Lou Shide (; 630–699),
courtesy name
A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theobald ...
Zongren (宗仁), formally Viscount Zhen of Qiao (譙貞子), was a Chinese military general and politician of the
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
Tang Dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
and
Wu Zetian
Wu Zetian (17 February 624 – 16 December 705), personal name Wu Zhao, was the ''de facto'' ruler of the Tang dynasty from 665 to 705, ruling first through others and then (from 690) in her own right. From 665 to 690, she was first empres ...
's Zhou Dynasty, twice serving as
chancellor
Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
during Wu Zetian's reign.
Background
Lou Shide was born in 630, during the reign of
Emperor Taizong. He was from Zheng Prefecture (鄭州, roughly modern
Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou (; ), also spelt Zheng Zhou and alternatively romanized as Chengchow, is the capital and largest city of Henan Province in the central part of the People's Republic of China. Located in north-central Henan, it is one of the National ...
,
Henan
Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...
). When he was young, he passed the
imperial examination
The imperial examination (; lit. "subject recommendation") refers to a civil-service examination system in Imperial China, administered for the purpose of selecting candidates for the state bureaucracy. The concept of choosing bureaucrats by ...
and was made the sheriff of Jiangdu County (江都, in modern
Yangzhou
Yangzhou, postal romanization Yangchow, is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province (Suzhong), East China. Sitting on the north bank of the Yangtze, it borders the provincial capital Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yan ...
,
Jiangsu
Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, Postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an Eastern China, eastern coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China. It is o ...
) – a formally low post that was, however, regarded as important as Jiangdu was one of the largest cities of the empire. While serving there, his superior Lu Chengye () the secretary general of Yang Prefecture (揚州, roughly modern Yangzhou), was greatly impressed by him, and stated, "You are material to be an emperor's assistant. I should entrust my descendants to you, and how can I treat you as a subordinate?"
During Emperor Gaozong's reign
During the reign of Emperor Taizong's son
Emperor Gaozong, when Tang was having recurrent wars with
Tufan. Emperor Gaozong sought volunteers to serve in the army against Tufan, and Lou Shide volunteered. Emperor Gaozong was pleased and gave him the honorific title of ''Chaosan Daifu'' () and allowed him to serve in the army, and it was said that he had much achievement in the army. In 678, when the
chancellor
Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
Li Jingxuan Li Jingxuan (李敬玄) (615–682), formally Duke Wenxian of Zhao (趙文憲公), was a Chinese military general of Tang China, serving as Chancellor of the Tang dynasty during the reign of Emperor Gaozong. He was famed for his efficient organiza ...
suffered a major defeat against the Tufan general
Gar Trinring Tsendro
Gar Trinring Tsendro (; ? – 699), also known as Lon Trinling (), was a famous general of the Tibetan Empire. He was the second son of minister Gar Tongtsen Yülsung. In Chinese records, his name was given as Lùn Qīnlíng () or Qǐzhèng ...
("Lun Qinling" () in Chinese) and Li's deputy, the general Liu Shenli () was captured by Tufan, Emperor Gaozong sent Lou to reorganize Li's disorganized troops, and further then as an emissary to Tufan. Lou met with Trinring's brother
Gar Tsenba ("Lun Zanpo" () in Chinese) and was able to enter into a peace agreement with Lun Zanpo. In addition to his censor post, he was also made the military advisor to the commander at Heyuan Base (河源軍, in modern
Xining
Xining (; ), alternatively known as Sining, is the capital of Qinghai province in western China and the largest city on the Tibetan Plateau.
The city was a commercial hub along the Northern Silk Road's Hexi Corridor for over 2000 years, and wa ...
,
Qinghai
Qinghai (; alternately romanized as Tsinghai, Ch'inghai), also known as Kokonor, is a landlocked province in the northwest of the People's Republic of China. It is the fourth largest province of China by area and has the third smallest po ...
) and put in charge of the agricultural affairs of the base. By 682, however, Tufan was said to be again attacking Heyuan, and Lou prevailed over Tufan forces eight straight times. Emperor Gaozong gave Lou the position of a deputy minister but made him the deputy commander at Heyuan, stating to him in the edict, "You have both civil and military talents. Do not decline these posts."
During Wu Zetian's reign
By 693, Emperor Gaozong's powerful wife
Wu Zetian
Wu Zetian (17 February 624 – 16 December 705), personal name Wu Zhao, was the ''de facto'' ruler of the Tang dynasty from 665 to 705, ruling first through others and then (from 690) in her own right. From 665 to 690, she was first empres ...
had become "emperor" of a new Zhou Dynasty, interrupting Tang. (Emperor Gaozong had died in 683, and his sons
Emperor Zhongzong and
Emperor Ruizong had successively served as emperor, but Wu Zetian deposed them both and in 690 claimed the title of emperor.) In 693, Lou Shide was referred to as the minister of defense (夏官尚書, ''Xiaguan Shangshu''), when she gave him the designation ''Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi'' (), making him a chancellor ''de facto''. It was said that he was tolerant, honest, and careful. Once, when he was set to go with fellow chancellor
Li Zhaode Li Zhaode (李昭德) (died April 28, 697) was a Chinese politician in Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty and at one point served as chancellor. He was known for his abilities and strong will, which eventually led to a conflict with Wu Zetian's secret police ...
to meet Wu Zetian, he was walking slowly because he was obese, and Li had to repeatedly stop to wait for him. Li, in displeasure, yelled at him, "You country bumpkin!" Lou smiled and responded, "If I am not a country bumpkin, who can be a country bumpkin?" Around that time, his younger brother was made the prefect of Dai Prefecture (代州, in modern
Xinzhou
Xinzhou, ancient name Xiurong (秀荣), is a prefecture-level city occupying the north-central section of Shanxi Province in the People's Republic of China, bordering Hebei to the east, Shaanxi to the west, and Inner Mongolia to the northwest ...
,
Shanxi
Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...
). Before his brother departed, Lou asked him, "I am now a chancellor, and you are a prefect. These are high honors and will draw jealousy. How can you avoid disaster?" HIs brother responded, "From now, even if someone spat at my face, I will just wipe it off. Hopefully I will not cause you worries." Lou instead responded:
(This response, however, drew heavy criticism from the modern Chinese historian
Bo Yang
Bo Yang (; 7 March 1920 – 29 April 2008), sometimes also erroneously called Bai Yang, was a Chinese historian, novelist, philosopher, poet, and politician based in Taiwan. He is also regarded as a social critic. According to his own memoir, t ...
, who opined that Lou's comment showed a lack of self-respect and willingness to stand for what was right, for the purpose of protecting his position.
[''Bo Yang Edition of the ]Zizhi Tongjian
''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynast ...
'', vol. 49.)
In 694, while still a chancellor, Lou was made the commander of several bases, including Heyuan, but was later recalled being the minister of justice (秋官尚書, ''Qiuguan Shangshu'') and was created the Baron of Yuanwu. In 696, he was commissioned to be the deputy commander of an army to attack Tufan, assisting
Wang Xiaojie
Wang Xiaojie (王孝傑) (died February 8, 697), formally the Duke of Geng (耿國公), was a Chinese military general and politician of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving in campaigns against Tibet, Eastern Turks, an ...
. 15 days later, he was made the imperial censor reviewing central government affairs (左肅政大夫, ''Zuo Suzheng Daifu''), and he continued to serve as chancellor with the ''Tong Fengge Luantai PIngzhangshi'' designation. Two months later, he and Wang were defeated by a Tufan army commanded by Trinring and Lun Zanpo at Mount Suluohan (素羅汗山, in modern
Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
Gānnán Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (; ) is an autonomous prefecture in southern Gansu Province, China, bordering Linxia to the north, Dingxi to the northeast, Longnan to the east and Aba (Sichuan province) to the south . It includes Xiahe a ...
,
Gansu
Gansu (, ; alternately romanized as Kansu) is a province in Northwest China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeast part of the province.
The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibet ...
). As a result, Wang was demoted to commoner rank, while Lou was demoted to be the military advisor to the prefect of Yuan Prefecture (原州, roughly modern
Guyuan
(), formerly known as Xihaigu (, Xiao'erjing: قُيُوًا شِ), is a prefecture-level city in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. It occupies the southernmost section of the region, bordering Gansu provin ...
,
Ningxia
Ningxia (,; , ; alternately romanized as Ninghsia), officially the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (NHAR), is an autonomous region in the northwest of the People's Republic of China. Formerly a province, Ningxia was incorporated into Gansu in ...
). It was said that when the paperwork of the demotion was given to Lou to sign, he was initially surprised and stated, "Do not have a single office left?" But he then immediately stated, "This is fine, this is fine."
In 697, while still serving at Yuan Prefecture, Lou was recalled being acting ''Fengge Shilang'' (), the deputy head of the legislative bureau of government (鳳閣, ''Fengge''), and was again made chancellor with the designation ''Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi''. Later that year, in the middle of an attack by
Khitan's khan
Sun Wanrong
Sun Wanrong () (died 697) was a khan of the Khitans who, along with his brother-in-law Li Jinzhong, rose against Wu Zhou hegemony in 696, with Li Jinzhong as khan, and they further invaded Wu Zhou territory. After Li Jinzhong's death later in 696, ...
, Wu Zetian commissioned Lou, assisted by the general Shazha Zhongyi (), to command some 200,000 men to defend against the Khitan attack. Sun's army, however, collapsed when the
Eastern Tujue
The Eastern Turkic Khaganate () was a Turkic khaganate formed as a result of the internecine wars in the beginning of the 7th century (AD 581–603) after the First Turkic Khaganate (founded in the 6th century in the Mongolian Plateau by t ...
khan
Ashina Mochuo
Qapaghan or Qapghan Qaghan ( otk, 𐰴𐰯𐰍𐰣:𐰴𐰍𐰣, Qapaγan qaγan, meaning "the conqueror", , Xiao'erjing: ٿِيًا شًا, Dungan: Чяншан, , also called Bögü Qaghan ( otk, 𐰋𐰇𐰏:𐰴𐰍𐰣, Bögü qaγan) in Bai ...
attacked his home base and captured it. In the aftermath, Wu Zetian sent Wu Yizong () the Prince of Henan (the grandson of her uncle Wu Shiyi (), Lou, and
Di Renjie
Di Renjie (630 – November 11, 700), courtesy name Huaiying (懷英), formally Duke Wenhui of Liang (梁文惠公), was a Chinese politician of Tang and Wu Zhou dynasties, twice serving as chancellor during the reign of Wu Zetian. He was one of ...
to try to comfort the people of the region. Soon after this, at Lou's recommendation, Di was made chancellor as well and became a well-trusted advisor to Wu Zetian until Di's death in 700. However, Di was said to initially not know that Lou had recommended him and often suggested assignments out of the capital
Luoyang
Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River (Henan), Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the ...
for Lou. Wu Zetian intentionally asked Di, "Is Lou Shide capable?" Di responded, "When he served as a general, all he could do was to protect the border. I do not know if he is capable." She then asked, "Is Lou a good judge of character?" Di responded, "I have served with him, and I do not know him as a good judge of character." She then responded, "I trust you because he recommended you. I think he is a good judge of character." Later, Di was said to have commented, "Lord Lou has great grace. I have been tolerated him for so long, and I did not know his grace." Later in 697, Lou was made acting ''Nayan'' (), the head of the examination bureau (鸞臺, ''Luantai'') and a post considered one for a chancellor. He was also created the Viscount of Qiao.
In 698, while still serving as chancellor, Lou was made the commander of the forces in the Longyou () region (i.e., modern southern Gansu). He died in 699, while still serving in that role, at Hui Prefecture (會州, roughly modern
Baiyin
Baiyin () is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Gansu province, People's Republic of China. Established in the 1950s as a base for mining non-ferrous metals, its mines are becoming exhausted in recent decades, requiring the city to reinvent ...
,
Gansu
Gansu (, ; alternately romanized as Kansu) is a province in Northwest China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeast part of the province.
The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibet ...
).
Notes and references
{{Reflist
* ''
Old Book of Tang
The ''Old Book of Tang'', or simply the ''Book of Tang'', is the first classic historical work about the Tang dynasty, comprising 200 chapters, and is one of the Twenty-Four Histories. Originally compiled during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdo ...
'', vol. 9
* ''
New Book of Tang
The ''New Book of Tang'', generally translated as the "New History of the Tang" or "New Tang History", is a work of official history covering the Tang dynasty in ten volumes and 225 chapters. The work was compiled by a team of scholars of the So ...
'', vol. 10
* ''
Zizhi Tongjian
''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynast ...
'', vols.
:zh:s:資治通鑑/卷202, 202,
203,
205
Year 205 ( CCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Aurelius and Geta (or, less frequently, year 958 '' Ab urbe condita' ...
,
206.
630 births
699 deaths
Chancellors under Wu Zetian
Politicians from Xinxiang
Tang dynasty generals at war against the Göktürks
Tang dynasty generals at war against Tibet
Tang dynasty generals from Henan
Tang dynasty politicians from Henan