Zhou Bao
Encyclopedia
Zhou Bao (807
– February 12, 888), courtesy name Shanggui (上珪), formally the Prince of Ru'nan (汝南王), was a general of the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
who, for two years, controlled Zhenhai Circuit (鎮海, headquartered in modern Zhenjiang
, Jiangsu
) as its military governor (Jiedushi
).
, during the reign of Emperor Xianzong
. His family was originally from Ping Prefecture (平州, in modern Qinhuangdao
, Hebei
). His great-grandfather Zhou Daixuan (周待選) had served as the magistrate of Lucheng County (魯城, in modern Cangzhou
, Hebei
) during An Lushan
's rebellion, and had tried to resist the advances of An's army but was defeated and killed. Zhou Bao's grandfather Zhou Guangji (周光濟) subsequently served under Hou Xiyi (侯希逸) the military governor of Pinglu Circuit (平盧, then-headquartered in modern Chaoyang, Liaoning), a Tang general in the subsequent wars between Tang and An's Yan
state. It was said that because of Zhou Daixuan's death, Zhou Guangji wanted revenge, and so whenever he captured those who participated in the Yan siege of Lucheng, he would kill them with his own hands. Subsequently, he served under Hou's successor Li Zhengji
, who was de facto independent in his rule of Pinglu (which had then moved south to be headquartered in modern Tai'an
, Shandong
). After Li Zhengji's death, Zhou Guangji followed Li Zhengji's cousin Li Wei (李洧) in submitting Xu Prefecture (徐州, in modern Xuzhou
, Jiangsu
) to the imperial government. Zhou Bao's father Zhou Huaiyi (周懷義) later also served as a general, eventually being promoted to being the defender of the western part of Tiande (天德, in modern Bayan Nur
, Inner Mongolia
), but was said to have died in distress when the chancellor Li Jifu
refused to support his proposal to move Tiande's location.
Because of his family's history of service to the imperial government, Zhou Bao became an imperial guard. When Yin Wei (殷洧), who had previously served on Zhou Huaiyi's staff, became the military governor of Tianping Circuit (天平, headquartered in modern Tai'an — having been carved out of Pinglu Circuit previously), he invited Zhou Bao to serve under him. During the Huichang era (841
-847
) of Emperor Xianzong's grandson Emperor Wuzong
, Zhou returned to the capital Chang'an
and was made an officer at the Right Shence Army (右神策軍). There, he became a close friend to fellow Right Shence Army officer Gao Pian
, such that Gao, who was younger, treated Zhou like an older brother. At one point, he became the defender of Liangyuan Base (良原鎮, in modern Pingliang
, Gansu
), and, as he was good at polo
, had the soldiers play polo as part of their training. Subsequently, as he was not being promoted, he met with Emperor Wuzong, who also liked polo, and offered to be a polo player in Emperor Wuzong's palace. Emperor Wuzong agreed, but it was during this time that, during a polo accident, Zhou lost one eye. He subsequently was made the military governor of Jingyuan Circuit (涇原, headquartered in modern Pingliang). It was said that he shored up Jingyuan's defenses and stored food supplies, and was known as a good general.
, Zhou Bao was made the military governor of Zhenhai Circuit, succeeding Gao Pian, who was transferred to neighboring Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou
, Jiangsu
). Initially, the relationship between Zhou and Gao were friendly; Gao, who at that point also carried the title of director of salt and iron monopolies, invited Zhou's son Zhou Ji (周佶) to serve as an assistant, while Zhou Bao invited a nephew of Gao's to serve on his staff. However, despite the fact that they were treating each others as brothers previously when they were at Right Shence Army, Gao, who by that point had become a far more famous general than Zhou, began to take Zhou lightly, and by this point, with their circuits neighboring each other, they began to have disputes. By 881
, when Chang'an had fallen to the major agrarian rebel Huang Chao
, forcing then-reigning Emperor Xizong
(Emperor Wuzong's uncle Emperor Xuānzong
's grandson) to flee to Chengdu
. Gao claimed that he was preparing a major operation to attack Huang to recapture Chang'an, and he, as the commander of Tang troops in the region, ordered Zhou to mobilize his troops to prepare for the operation. Zhou did so, but then discovered that Gao was making no real plans to launch his troops, and therefore believed that Gao was planning to attack him. When Gao summoned him for a meeting, Zhou refused to go, and after they sent insults back and forth, the friendship was completely broken. Gao subsequently used his rivalry with Zhou and Liu Hanhong
the governor of Zhedong Circuit (浙東, headquartered in modern Shaoxing
, Zhejiang
) as an excuse not to launch his troops to aid the imperial government.
Meanwhile, with Zhenhai Circuit itself being attacked by agrarian rebels, and towns falling to them, Zhou organized eight special corps to defend against the agrarian rebels. In 881, however, one of the eight commanders, Dong Chang
, took the opportunity when the new imperially-commissioned prefect of Hang Prefecture (杭州, in modern Hangzhou
, Zhejiang
), Lu Shenzhong (路審中), was set to arrive to arrive there, to seize it before Lu arrived. Dong requested official sanction from Zhou, and as Zhou did not feel he had the power to stop Dong, he commissioned Dong as the prefect of Hang Prefecture. Later in the year, Emperor Xizong gave Zhou the honorary chancellor title of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事). Zhou was also made the deputy director of salt and iron monopolies, and created the Prince of Ru'nan. As he had ambitions of eventually heading for the imperial government's aid, he organized a new corps, known as the Rear Tower Corps (後樓都), paying them twice the salary of regular troops. (This caused great resentment from the regular troops.) Zhou put his son Zhou Yu (周璵) in command of the Rear Tower Corps, but it was said that Zhou Yu was not an effective commander, and the Rear Tower Corps became arrogant and lacking in discipline. Zhou Bao himself was said to be beginning to spend his time in feast and pleasure, and not paying attention to his troops' needs. He made his son-in-law Yang Maoshi (楊茂實) the prefect of Su Prefecture (蘇州, in modern Suzhou
, Jiangsu
), and it was said that Yang tried to collect large amounts of taxes from the people, overburdening them. The powerful eunuch Tian Lingzi
, who then controlled Emperor Xizong's court, sent the official Zhao Zai (趙載) to replace Yang. Zhou made repeated attempts to petition for Yang's retention, but the petitions were not accepted, so he had Yang vandalize the government offices before leaving.
However, the continued breakdown of Zhou's actual control over the prefectures consisting of Zhenhai Circuit continued. In 886
, Zhou's officer Zhang Yu (張郁), who had initially gained Zhou's favor as he was also a polo player, mutinied and captured Chang Prefecture (常州, in modern Changzhou
, Jiangsu
), but later in the year Zhou was able to send another officer, Ding Congshi (丁從實), to defeat Zhang and recapture Chang Prefecture. Also around this time, another officer, Chen Sheng (陳晟), seized control of Mu Prefecture (睦州, in modern Hangzhou). Also in 886, Dong's subordinate Qian Liu
defeated Liu Hanhong, and Dong took over Zhedong Circuit. Dong gave the control of Hang Prefecture to Qian, which Zhou approved. At that time, Tian's associate Shen Gao (沈誥) was surveying the region and, relying on his association with Tian, was engaging in many corrupt acts. When Emperor Xizong's cousin Li Yun
the Prince of Xiang briefly seized the throne (although both he and his main support Zhu Mei
the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (靜難, headquartered in modern Xianyang
, Shaanxi
) were killed later in 886, allowing Emperor Xizong to again be undisputed emperor) and ordered a general arrest of Tian's associates, Zhou took this opportunity to arrest and execute Shen and Zhao Zai.
, Zhou Bao was said to be devoting his time to pleasure, not paying attention to governance. He was also conscripting the laborers to build outer walls for the circuit capital Run Prefecture (潤州), as well as an eastern addition to his mansion. The people resented the heavy labor. Once, when Zhou was feasting with his staff, staff members expressed to him their concerns about the regular troops' resentment of the Rear Tower Corps. Zhou responded, "If they dare to create disturbances, execute them." When his staff member Xue Lang
informed this to Xue's friend, the officer Liu Hao (劉浩) to warn Liu, Liu stated, "We can only escape death if we mutiny." That night, Liu started a mutiny with his soldiers and attacked Zhou's mansion. Zhou woke up and tried to summon the Rear Tower Corps to fight the mutineers, but soon found out that the Rear Tower Corps had joined the mutineers. He could not think of another way to counter the mutiny, so he took his family members and fled on foot to Chang Prefecture to join Ding Congshi. Liu killed many of Zhou's staff members, took over the headquarters, and supported Xue as the acting military governor. Because Zhou was previously the deputy director of the monopolies, he had much wealth stored away, and it all fell into the mutineers' hands. When Gao Pian heard of Zhou's fall, he celebrated it, and sent a bag of powder to Zhou to satirize the collapse of his power. Zhou angrily threw the bag onto the ground and stated, "It is hard to say what will happen to you given that you have Lü Yongzhi
!" (Lü was a sorcerer whom Gao trusted, who had by this point had great control on Gao's governance of Huainan. Eventually, as a result of Lü's corruption, the officer Bi Shiduo
would mutiny, resulting in Gao's own death later in 887.)
In winter 887, Qian Liu sent his officer Du Leng (杜稜) to attack Chang Prefecture, and Ding fled to Hailing (海陵, in modern Taizhou, Jiangsu
). Qian had Zhou escorted to Hang Prefecture, where he welcomed Zhou in a grand ceremony fitting the ceremony welcome by a subordinate of a military governor. Zhou would die at Hang Prefecture early in 888
. (The New Book of Tang
indicated that Qian killed Zhou, but Sima Guang
, the lead author of the Zizhi Tongjian
, found the account not credible and did not adopt it. When Qian captured Run Prefecture and arrested Xue, he had Xue's heart cut out of his body and sacrificed to Zhou.
807
Year 807 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* After the death of Cuthred, king Coenwulf of Mercia takes control over Kent himself....
– February 12, 888), courtesy name Shanggui (上珪), formally the Prince of Ru'nan (汝南王), was a general of the Chinese
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
dynasty Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
who, for two years, controlled Zhenhai Circuit (鎮海, headquartered 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...
) as its military governor (Jiedushi
Jiedushi
The Jiedushi were regional military governors in China during the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. Originally set up to counter external threats, the jiedushi were given enormous power, including the ability to maintain their own armies, collect taxes, and pass their...
).
Background and early career
Zhou Bao was born in 807807
Year 807 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* After the death of Cuthred, king Coenwulf of Mercia takes control over Kent himself....
, during the reign of Emperor Xianzong
Emperor Xianzong of Tang
Emperor Xianzong of Tang , personal name Li Chun , né Li Chun , was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty...
. His family was originally from Ping Prefecture (平州, in modern Qinhuangdao
Qinhuangdao
Qinhuangdao is a port city in northeastern Hebei province of North China. It is about 300 km east of Beijing, on the Bohai Sea, the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea....
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
). His great-grandfather Zhou Daixuan (周待選) had served as the magistrate of Lucheng County (魯城, in modern Cangzhou
Cangzhou
Cangzhou is a prefecture-level city in Hebei province, People's Republic of China. Cangzhou's urban center has a population of approximately 514,074 at the 2010 census which correspond to the built up area), while the prefecture-level administrative region in total has a population of 7,134,053...
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
) during An Lushan
An Lushan
An Lushan was a general who rebelled against the Tang Dynasty in China.His name was also transcribed into Chinese as Āluòshān or Gáluòshān ,...
's rebellion, and had tried to resist the advances of An's army but was defeated and killed. Zhou Bao's grandfather Zhou Guangji (周光濟) subsequently served under Hou Xiyi (侯希逸) the military governor of Pinglu Circuit (平盧, then-headquartered in modern Chaoyang, Liaoning), a Tang general in the subsequent wars between Tang and An's Yan
Yan (Anshi)
Yan , also known as the Great Yan , was a state established in 756 by the Tang Dynasty general An Lushan, after he rebelled against the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang in 755. The state was extinguished in 763, with the death of An Lushan's former subordinate, Shi Siming's son, Shi Chaoyi, who...
state. It was said that because of Zhou Daixuan's death, Zhou Guangji wanted revenge, and so whenever he captured those who participated in the Yan siege of Lucheng, he would kill them with his own hands. Subsequently, he served under Hou's successor Li Zhengji
Li Zhengji
- Background :Li Huaiyu was born in 733, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. He was born in Tang's Pinglu Circuit...
, who was de facto independent in his rule of Pinglu (which had then moved south to be headquartered in modern Tai'an
Tai'an
Tai'an is a prefecture-level city in western Shandong province, People's Republic of China.Centered around Mount Tai, the city borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the north, Laiwu to the northeast, Zibo to the east, Linyi to the southeast, Liaocheng to the extreme west and Jining to the south...
, Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
). After Li Zhengji's death, Zhou Guangji followed Li Zhengji's cousin Li Wei (李洧) in submitting Xu Prefecture (徐州, in modern Xuzhou
Xuzhou
Xuzhou , otherwise known as Pengcheng in ancient times, is a major city in and the fourth largest prefecture-level city of Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China...
, 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 the imperial government. Zhou Bao's father Zhou Huaiyi (周懷義) later also served as a general, eventually being promoted to being the defender of the western part of Tiande (天德, in modern Bayan Nur
Bayan Nur
Bayannur is a prefecture-level city in western Inner Mongolia. Until December 1, 2003, the area was called the Bayannur league.Bayannur city has an area of 65,788 km². It borders Mongolia to the north, Alxa to the west, Ordos to the south and Baotou to the east...
, Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation...
), but was said to have died in distress when the chancellor Li Jifu
Li Jifu
Li Jifu , courtesy name Hongxian , formally Duke Zhongyi of Zhao , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xianzong.- Background :...
refused to support his proposal to move Tiande's location.
Because of his family's history of service to the imperial government, Zhou Bao became an imperial guard. When Yin Wei (殷洧), who had previously served on Zhou Huaiyi's staff, became the military governor of Tianping Circuit (天平, headquartered in modern Tai'an — having been carved out of Pinglu Circuit previously), he invited Zhou Bao to serve under him. During the Huichang era (841
841
Year 841 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* June 25 – Battle of Fontenay: Louis the German and Charles the Bald defeat Lothar....
-847
847
Year 847 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Bari is captured by the Saracens....
) of Emperor Xianzong's grandson Emperor Wuzong
Emperor Wuzong of Tang
Emperor Wuzong of Tang , né Li Chan , later changed to Li Yan just before his death, was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, reigning from 840 to 846. Emperor Wuzong is mainly known in modern times for the religious persecution that occurred during his reign...
, Zhou returned to the 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...
and was made an officer at the Right Shence Army (右神策軍). There, he became a close friend to fellow Right Shence Army officer Gao Pian
Gao Pian
Gao Pian , courtesy name Qianli , formally the Prince of Bohai , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty...
, such that Gao, who was younger, treated Zhou like an older brother. At one point, he became the defender of Liangyuan Base (良原鎮, in modern Pingliang
Pingliang
Pingliang is a prefecture-level city in eastern Gansu Province in China. Pingliang is famous for a local mountain range that includes Kongtong Mountain, a site sacred to Taoism and mythical meeting place of the Yellow Emperor and Guangchengzi, an immortal....
, Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
), and, as he was good at polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
, had the soldiers play polo as part of their training. Subsequently, as he was not being promoted, he met with Emperor Wuzong, who also liked polo, and offered to be a polo player in Emperor Wuzong's palace. Emperor Wuzong agreed, but it was during this time that, during a polo accident, Zhou lost one eye. He subsequently was made the military governor of Jingyuan Circuit (涇原, headquartered in modern Pingliang). It was said that he shored up Jingyuan's defenses and stored food supplies, and was known as a good general.
Control of Zhenhai Circuit
In winter 879879
Year 879 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Pope John VIII recognizes the Duchy of Croatia as an independent state....
, Zhou Bao was made the military governor of Zhenhai Circuit, succeeding Gao Pian, who was transferred to neighboring Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou
Yangzhou
Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou to the east, and Zhenjiang across...
, 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...
). Initially, the relationship between Zhou and Gao were friendly; Gao, who at that point also carried the title of director of salt and iron monopolies, invited Zhou's son Zhou Ji (周佶) to serve as an assistant, while Zhou Bao invited a nephew of Gao's to serve on his staff. However, despite the fact that they were treating each others as brothers previously when they were at Right Shence Army, Gao, who by that point had become a far more famous general than Zhou, began to take Zhou lightly, and by this point, with their circuits neighboring each other, they began to have disputes. By 881
881
Year 881 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Charles the Fat is crowned Western Emperor.* Battle of Saucourt-en-Vimeu: Louis III of France routs Norman pirates....
, when Chang'an had fallen to the major agrarian rebel Huang Chao
Huang Chao
Huang Chao was the leader of the Huang Chao Rebellion , known in mainland China as the Huang Chao Revolution in China that seriously weakened the once mighty Tang Dynasty of China...
, forcing then-reigning Emperor Xizong
Emperor Xizong of Tang
Emperor Xizong of Tang , né Li Yan , later name changed to Li Xuan , was an emperor of the Tang dynasty of China. He reigned from 873 to 888. He was the fifth son of his predecessor Emperor Yizong and was the elder brother of his successor Emperor Zhaozong...
(Emperor Wuzong's uncle Emperor Xuānzong
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang , also commonly known as Emperor Ming of Tang , personal name Li Longji , known as Wu Longji from 690 to 705, was the seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty in China, reigning from 712 to 756. His reign of 43 years was the longest during the Tang Dynasty...
's grandson) to flee to Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
. Gao claimed that he was preparing a major operation to attack Huang to recapture Chang'an, and he, as the commander of Tang troops in the region, ordered Zhou to mobilize his troops to prepare for the operation. Zhou did so, but then discovered that Gao was making no real plans to launch his troops, and therefore believed that Gao was planning to attack him. When Gao summoned him for a meeting, Zhou refused to go, and after they sent insults back and forth, the friendship was completely broken. Gao subsequently used his rivalry with Zhou and Liu Hanhong
Liu Hanhong
Liu Hanhong was a warlord of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who initially was a rebel against Tang but later accepted Tang titles and controlled Yisheng Circuit...
the governor of Zhedong Circuit (浙東, headquartered in modern Shaoxing
Shaoxing
Shaoxing is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. Located on the south bank of the Qiantang River estuary, it borders Ningbo to the east, Taizhou to the southeast, Jinhua to the southwest, and Hangzhou to the west. It was once known as "越"...
, 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...
) as an excuse not to launch his troops to aid the imperial government.
Meanwhile, with Zhenhai Circuit itself being attacked by agrarian rebels, and towns falling to them, Zhou organized eight special corps to defend against the agrarian rebels. In 881, however, one of the eight commanders, Dong Chang
Dong Chang
Dong Chang was a warlord of the late Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He began his career as the leader of a local militia at Hang Prefecture and gradually increased in power to control most of modern Zhejiang...
, took the opportunity when the new imperially-commissioned prefect of Hang Prefecture (杭州, in modern Hangzhou
Hangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
, 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...
), Lu Shenzhong (路審中), was set to arrive to arrive there, to seize it before Lu arrived. Dong requested official sanction from Zhou, and as Zhou did not feel he had the power to stop Dong, he commissioned Dong as the prefect of Hang Prefecture. Later in the year, Emperor Xizong gave Zhou the honorary chancellor title of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事). Zhou was also made the deputy director of salt and iron monopolies, and created the Prince of Ru'nan. As he had ambitions of eventually heading for the imperial government's aid, he organized a new corps, known as the Rear Tower Corps (後樓都), paying them twice the salary of regular troops. (This caused great resentment from the regular troops.) Zhou put his son Zhou Yu (周璵) in command of the Rear Tower Corps, but it was said that Zhou Yu was not an effective commander, and the Rear Tower Corps became arrogant and lacking in discipline. Zhou Bao himself was said to be beginning to spend his time in feast and pleasure, and not paying attention to his troops' needs. He made his son-in-law Yang Maoshi (楊茂實) the prefect of Su Prefecture (蘇州, in modern Suzhou
Suzhou
Suzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part...
, 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...
), and it was said that Yang tried to collect large amounts of taxes from the people, overburdening them. The powerful eunuch Tian Lingzi
Tian Lingzi
Tian Lingzi , courtesy name Zhongze , formally the Duke of Jin , was a powerful eunuch during the reign of Emperor Xizong of Tang...
, who then controlled Emperor Xizong's court, sent the official Zhao Zai (趙載) to replace Yang. Zhou made repeated attempts to petition for Yang's retention, but the petitions were not accepted, so he had Yang vandalize the government offices before leaving.
However, the continued breakdown of Zhou's actual control over the prefectures consisting of Zhenhai Circuit continued. In 886
886
Year 886 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :...
, Zhou's officer Zhang Yu (張郁), who had initially gained Zhou's favor as he was also a polo player, mutinied and captured Chang Prefecture (常州, in modern Changzhou
Changzhou
Changzhou is a prefecture-level city in southern Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It was previously known as Yanling, Lanling, Jinling, and Wujin. Located on the southern bank of the Yangtze River, Changzhou borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the west, Zhenjiang to the...
, 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...
), but later in the year Zhou was able to send another officer, Ding Congshi (丁從實), to defeat Zhang and recapture Chang Prefecture. Also around this time, another officer, Chen Sheng (陳晟), seized control of Mu Prefecture (睦州, in modern Hangzhou). Also in 886, Dong's subordinate Qian Liu
Qian Liu
Qian Liu , courtesy name Jumei , nickname Poliu , formally King Wusu of Wuyue with the temple name of Taizu , was founder and first king of the Kingdom of Wuyue during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, ruling over roughly modern Zhejiang on the east coast of China.- Background :Qian...
defeated Liu Hanhong, and Dong took over Zhedong Circuit. Dong gave the control of Hang Prefecture to Qian, which Zhou approved. At that time, Tian's associate Shen Gao (沈誥) was surveying the region and, relying on his association with Tian, was engaging in many corrupt acts. When Emperor Xizong's cousin Li Yun
Li Yun
Li Yun is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 97th of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 61st of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Green Eyed Tiger".-Background:...
the Prince of Xiang briefly seized the throne (although both he and his main support Zhu Mei
Zhu Mei
Zhu Mei was a warlord of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. Disillusioned with Emperor Xizong and the powerful eunuch Tian Lingzi, he tried to support Emperor Xizong's distant relative Li Yun the Prince of Xiang as the new emperor, but was soon thereafter killed by his own officer Wang Xingyu.-...
the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (靜難, headquartered in modern Xianyang
Xianyang
Xianyang is a former capital of China in Shaanxi province, on the Wei River, a few kilometers upstream from Xi'an. It has an area of...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
) were killed later in 886, allowing Emperor Xizong to again be undisputed emperor) and ordered a general arrest of Tian's associates, Zhou took this opportunity to arrest and execute Shen and Zhao Zai.
Downfall and death
By 887887
Year 887 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* The city of Toledo rises against the Umayyad leader....
, Zhou Bao was said to be devoting his time to pleasure, not paying attention to governance. He was also conscripting the laborers to build outer walls for the circuit capital Run Prefecture (潤州), as well as an eastern addition to his mansion. The people resented the heavy labor. Once, when Zhou was feasting with his staff, staff members expressed to him their concerns about the regular troops' resentment of the Rear Tower Corps. Zhou responded, "If they dare to create disturbances, execute them." When his staff member Xue Lang
Xue Lang
Xue Lang was a military officer of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who controlled a portion of Zhenhai Circuit for most of 887 after the Zhenhai soldiers overthrew the military governor Zhou Bao...
informed this to Xue's friend, the officer Liu Hao (劉浩) to warn Liu, Liu stated, "We can only escape death if we mutiny." That night, Liu started a mutiny with his soldiers and attacked Zhou's mansion. Zhou woke up and tried to summon the Rear Tower Corps to fight the mutineers, but soon found out that the Rear Tower Corps had joined the mutineers. He could not think of another way to counter the mutiny, so he took his family members and fled on foot to Chang Prefecture to join Ding Congshi. Liu killed many of Zhou's staff members, took over the headquarters, and supported Xue as the acting military governor. Because Zhou was previously the deputy director of the monopolies, he had much wealth stored away, and it all fell into the mutineers' hands. When Gao Pian heard of Zhou's fall, he celebrated it, and sent a bag of powder to Zhou to satirize the collapse of his power. Zhou angrily threw the bag onto the ground and stated, "It is hard to say what will happen to you given that you have Lü Yongzhi
Lü Yongzhi
Lü Yongzhi was a sorcerer late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who became trusted by Gao Pian the military governor of Huainan Circuit and became very powerful at Huainan, at one point becoming more powerful than Gao himself...
!" (Lü was a sorcerer whom Gao trusted, who had by this point had great control on Gao's governance of Huainan. Eventually, as a result of Lü's corruption, the officer Bi Shiduo
Bi Shiduo
Bi Shiduo was an army officer of the late Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He initially was part of the agrarian rebellions of Wang Xianzhi and Huang Chao, but later became a Tang officer...
would mutiny, resulting in Gao's own death later in 887.)
In winter 887, Qian Liu sent his officer Du Leng (杜稜) to attack Chang Prefecture, and Ding fled to Hailing (海陵, in modern Taizhou, Jiangsu
Taizhou, Jiangsu
Taizhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu province of eastern China. Situated on the north bank of the Yangtze River, it borders Nantong to the east, Yancheng to the north and Yangzhou to the west....
). Qian had Zhou escorted to Hang Prefecture, where he welcomed Zhou in a grand ceremony fitting the ceremony welcome by a subordinate of a military governor. Zhou would die at Hang Prefecture early in 888
888
Year 888 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* January 13 – With the death of Charles the Fat, the Frankish kingdom is split again, and this time permanently...
. (The New Book of Tang
New Book of Tang
The New Book of Tang , is a classic work of history about the Tang Dynasty edited by Ouyang Xiu and Song Qi and other official scholars of the Song Dynasty. The emperor called for a revision of the former Book of Tang in 1044. The New Book was presented to the throne in 1060. It was given its...
indicated that Qian killed Zhou, but Sima Guang
Sima Guang
Sīmǎ Guāng was a Chinese historian, scholar, and high chancellor of the Song Dynasty, jinshi 1038.-Life, profession, and works:...
, the lead author of the Zizhi Tongjian
Zizhi Tongjian
The Zizhi Tongjian was a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084, under the form of a chronicles. In 1065 CE, Emperor Yingzong of Song ordered the great historian Sima Guang to lead with other scholars such as his chief assistants Liu Shu, Liu Ban and Fan Zuyu, the...
, found the account not credible and did not adopt it. When Qian captured Run Prefecture and arrested Xue, he had Xue's heart cut out of his body and sacrificed to Zhou.