled the state for 13 years...
posthumously created Hou the Marquess of Chenji and allowed his son Hou Dan (侯亶) to inherit the title.
Traditional historians believe that Hou's (and Zhou Wenyu's) fate were foretold by Chen Baxian. According to their accounts, while Chen was still a Liang general defending Jingkou, he once held a feast with his officers. Du Sengming, Zhou, and Hou were all bragging about their contributions. Chen responded:
- You are all great soldiers of this time, but you all have weaknesses as well. Lord Du has great foresight but insufficient wisdom; you engage in foolish games with your subordinates and are proud to your superiors. Lord Zhou is true to friends, but you are not selective in whom you associate with, and you are overly trusting of others. Lord Hou is overly arrogant and does not know when to stop, and you are frivolous and temperamental. These are not ways to protect your lives.
(It should be noted, however, that if this account was true, Chen was not accurate abut Du, who died honorably of natural causes, albeit before the establishment of Chen Dynasty.)