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Chen Min (died c.April 307), courtesy name Lingtong, was a military general and rebel of the Jin dynasty (266–420). He was initially a logistics director who rose to prominence for his role in Zhang Chang's rebellion, in which he defeated the rebels' top commander, Shi Bing. However, during Sima Yue's coalition against Sima Yong in 305, Chen Min took the opportunity to rebel and occupy the Jiangnan region with the backing of the former Eastern Wu gentry clans. He controlled Jiangnan until 307, when the gentry clans, angered by his lackluster rule, revolted and killed him.

Early life and career

Chen Min was a native of Lujiang Commandery (廬江郡; around present-day Lu'an, Anhui). He was talented at a young age and became an official in the same year as a fellow commandery native, Tao Kan. Eventually, he was nominated as Filial and Incorrupt and became a Granary Clerk of the Masters of Writing.

In 301, the three princes, Sima Ying, Sima Yong and Sima Jiong, held a coalition to overthrow Emperor Hui of Jin's regent and usurper, Sima Lun. The coalition forces occupied the capital of Luoyang and stayed there for a lengthy period. The city had to keep the soldiers fed, and eventually, there was a food shortage. To resolve this crisis, Chen Min suggested to the court that they transport the abundance of food from southern China to the capital. The court agreed with his proposal, so they appointed him Logistical Director and transferred him to Hefei and later to Guangling.

Shi Bing's rebellion

In 303, a Man official named Zhang Chang started a rebellion in Jingzhou, which later spread to Jiangzhou, Xuzhou, Yangzhou and Yuzhou. The Inspector of Jingzhou, Liu Hong, defeated him and forced him into hiding, but Zhang Chang's general, Shi Bing, still had a sizeable army under his command. Shi Bing had captured Yangzhou when Zhang Chang fled and was marching his troops to take Shouchun. The commander in Shouchun, Liu Zhun (劉準), panicked and was indecisive on what to do. Chen Min was in Shouchun at the time, and he reassured Liu Zhun that morale in Shi Bing's army was low. Chen Min also volunteered to lead the army against the rebels, which Liu Zhun permitted.

Chen Min and Shi Bing fought each other in several battles. Shi Bing's soldiers vastly outnumbered Chen Min's, but Chen Min won in every bout they engaged. In 304, Chen Min and another general, Zhou Qi, besieged Shi Bing at Jiankang. Shi Bing fled to Xuzhou to seek refuge with a fellow rebel leader, Feng Yun (封雲), but Chen Min turned around and attacked Feng Yun. Eventually, Feng Yun's general, Zhang Tong (張統), beheaded the two rebel leaders and surrendered in c.May. Shi Bing's death effectively ended the rebellion, although Jin would only capture Zhang Chang later in the year. For his contributions, the court made Chen Min the Chancellor of Guangling.

Chen Min's rebellion

War of the Eight Princes

Despite displaying loyalty to Jin against Zhang Chang, Chen Min secretly had ambitions to establish a state. His victory over Shi Bing changed his attitude, as he reputedly became arrogant about his ability. In 305, the civil war in the north between the Prince of Hejian, Sima Yong, and the Prince of Donglai, Sima Yue, also made Chen Min's plans appear plausible. When Chen Min's father heard of his son's behaviour, he became angry and exclaimed that Chen Min would bring about his family's demise. He died shortly after, and Chen Min resigned to mourn him.

Sima Yue wanted Chen Min to join his side in the war, so he appointed Chen Min General of the Right and Commander of the Vanguard in his march to take Chang'an. He also sent Chen Min a flattering letter, and in the end, Chen Min agreed to support him. During Sima Yue's campaign against Sima Yong's Inspector of Youzhou, Liu Qiao, Chen Min led his army to help, but Liu Qiao defeated them at Xiao County. Following their loss at Xiao, Chen Min returned east to Liyang to recruit more soldiers.

Coincidentally, while Chen Min was in Liyang, the Regular Attendant to the Prince of Wu, Gan Zhuo, arrived from Luoyang. Gan Zhuo had abandoned his office to escape the war in the north and wanted to return to his hometown. However, Chen Min saw Gan Zhuo as his opportunity to start his rebellion. Chen Min convinced Gan Zhuo to impersonate an envoy from the Crown Younger Prince, Sima Ying, delivering a decree to Chen Min. He also married his son, Chen Jing (陳景), to Gan Zhuo's daughter, sealing their alliance, and soon after, Gan Zhuo appointed Chen Min the Inspector of Yangzhou.

Taking over Jiangnan

Chen Min appointed more than forty members of the gentry clans of Jiangnan to serve under him. To win the gentry's support, Chen Min initially acted respectfully and generous toward them. He even provided salaries to those too ill or too old to take up the offices. His brother, Chen Chang (陳昶), was distrustful of the gentry and wanted him to execute them instead. However, at the advice of one of the appointees, Gu Rong, Chen Min decided against it.

Chen Min sent his brother, Chen Hui (陳恢), to invade Jiangzhou and another brother, Chen Bin (陳斌), to invade Yangzhou. The two provinces did not anticipate Chen Min's attack. The Inspector of Yangzhou, Liu Ji (劉機), the Inspector of Jiangzhou, Ying Miao (應邈), and many other administrators fled their cities, allowing Chen Min's forces to occupy them. Chen Min's territory encompassed the ancient domains of the Wu and Yue states. Afterwards, Chen Min instructed his subordinates to acclaim him the Chief Controller of Jiangdong, Grand Marshal and the Duke of Chu and bestow him the Nine Bestowments. He also claimed he received an imperial edict that granted him control over the territory from the Yangzi to the Mian (沔水) and Han rivers, where he would welcome the emperor from the north.

Invasion of Jingzhou

Chen Min's rebellion caught the attention of Sima Yong, who sent his general, Zhang Guang, to campaign against Chen Min. The Inspector of Jingzhou, Liu Hong, also joined Zhang Guang to fight the rebellion. At the end of 305, Chen Min aimed to conquer Jingzhou, so Chen Min appointed Chen Hui as his Inspector of Jingzhou and sent him to invade the province. Chen Hui led his troops to take Wuchang, but the Jin forces routed him numerous times. The Jin army then defeated Chen Min's general, Qian Duan (錢端), at Zhangqi (長岐; in present-day Jiangxia District, Hubei). Chen Min's defeat in Jingzhou discouraged him from encroaching on the province for the remainder of his revolt.

Gentry revolt and death

By 307, Chen Min had lost most of his support from the people under him. The law and government of his domain were incoherent, and his brothers and sons were violent and conniving. He failed to attract local talents to his administration, and even those who accepted him at first, like Gu Rong and Zhou Qi, were worried that they would suffer from associating with Chen Min. That year, Jin's Interior Minister of Lujiang, Hua Tan (華譚), wrote letters to Gu Rong and others urging them to revolt against Chen Min. They agreed and even swore a pledge of trust by cutting off their hair.

The conspirators informed the Jin general, Liu Zhun, of their plot, so he coordinated an attack on Liyang while they worked from the inside. Chen Min was in Jiankang, and the attack coerced Chen Min to send his brothers, Chen Chang and Chen Hong (陳宏), to defend Wujiang (烏江; southeast of present-day Dingyuan County, Anhui) and Niuzhu (牛渚; southwest of present-day Ma'anshan, Anhui) with thousands of soldiers. Another brother, Chen Chu (陳處), saw through the conspirators' plans, so he urged Chen Min to execute them. However, Chen Min did not believe him and disregarded his advice.

Chen Chang's Marshal, Qian Guang (錢廣), was from the same commandery as Zhou Qi, so Zhou Qi secretly convinced him to assassinate Chen Chang. After killing Chen Chang, Qian Guang spread a false claim that Chen Min was dead and threatened anyone who refused to take his order with execution. Qian Guang marched south of the Zhuque Bridge (朱雀橋; south of present-day Nanjing), so Chen Min sent Gan Zhuo and Gu Rong to face him. However, Gu Rong and Zhou Qi also convinced Gan Zhuo to defect. After destroying the bridge and gathering the boats, Gan Zhuo advanced toward Jiankang with Gu Rong and Zhou Qi.

Chen Min personally went out with his army to fight Gan Zhuo. However, Chen Min's soldiers were demoralized when news of Gu Rong and Zhou Qi's defections reached them. They were so unwilling to fight that when Gu Rong waved a white feather fan signalling them to disperse, they willingly scattered and fled. As his army collapsed, Chen Min rode on a horse alone to flee north, but the Jin soldiers caught up with him and captured him at Jiangcheng (江乘; in present-day Xianlin University City, Jiangsu). Before his death, Chen Min lamented that Gu Rong and the others had misled him. He also expressed regret over not listening to Chen Chu's advice. Chen Min was beheaded in Jiankang, and his head was delivered to Luoyang. His family was also executed to the third degree, and the commanderies in his domain had his younger brothers killed.

References

1. Vol.86 of Zizhi Tongjian recorded that Chen Min's head reached the capital Luoyang on 27 Apr 307 (ji'wei day of the 3rd month of the 1st year of the Yong'jia era). Thus, Chen Min's death date should be in March or early April. Tongjian made an error in recording that the jiwei day was the first day of that month; the actual first day of the month was the xinhai day (19 Apr) and the jiwei day was the 9th day of that month.
2. (侃與敏同郡，又同歲舉吏...) Jin Shu, vol. 66
3. (及趙王篡逆，三王起義兵，久屯不散，京師倉廩空虛，敏建議曰：「南方米穀皆積數十年，時將欲腐敗，而不漕運以濟中州，非所以救患周急也。」朝廷從之，以敏為合肥度支，遷廣陵度支。) Jin Shu, vol. 100
4. (時敏統大軍在壽春，謂准曰：「此等本不樂遠戍，故逼迫成賊。烏合之眾，其勢易離。敏請合率運兵，公分配眾力，破之必矣。」准乃益敏兵擊之。) Jin Shu, vol. 100
5. (破吳弘、石冰等，敏遂乘勝逐北，戰數十合。時冰眾十倍，敏以少擊眾，每戰皆克，遂至揚州。) Jin Shu, vol. 100
6. (...遂與周玘合攻冰於建康。三月，冰北走，投封雲，雲司馬張統斬冰及雲以降，揚、徐二州平。) Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 85. The month corresponds to 21 Apr to 20 May 304 in the Julian calendar.
7. (初，陳敏旣克石冰，自謂勇略無敵，有割據江東之志。其父怒曰：「滅我門者，必此兒也！」) Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 86
8. (吳王常侍甘卓，棄官東歸，至歷陽，敏爲子景娶卓女，使卓假稱皇太弟令，拜敏揚州刺史。) Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 86
9. (會敏欲誅諸士人，榮說之曰：「中國喪亂，胡夷內侮，觀太傅今日不能復振華夏，百姓無復遺種。江南雖有石冰之寇，人物尚全。榮常憂無竇氏、孫、劉之策，有以存之耳。今將軍懷神武之略，有孫吳之能，功勳效於已著，勇略冠於當世，帶甲數萬，舳艫山積，上方雖有數州，亦可傳檄而定也。若能委信君子，各得盡懷，散蒂芥之恨，塞讒諂之口，則大事可圖也。」敏納其言，悉引諸豪族委任之。) Jin Shu, vol. 66
10. (...弟恢率錢端等南寇江州，刺史應邈奔走，弟斌東略諸郡，遂據有吳越之地。) Jin Shu, vol. 100
11. (陳敏竟不敢窺境。) Jin Shu, vol. 66
12. (敏凡才無遠略，一旦據有江東，刑政無章，不為英俊所服，且子弟凶暴，所在為患。周玘、顧榮之徒常懼禍敗...) Jin Shu, vol. 100
13. (敏弟處知顧榮等有貳心，勸敏殺之，敏不從。) Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 86
14. (敏率萬餘人將與卓戰，未獲濟，榮以白羽扇麾之，敏眾潰散。) Jin Shu, vol. 100
15. (敏單騎北走，追獲之於江乘，歎曰：「諸人誤我，以至今日！」謂弟處曰：「我負卿，卿不負我！」) Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 86
16. (遂斬敏於建業，夷三族。於是會稽等郡盡殺敏諸弟。) Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 86

• Fang, Xuanling (ed.) (648). Book of Jin (Jin Shu).
• Sima, Guang (1084). Zizhi Tongjian.

• 307 deaths
• Jin dynasty (266–420) generals
• Jin dynasty (266–420) rebels
• People executed by the Jin dynasty (266–420)