Zhou Xing (Tang Dynasty)
Encyclopedia
Zhou Xing (died 691?) was a secret police official of the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
and Wu Zetian
's Zhou Dynasty. He was largely responsible for carrying out her actions to wipe out senior members of Tang's Li imperial clan, but, in a turnabout, was in 691 himself accused of crimes and, under threats of a torture technique himself developed, confessed. Wu Zetian spared his life and exiled him, but he was killed by his enemies on the way to exile.
capital Chang'an
. He studied law in his youth, and as of the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang
he was serving as the magistrate of Heyang County (河陽, in modern Jiaozuo
, Henan
). Zhou became known for his abilities, and was summoned to the capital, as Emperor Gaozong was considering promoting him. However, someone submitted a letter to Emperor Gaozong, pointing out that Zhou had not passed imperial examination
s, and Emperor Gaozong thereafter changed his idea about promoting Zhou. However, Zhou was not aware of this, and he repeatedly visited the government officials, awaiting a promotion. The chancellors said nothing to him, but eventually Wei Xuantong
told him, "Magistrate Zhou, you may go." Zhou thereafter believed that Wei was the one who blocked his promotion, and hated Wei immensely.
the Crown Prince
(as Emperor Zhongzong), but Emperor Gaozong's wife Empress Wu
retained actual power as empress dowager
and regent
. In 684, when Emperor Zhongzong displayed signs of independence, she deposed him and replaced him with his younger brother Li Dan
the Prince of Yu (as Emperor Ruizong), but thereafter wielded power even more firmly. She soon faced a rebellion against her led by Li Jingye
the Duke of Ying, but quickly defeated the rebellion.
However, Li Jingye's rebellion caused Empress Dowager Wu to suspect many people of opposing her, and she began to encourage secret reports. Zhou had been serving as a low-level secretary (尚書都事, Shangshu Dushi) at the executive bureau of government (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng), and he became involved in serving as a secret police official for her, eventually promoted by her to be deputy minister of justice (秋官侍郎, Qiuguan Shilang). It was said that Zhou was involved in the deaths of thousands.
In 688, there was a false accusation by a slave of the official Hao Xiangxian (郝象賢) against Hao, whose deceased grandfather Hao Chujun
had previously served as chancellor during Emperor Gaozong's reign and had opposed Emperor Gaozong's one-time plan, during his time of illness, to have Empress Wu serve as his regent. Empress Dowager Wu still bore grudges against Hao Chujun for that episode, and took this opportunity to have Zhou investigate Hao Xiangxian. Zhou found Hao Xiangxian guilty and sentenced his entire family to death. (On the way to the execution field, Hao Xiangxian tried to flee and also loudly yelled out insults against Empress Dowager Wu and accusations that she was committing immoral acts; he was eventually killed by the guards, but as a result of what Hao Xiangxian did, thereafter until her death, whenever prisoners were to be executed, their mouths would be stuffed with wood so that they would not be able to yell out insults.)
Later in 688, in the aftermath of another failed rebellion, led by Emperor Gaozong's brother Li Zhen
the Prince of Yue and Li Zhen's son Li Chong
the Prince of Langye, Empress Dowager Wu considered wiping out the senior members of the imperial Li clan, and she put Zhou in charge of the plan. Zhou thereafter arrested Emperor Gaozong's uncles Li Yuanjia (李元嘉) the Prince of Han and Li Lingkui (李靈夔) the Prince of Lu, Li Yuanjia's son Li Zhuan (李譔) the Duke of Huang, and Emperor Gaozong's aunt Princess Changle and her husband Zhao Gui (趙瓌), brought them to the eastern capital Luoyang
, and forced them to commit suicide. He then further massacred the princes' family and friends.
In 689, still bearing grudges against Wei Xuantong, who was a friend of Pei Yan
, a chancellor that Empress Dowager Wu had executed in 684 on suspicions that he opposed her, Zhou falsely accused Wei of having said, "The empress dowager is old. It is better to support the emperor, for he will last longer." In anger, Empress Dowager Wu ordered Wei to commit suicide. Zhou also falsely accused the general Heichi Changzhi the Duke of Yan of treason, and Heichi was strangled to death.
In 690, Zhou suggested that the Li clan members be stripped of imperial clan status, and Empress Dowager Wu did so. He also falsely accused the chancellor Wei Fangzhi
, who was subsequently exiled and executed in exile. Then, at the instigation of Empress Dowager Wu's powerful nephew Wu Chengsi
, he accused Emperor Gaozong's sons by concubines, Li Shangjin
(李上金) the Prince of Ze and Li Sujie
the Prince of Xu of treason. Li Sujie was strangled, while Li Shangjin committed suicide.
Later in 690, Emperor Ruizong yielded the throne to Empress Dowager Wu, and she took the throne as "emperor" of a new Zhou Dynasty, interrupting Tang Dynasty. Yet later that year, the prefectural prefect Li Xingbao (李行褒) and his brothers were falsely accused and sentenced to have their clan executed. A subordinate of Zhou's at the ministry of justice, Xu Yougong (徐有功) tried to get the judgment reversed but was not able to. However, Zhou then accused Xu of acting on behalf of treasonous individuals and requested that Xu be executed. Wu Zetian refused to execute Xu, but for a time relieved Xu of his duties.
would lead to Zhou's downfall. Earlier that year, the general Qiu Shenji (丘神勣) had been accused of crime and executed, and subsequently, there were secret reports that Zhou was involved with Qiu's crimes. Wu Zetian had Lai investigate, without Zhou's knowledge. One day, Lai and Zhou sat down to lunch, and Lai asked Zhou the question of, "Many of the accused are not willing to confess. Do you have an idea on how to get them to confess?" Zhou responded, "That is easy. Take a big urn and set a fire under it. Put the accused in it, and surely he will confess everything." Lai had a big urn brought and a fire set underneath, in accordance with Zhou's instructions, and then rose and stated to Zhou, "I had received secret instructions from Her Imperial Majesty with regard to you, big brother. Please enter the urn." Zhou, in fear, knelt and confessed. Wu Zetian did not execute Zhou but exiled him, and on the way to his place of exile, Zhou was killed by his enemies. (This incident inspired the Chinese proverb "invite the gentleman into the urn" (請君入甕, qing jun ru weng), now used for the concept of putting a person into a trap that he himself or she herself had set.)
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. He was largely responsible for carrying out her actions to wipe out senior members of Tang's Li imperial clan, but, in a turnabout, was in 691 himself accused of crimes and, under threats of a torture technique himself developed, confessed. Wu Zetian spared his life and exiled him, but he was killed by his enemies on the way to exile.
Background
It is not known when Zhou Xing was born, but it is known that he was from Chang'an County (長安), one of the two counties making up the Tang DynastyTang 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...
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...
. He studied law in his youth, and as of the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang
Emperor 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...
he was serving as the magistrate of Heyang County (河陽, in modern Jiaozuo
Jiaozuo
Jiaozuo is a prefecture-level city in northern Henan province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yellow River, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the south, Xinxiang to the east, Jiyuan to the west, Luoyang to the southwest, and the province of Shanxi...
, 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...
). Zhou became known for his abilities, and was summoned to the capital, as Emperor Gaozong was considering promoting him. However, someone submitted a letter to Emperor Gaozong, pointing out that Zhou had not passed 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...
s, and Emperor Gaozong thereafter changed his idea about promoting Zhou. However, Zhou was not aware of this, and he repeatedly visited the government officials, awaiting a promotion. The chancellors said nothing to him, but eventually Wei Xuantong
Wei Xuantong
Wei Xuantong , courtesy name Hechu , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Gaozong and the regency of his wife Empress Wu over their sons Emperor Zhongzong and Emperor Ruizong...
told him, "Magistrate Zhou, you may go." Zhou thereafter believed that Wei was the one who blocked his promotion, and hated Wei immensely.
As secret police official
Emperor Gaozong died in 683 and was succeeded by his son Li ZheEmperor 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...
the Crown Prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
(as Emperor Zhongzong), but Emperor Gaozong's wife Empress Wu
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...
retained actual power as empress dowager
Empress Dowager
Empress Dowager was the title given to the mother of a Chinese, Korean, Japanese or Vietnamese emperor.The title was also given occasionally to another woman of the same generation, while a woman from the previous generation was sometimes given the title of Grand empress dowager. Numerous empress...
and regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
. In 684, when Emperor Zhongzong displayed signs of independence, she deposed him and replaced him with his younger brother Li Dan
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...
the Prince of Yu (as Emperor Ruizong), but thereafter wielded power even more firmly. She soon faced a rebellion against her led by Li Jingye
Li Jingye
Li Jingye , also known as Xu Jingye , was a grandson of the great Tang Dynasty general Li Shiji who, after Emperor Gaozong's wife Empress Wu had seized power after Emperor Gaozong's death, rose in rebellion against her, but who was quickly defeated and killed in flight.- Background :It is not...
the Duke of Ying, but quickly defeated the rebellion.
However, Li Jingye's rebellion caused Empress Dowager Wu to suspect many people of opposing her, and she began to encourage secret reports. Zhou had been serving as a low-level secretary (尚書都事, Shangshu Dushi) at the executive bureau of government (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng), and he became involved in serving as a secret police official for her, eventually promoted by her to be deputy minister of justice (秋官侍郎, Qiuguan Shilang). It was said that Zhou was involved in the deaths of thousands.
In 688, there was a false accusation by a slave of the official Hao Xiangxian (郝象賢) against Hao, whose deceased grandfather Hao Chujun
Hao Chujun
Hao Chujun , formally Duke of Zengshan , was an official and general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Gaozong. He was known for his honesty and willingness to advise Emperor Gaozong against actions he considered unwise...
had previously served as chancellor during Emperor Gaozong's reign and had opposed Emperor Gaozong's one-time plan, during his time of illness, to have Empress Wu serve as his regent. Empress Dowager Wu still bore grudges against Hao Chujun for that episode, and took this opportunity to have Zhou investigate Hao Xiangxian. Zhou found Hao Xiangxian guilty and sentenced his entire family to death. (On the way to the execution field, Hao Xiangxian tried to flee and also loudly yelled out insults against Empress Dowager Wu and accusations that she was committing immoral acts; he was eventually killed by the guards, but as a result of what Hao Xiangxian did, thereafter until her death, whenever prisoners were to be executed, their mouths would be stuffed with wood so that they would not be able to yell out insults.)
Later in 688, in the aftermath of another failed rebellion, led by Emperor Gaozong's brother Li Zhen
Li Zhen (Tang Dynasty)
Li Zhen , formally Prince Jing of Yue , posthumously known during Wu Zetian's reign as Hui Zhen , was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who, along with his son Li Chong rose against Wu Zetian, then empress dowager and regent, as they feared that she was about to slaughter the...
the Prince of Yue and Li Zhen's son Li Chong
Li Chong (Tang Dynasty)
Li Chong , formally the Prince of Langye , posthumously known during Wu Zetian's reign as Hui Chong , was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. Along with his father Li Zhen, Li Chong rose against Wu Zetian, then empress dowager and regent, as they feared that she was about to...
the Prince of Langye, Empress Dowager Wu considered wiping out the senior members of the imperial Li clan, and she put Zhou in charge of the plan. Zhou thereafter arrested Emperor Gaozong's uncles Li Yuanjia (李元嘉) the Prince of Han and Li Lingkui (李靈夔) the Prince of Lu, Li Yuanjia's son Li Zhuan (李譔) the Duke of Huang, and Emperor Gaozong's aunt Princess Changle and her husband Zhao Gui (趙瓌), brought them to the eastern 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...
, and forced them to commit suicide. He then further massacred the princes' family and friends.
In 689, still bearing grudges against Wei Xuantong, who was a friend of Pei Yan
Pei Yan
Pei Yan , courtesy name Zilong , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Gaozong, as well as regency by his wife Empress Wu over their sons Emperor Zhongzong and Emperor Ruizong...
, a chancellor that Empress Dowager Wu had executed in 684 on suspicions that he opposed her, Zhou falsely accused Wei of having said, "The empress dowager is old. It is better to support the emperor, for he will last longer." In anger, Empress Dowager Wu ordered Wei to commit suicide. Zhou also falsely accused the general Heichi Changzhi the Duke of Yan of treason, and Heichi was strangled to death.
In 690, Zhou suggested that the Li clan members be stripped of imperial clan status, and Empress Dowager Wu did so. He also falsely accused the chancellor Wei Fangzhi
Wei Fangzhi
Wei Fangzhi , formally the Duke of Fuyang , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who served as chancellor during the first reign of Emperor Ruizong.- Background :...
, who was subsequently exiled and executed in exile. Then, at the instigation of Empress Dowager Wu's powerful nephew Wu Chengsi
Wu Chengsi
Wu Chengsi , formally Prince Xuan of Wei , was a nephew of Chinese sovereign Wu Zetian and an imperial prince during her Zhou Dynasty...
, he accused Emperor Gaozong's sons by concubines, Li Shangjin
Li Shangjin
Li Shangjin was the third son of Emperor Gaozong of Tang. His mother was a palace maid surnamed Yang . When Gaozong ascended the throne, Shangjin was created Prince of Qi . In 652, he was appointed grand governor of Yizhou in titular. In 666, he was appointed prefect of Shou , then prefect of Lu...
(李上金) the Prince of Ze and Li Sujie
Li Sujie
Li Sujie , formally the Prince of Xu , was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He was the fourth son of Emperor Gaozong, born of his one-time favorite Consort Xiao...
the Prince of Xu of treason. Li Sujie was strangled, while Li Shangjin committed suicide.
Later in 690, Emperor Ruizong yielded the throne to Empress Dowager Wu, and she took the throne as "emperor" of a new Zhou Dynasty, interrupting Tang Dynasty. Yet later that year, the prefectural prefect Li Xingbao (李行褒) and his brothers were falsely accused and sentenced to have their clan executed. A subordinate of Zhou's at the ministry of justice, Xu Yougong (徐有功) tried to get the judgment reversed but was not able to. However, Zhou then accused Xu of acting on behalf of treasonous individuals and requested that Xu be executed. Wu Zetian refused to execute Xu, but for a time relieved Xu of his duties.
Death
In 691, however, in a famous incident involving Zhou Xing and fellow secret police official Lai JunchenLai Junchen
Lai Junchen was a secret police official during the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, whose ability to interrogate and falsely implicate officials of crimes made him a subject of fear and hatred...
would lead to Zhou's downfall. Earlier that year, the general Qiu Shenji (丘神勣) had been accused of crime and executed, and subsequently, there were secret reports that Zhou was involved with Qiu's crimes. Wu Zetian had Lai investigate, without Zhou's knowledge. One day, Lai and Zhou sat down to lunch, and Lai asked Zhou the question of, "Many of the accused are not willing to confess. Do you have an idea on how to get them to confess?" Zhou responded, "That is easy. Take a big urn and set a fire under it. Put the accused in it, and surely he will confess everything." Lai had a big urn brought and a fire set underneath, in accordance with Zhou's instructions, and then rose and stated to Zhou, "I had received secret instructions from Her Imperial Majesty with regard to you, big brother. Please enter the urn." Zhou, in fear, knelt and confessed. Wu Zetian did not execute Zhou but exiled him, and on the way to his place of exile, Zhou was killed by his enemies. (This incident inspired the Chinese proverb "invite the gentleman into the urn" (請君入甕, qing jun ru weng), now used for the concept of putting a person into a trap that he himself or she herself had set.)