The Altered Life Trajectory of Zhou Chu

In this second installment of our two-part feature on the renowned statesman Zhou Chu who lived 1,800 years ago, we’ll talk more about his noble qualities and the conspiracy that culminated in his harrowing and untimely demise.

Transcript

The Altered Life Trajectory of Zhou Chu

In this second installment of our two-part feature on the renowned statesman Zhou Chu who lived 1,800 years ago, we’ll talk more about his noble qualities and the conspiracy that culminated in his harrowing and untimely demise.

Spring Festival in China has countless traditions to enjoy, and one of the more modern traditions is to take in a movie or two at the local cinema. China’s film industry thrives on supplying its most anticipated productions to eager audiences who have plenty of time on their hands and want to venture out to enjoy the holiday atmosphere. And like we mentioned in our previous podcast, one of the big hits this year was The Pig, the Snake, and the Pigeon – which is a modern-day adaptation of “Zhou Chu’s Biography” from the Book of Jin, an authoritative Chinese historical text chronicling the Jin Dynasty’s history, lasting from 265 to 420 AD.

Now, let’s continue with part 2 of our story. 

Zhou Chu’s exact cause of death is not clearly documented in historical records. When Zhou Chu visited Lu Yun, he was likely already a middle-aged man. He then dedicated himself to studying diligently, which led to his increasing fame. Furthermore, owing to the significant achievements of his grandfather and father, who held high positions in the Eastern Wu dynasty, Zhou Chu was appointed to a government position, thus beginning his career in officialdom.

In Eastern Wu, Zhou Chu held various civil official positions such as Imperial Equerry of the Crown Prince, Deputy Director of the Eastern Pavilion, Deputy Director of the Imperial Library, and Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. These positions were all within the civil administration. However, towards the end of Eastern Wu’s existence, Zhou Chu was appointed as the Wunan Inspector, transitioning into a military role. In Eastern Wu, there was an imperial guard unit called the Wunan Camp, and the Wunan Inspector was the head of this unit. At that time, Eastern Wu had two Wunan Camps, hence there were two Wunan Inspectors, and Zhou Chu held one of these positions.

 In the year 280 AD, the Western Jin Dynasty conquered Eastern Wu, and individuals who previously held positions in Eastern Wu’s government, such as Zhou Chu, Lu Ji, and Lu Yun, surrendered to the Western Jin Dynasty and became officials of the Western Jin. According to the “Biography of Zhou Chu” in the Book of Jin, Zhou Chu initially served as an official in the Western Jin capital city of Luoyang. Later, he was appointed as the Prefect of Xinping, modern-day Binzhou, Shaanxi Province, and subsequently transferred to serve as the Prefect of Guanghan, which is modern-day Guanghan in Sichuan Province. Upon assuming his position in Guanghan, Zhou Chu efficiently resolved a backlog of longstanding unresolved cases, earning both recognition and commendation from the Western Jin court.

A few years later, Zhou Chu was promoted to the position of Deputy Director of the Imperial Secretariat, becoming the highest-ranking supervisory official. Known for his strict and uncompromising character, he spared no one in his criticisms of other officials, which naturally led to the creation of many enemies. One of these adversaries was Sima Rong, the son of Sima Yi, the founding figure of the Western Jin Dynasty. Sima Rong held the title of Prince of Liang and wielded considerable power. He also became a target of Zhou Chu’s accusations, leading to a deep-seated enmity between the two.

 In the year 296 AD, Sima Rong was appointed as the Grand General of the Expeditionary Forces to the West, tasked with suppressing a rebellion among ethnic groups in Shaanxi Province. Zhou Chu was appointed to serve as a general under Sima Rong. In January of the year 297 AD, Sima Rong ordered Zhou Chu to lead 5,000 troops to attack 70,000 rebels at Liangshan, modern-day Liangshan Town, Qian County, Shaanxi Province. 

Zhou Chu declined, stating, “With such few troops and lacking provisions, if we engage in battle, we will surely be defeated. While my own death may be of little consequence, bringing shame upon the state is a grave matter.” Despite Zhou Chu’s objections, Sima Rong insisted on proceeding with the campaign and ordered Zhou Chu to advance once again.

Forced to comply, Zhou Chu set out and was subsequently surrounded by rebel forces at Lumo Village in Qian County. Leading his 5,000 soldiers, Zhou Chu fought against the rebels for a day, killing over 10,000 of them. Eventually, running out of arrows and with his own sword broken, Zhou Chu and his troops collectively sacrificed themselves for their country.

Before Zhou Chu went into battle, many officials in the court were already aware that Sima Rong intended to set him up. One of these officials was Sun Xiu, a former minister of Eastern Wu, who pleaded with Sima Rong to spare Zhou Chu, but his efforts were in vain. Other officials were pleased at the prospect of Zhou Chu’s demise. They not only refused to intercede on his behalf but also fueled the situation further. 

When Zhou Chu was besieged by the rebel forces, General Xiahou Jun’s troops were stationed nearby, as was another officer, Lu Bo; however, neither of them sent reinforcements to aid Zhou Chu. Xiahou Jun was the grandson of the renowned general Xiahou Yuan and had familial ties with Sima Rong, making him view Zhou Chu as a thorn in his side, whom he was unwilling to assist. As for Lu Bo, he was a servant of Sima Rong and feared him, thus he dared not intervene. Ultimately, Zhou Chu did not perish at the hands of the rebel forces but rather at the hands of Sima Rong and his allies.

After Zhou Chu’s death, Sima Rong was not punished. According to the “Biography of Sima Rong” in the Book of Jin, the court reprimanded Sima Rong, but then continued to promote him. Two years later, Sima Rong effectively became the de facto prime minister, overseeing state affairs. 

Why wasn’t Sima Rong punished? Because at that time, Emperor Hui of Jin was incompetent, and the actual power was in the hands of his wife, Jia Nanfeng. She understood they needed the support of the royal family of the Western Jin Dynasty and dared not offend Sima Rong. However, to appease any resentment within the military, Jia Nanfeng turned Sima Rong’s servant, Lu Bo, into a scapegoat and punished him by stripping him of his official position and exiling him to present-day Beijing.

It was not long after Zhou Chu’s death that Lu Ji wrote the epitaph attributing his cause of death to “deterioration due to illness”. Why would he write such a false statement?

There are at least two reasons for this: Firstly, when Lu Ji was writing the epitaph for Zhou Chu, Sima Rong was in power. If Lu Ji had openly stated the true cause of Zhou Chu’s death, he might have risked retaliation from Sima Rong. Secondly, Lu Ji’s personality differed greatly from Zhou Chu’s. Zhou Chu was straightforward and disdainful of flattery, while Lu Ji and his brother Lu Yun had surrendered to the Western Jin Dynasty and were adept at adapting to the prevailing winds, constantly ingratiating themselves with those in power.

Sima Rong was one such powerful figure with whom they sought to ingratiate themselves. According to the records in the Book of Jin by Wang Yin of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, at one occasion on Sima Rong’s birthday, Lu Ji and Lu Yun showcased their talent for writing by presenting Sima Rong with an eloquent and flattering essay, praising his integrity, kindness, and moral influence on the world, overshadowing Zhou Chu’s reputation.

In addition to ingratiating themselves with Sima Rong, the Lu brothers also sought favor with Jia Nanfeng, the wife of Emperor Hui of Jin, as well as her father Jia Chong, and Jia Chong’s grandson Han Mi. Whenever Jia Chong went out, the Lu brothers would kneel by the roadside from afar, showing their flattery to him. As Han Mi was not skilled in writing, Lu Ji took the responsibility of ghostwriting for him, thereby flattering Han Mi. The Tang Dynasty version of the Book of Jin describes Lu Ji as “fond of visiting influential families,” which is a quite objective assessment.

Lu Ji and Lu Yun were indeed outstanding literary figures, who created exceptional literary works, but their characters were morally corrupt. They flattered without principles, constantly changing their allegiances to whoever held power, and betraying those who fell out of favor. When Jia Nanfeng held power, they followed the Jia family; when Zhao, the Prince of Jin, Sima Lun, seized Jia Nanfeng’s position, they followed Sima Lun; and when Sima Lun fell, they allied with Sima Ying, the Prince of Chengdu, to suppress other imperial clans. And what was the result? When Sima Ying was defeated, Lu Ji and Lu Yun were executed along with their entire family, leading to the downfall of their entire lineage.

From a moral standpoint, Zhou Chu suffered retaliation due to his upright character and died tragically, but his death was meaningful. On the other hand, the Lu brothers also died tragically, but their deaths were utterly meaningless. Whether judged by ancient moral standards or contemporary ones, Zhou Chu deserves praise while the Lu brothers deserve whatever condemnation they may receive. 

Let’s turn back to a story from New Account of the Tales of the World, where Zhou Chu sought an audience with the Lu brothers. Lu Yun, in a gentle admonition to Zhou Chu, said: “If a man lacks an established ambition, why should he worry about his name not being renowned?” In one’s lifetime, the most important thing is to have a clear ambition to do good deeds, so why worry about not achieving fame in the future? Zhou Chu was fortunate to have heeded Lu Yun’s advice, but to Lu Yun himself, these were just empty words. In reality, he followed a completely different set of principles.

So, to sum up our two-part story about Zhou Chu, let’s remember the themes of redemption and transformation. The fact is that literary talent does not necessarily equate to good moral character, and actions speak louder than words. Some villains do indeed transform into good people, while some distinguished individuals may find themselves on a slippery slope to corruption. 

Well, that’s the end of our podcast. Our theme music is by the famous film score composer Roc Chen. We want to thank our writer Lü Weitao, translator Du Guodong, and copy editor Pu Ren. And thank you for listening. We hope you enjoyed it, and if you did, please tell a friend so they, too, can understand The Context.