Lou Shide
Encyclopedia
Lou Shide (630-699), courtesy name Zongren (宗仁), formally Viscount Zhen of Qiao (譙貞子), was an official and general of the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
and Wu Zetian
's Zhou Dynasty, twice serving as chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign.
. He was from Zheng Prefecture (鄭州, roughly modern Zhengzhou
, Henan
). When he was young, he passed the imperial examination
and was made the sheriff of Jiangdu County (江都, in modern Yangzhou
, Jiangsu
) -- 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 (盧承業) 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?"
, 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 (朝散大夫) 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 Li Jingxuan
suffered a major defeat against the Tufan general Lun Qinling (論欽陵) and Li's deputy, the general Liu Shenli (劉審禮) 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 Lun Qinling's brother Lun Zanpo (論贊婆) 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
, Qinghai
) 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."
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 (同鳳閣鸞臺平章事), 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
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
, Shanxi
). 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
, 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.)
In 694, while still a chancellor, Lou was made the commander of several bases, including Heyuan, but was later recalled to be 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
. 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 Lun Qinling and Lun Zanpo at Mount Suluohan (素羅汗山, in modern Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
, Gansu
). 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
, Ningxia
). 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 to be acting Fengge Shilang (鳳閣侍郎), 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
, Wu Zetian commissioned Lou, assisted by the general Shazha Zhongyi (沙吒忠義), to command some 200,000 men to defend against the Khitan attack. Sun's army, however, collapsed when the Eastern Tujue khan Ashina Mochuo attacked his home base and captured it. In the aftermath, Wu Zetian sent Wu Yizong (武懿宗) the Prince of Henan (the grandson of her uncle Wu Shiyi (武士逸)), Lou, and Di Renjie
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
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 (納言), 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 (隴右) region (i.e., modern southern Gansu). He died in 699, while still serving in that role, at Hui Prefecture (會州, roughly modern Baiyin
, Gansu
).
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...
and Wu Zetian
Wu Zetian
Wu Zetian , personal name Wu Zhao , often referred to as Tian Hou during the Tang Dynasty and Empress Consort Wu in later times, was the only woman in the history of China to assume the title of Empress Regnant...
's Zhou Dynasty, twice serving as chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign.
Background
Lou Shide was born in 630, during the reign of Emperor TaizongEmperor Taizong of Tang
Emperor Taizong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Shìmín , was the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649...
. He was from Zheng Prefecture (鄭州, roughly modern Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou , is the capital and largest city of Henan province in north-central China. A prefecture-level city, it also serves as the political, economic, technological, and educational centre of the province, as well as a major transportation hub for Central China...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
). When he was young, he passed the imperial examination
Imperial examination
The Imperial examination was an examination system in Imperial China designed to select the best administrative officials for the state's bureaucracy. This system had a huge influence on both society and culture in Imperial China and was directly responsible for the creation of a class of...
and was made the sheriff of Jiangdu County (江都, 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...
) -- 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 (盧承業) 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 GaozongEmperor Gaozong of Tang
Emperor Gaozong of Tang , personal name Li Zhi , was the third emperor of the Tang Dynasty in China, ruling from 649 to 683...
, 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 (朝散大夫) 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 Li Jingxuan
Li Jingxuan
Li Jingxuan , formally Duke Wenxian of Zhao , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Gaozong. He was famed for his knack of organizing the civil service system efficiently, but his downfall began in 678, when he, over his objection,...
suffered a major defeat against the Tufan general Lun Qinling (論欽陵) and Li's deputy, the general Liu Shenli (劉審禮) 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 Lun Qinling's brother Lun Zanpo (論贊婆) 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
Xining is the capital of Qinghai province, People's Republic of China, and the largest city on the Tibetan Plateau. It has 2,208,708 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 1,198,304 live in the built up area made of 4 urban districts.-History:...
, Qinghai
Qinghai
Qinghai ; Oirat Mongolian: ; ; Salar:) is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake...
) 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 ZetianWu Zetian
Wu Zetian , personal name Wu Zhao , often referred to as Tian Hou during the Tang Dynasty and Empress Consort Wu in later times, was the only woman in the history of China to assume the title of Empress Regnant...
had become "emperor" of a new Zhou Dynasty, interrupting Tang. (Emperor Gaozong had died in 683, and his sons Emperor Zhongzong
Emperor Zhongzong of Tang
Emperor Zhongzong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Xiǎn , at times during his life Li Zhe and Wu Xian , was the fourth Emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, ruling briefly in 684 and again from 705 to 710.Emperor Zhongzong was the son of Emperor Gaozong of Tang and Empress Wu...
and Emperor Ruizong
Emperor Ruizong of Tang
Emperor Ruizong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Dàn , known at times during his life as Li Xulun , Li Lun , Wu Lun , and Wu Dan , was the fifth and ninth emperor of Tang Dynasty...
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 (同鳳閣鸞臺平章事), 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
Li Zhaode was an official of 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 official Lai Junchen...
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
Xinzhou is a prefecture-level city of the People's Republic of China province of Shanxi.-Administrative Divisions:- Education :Xinzhou has numerous public schools, including Xin Zhou Yi Zhong Xue , which is considered the most prestigious of public high schools in the region.Another public high...
, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
). 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
This article is about the Chinese writer. His name in Western languages is homonymic with Bó Yáng .Boyang , also sometimes called Baiyang, was a Chinese language writer based in Taiwan...
, 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.)
In 694, while still a chancellor, Lou was made the commander of several bases, including Heyuan, but was later recalled to be 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
Wang Xiaojie , formally the Duke of Geng , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving in campaigns against Tufan, Eastern Tujue, and Khitan and briefly serving as chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign...
. 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 Lun Qinling and Lun Zanpo at Mount Suluohan (素羅汗山, in modern Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture in southern Gansu Province, China. It includes Xiahe and the Labrang Monastery, Luqu, Maqu, and other mostly Tibetan towns and villages...
, 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...
). 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
Guyuan
Guyuan 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.-Administrative divisions:-Geography and climate:...
, Ningxia
Ningxia
Ningxia, formerly transliterated as Ningsia, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Located in Northwest China, on the Loess Plateau, the Yellow River flows through this vast area of land. The Great Wall of China runs along its northeastern boundary...
). 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 to be acting Fengge Shilang (鳳閣侍郎), 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
Khitan people
thumb|250px|Khitans [[Eagle hunting|using eagles to hunt]], painted during the Chinese [[Song Dynasty]].The Khitan people , or Khitai, Kitan, or Kidan, were a nomadic Mongolic people, originally located at Mongolia and Manchuria from the 4th century...
's khan Sun Wanrong
Sun Wanrong
Sun Wanrong was a khan of the Khitan people who, along with his brother-in-law Li Jinzhong, rose against Chinese hegemony in 696, with Li Jinzhong as khan, and they further invaded Chinese territory then under the rule of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty...
, Wu Zetian commissioned Lou, assisted by the general Shazha Zhongyi (沙吒忠義), to command some 200,000 men to defend against the Khitan attack. Sun's army, however, collapsed when the Eastern Tujue khan Ashina Mochuo attacked his home base and captured it. In the aftermath, Wu Zetian sent Wu Yizong (武懿宗) the Prince of Henan (the grandson of her uncle Wu Shiyi (武士逸)), Lou, and Di Renjie
Di Renjie
Dí Rénjié , courtesy name Huaiying , formally Duke Wenhui of Liang , was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, twice serving as chancellor during her reign...
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
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
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 (納言), 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 (隴右) 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
Baiyin is a prefecture-level city in China's Gansu province.-Geography and climate:Baiyin is part loess plateau, part desert. Elevation ranges from 1275 to 3321 meters above sea-level. The climate is very arid with only 110-352 mm of annual precipitation. Annual evaporation is 2101 mm resulting in...
, 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...
).