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Zhou Qi (258 – c. August 313), courtesy name Xuanpei, was a military general of the Jin dynasty (266–420). The eldest son of the general, Zhou Chu, he was a prominent figure among the Jiangnan gentry clans who led them against the rebels Shi Bing, Chen Min and Qian Hui, which became known as the "Three Pacifications of Jiangnan" (三定江南). His deeds allowed the Prince of Langya and future Emperor Yuan of Jin, Sima Rui to settle in the Jiangnan, but suspicion grew between the two as the prince began favouring the northern emigres families (僑姓士族) over the southern gentry clans (吳姓士族). He plotted to eliminate the northern emigres but failed and soon died in anger.

Background

Zhou Qi was a member of the Zhou clan of Yangxian County in Wuxing Commandery (吳興, roughly modern Huzhou, Zhejiang) as the son of Zhou Chu. His father was a folk hero in their hometown during the Eastern Wu period, known for "eradicating the Three Scourges" (周處除三害), and later died in battle during Qi Wannian's rebellion while serving the Jin dynasty. Zhou Qi was described as possessing his father's strength and perseverance, but lacking his talent in literature. He often kept to himself and was careful in making friends, yet for this reason, he was well-respected among his friends and the scholar-officials in Jiangnan.

After reaching adulthood, Zhou Qi refused to accept offers to serve in a county or commandery office. It was not until when he met a newly-appointed Inspector of Yang province, who showed him proper humility and etiquette, that he accepted a position as an aide-de-camp. Eventually, he was recommended as xiucai and was promoted to a Counsellor.

Three Pacifications of Jiangnan

Shi Bing's rebellion

In 303, the Man official, Zhang Chang led a major rebellion against Jin in Jing province, spilling over to neighbouring provinces in the south. Although he was defeated and forced into hiding later that year, his follower, Shi Bing was still at large and captured Yang province with his army. Under Shi Bing's occupation, Zhou Qi planned to defeat him, and so he conspired with the former Interior Minister of Nanping, Wang Ju (王矩). They recommended the Prefect of Wuxing, Gu Mi (顧秘) to lead their forces as Chief Controller of Nine Commanderies in Yang, and sent of calls to rally the local gentry. He Xun, Gan Zhuo, Ge Hong and others all joined forces with Zhou Qi, and he led them to attack Shi Bing's Administrator of Wuxing, Ou Shan (區山), killing him and his chief clerks. When Shi Bing heard that Zhou Qi had raised an army, he sent his general Qiang Du (羌毒) to intercept him, but he was routed.

In early 304, the Jin general, Chen Min was leading an army from Shouchun to support Zhou Qi. Chen Min and Zhou Qi were able to link up and besieged Shi Bing at Jianye. After a month of siege, Shi Bing fled to a fellow rebel leader Feng Yun (封雲) in Xu province, where they were both assassinated by a subordinate of the latter as Chen Min attacked them. With Yang province pacified, Zhou Qi returned to his hometown disbanded his army, never reporting his achievements and refusing awards from the imperial court.

Chen Min's rebellion

Meanwhile, Chen Min was rewarded, and in 305, he served as a general under the Prince of Donghai, Sima Yue against the Prince of Hejian, Sima Yong. However, as the princes were preoccupied with their war, Chen Min took the opportunity to occupy the Jiangnan with his forces. He gave out many titles to the local gentry to consolidate his rule, but Zhou Qi was one of the few who refused to serve him, claiming that he was ill.

In 307, two years since Chen Min's takeover, Sima Yue had won his civil war, prompting the Interior Minister of Lujiang, Hua Tan to send out stern letters to the Jiangnan gentry criticizing them for their inaction against Chen Min. Zhou Qi received the letter and felt shame, so he conspired with other Jin loyalists to overthrow Chen Min. They secretly informed the Jin general, Liu Zhun (劉準) in Shouchun regarding their plot and asked him to send his soldiers south of the Yangzi while they acted from within. The conspirators pledged their allegiance by cutting their hair, a taboo in Confucian filial piety, as Liu Zhun ordered Liu Ji (劉機), Heng Yan (衡彥) and others to campaign against Chen Min. Chen Min sent his brother, Chen Chang (陳昶) to repel the Jin army. One of Chen Chang's subordinates, Qian Guang (錢廣) was from the same commandery as Zhou Qi, so Zhou Qi instigated him to betray and assassinate Chen Chang. Later, Zhou Qi and his ally, Gu Rong also persuaded Gan Zhuo to defect to Jin. Through the combined effort of the Jin forces, Chen Min was soon defeated and executed.

Zhou Qi's reputation caught the attention of Sima Yue, who wanted to recruit him as a military officer. He was given a promotion to Gentleman of the Masters of Writing and Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary, but he turned them both down. Following Chen Min's defeat, the Prince of Langya, Sima Rui was assigned to Jianye, and he assigned Zhou Qi as the Assistant Granary Manager.

Qian Hui's rebellion

In 310, Sima Yue summoned the general, Qian Hui from Wuxing to the capital in Luoyang. At the time, the Jin was at war with the Han-Zhao dynasty in the north. Qian Hui marched up to Guangling before hearing that the capital was facing attacks by the Han general, Liu Cong. He was reluctant to go any further, and with the emperor pressuring him with the deadline, he planned to rebel. The Inspector of Yang province, Wang Dun was also summoned to the capital, so Qian Hui wanted to kill him to kick off his rebellion. However, Wang Dun escaped to Jianye, where he informed Sima Rui about the situation.

Qian Hui soon rebelled and invaded Yangxian County. Sima Rui sent Guo Yi (郭逸) and Song Dian (宋典) to attack him, but the two generals initially did not dare to engage him as they had very little troops. Zhou Qi personally gathered people from his hometown to join them in their campaign, killing Qian Hui and sending his head to Jianye. Zhou Qi had pacified Jiangnan for the third time.

Conflict with Sima Rui and death

Forming Yixing Commandery

Sima Rui appointed Zhou Qi as the General Who Establishes Might and Administrator of Wuxing along with bestowing him the title of Marquis of Wucheng. Wuxing had been suffering from famine and banditry, but Zhou Qi governed with authority and was loved by the peasants. Thus, for a year, there was peace in Wuxing. Sima Rui formed Yixing Commandery out of Zhou Qi's hometown and five other counties and honoured him as the first Administrator of the new commandery.

Conspiracy against the northern emigres

Zhou Qi and his family had become very influential and popular, earning them the suspicion of Sima Rui. At the same time, Sima Rui was also beginning to phase out the southern gentry clans in favour of the northern emigres families who were fleeing from the chaos in the north. Zhou Qi resented the shift in favour, especially as he was personally belittled by one of the northern emigres, Diao Xie from the Diao clan of Bohai. Another member of the southern gentry, Wang Hui (王恢) also had a grudge with Zhou Yi from the Zhou clan of Runan, so he conspired with Zhou Qi to expel the northern emigres and restore the southern gentry to power with Zhou Qi and Dai Yuan of Guangling at the helm.

Wang Hui contacted a refugee leader along the Huai river, Xia Tie (夏鐵) in hopes of getting him to raise an army while he and Zhou Qi prepared in the "Three Wus" region (Wu, Wuxing and Kuaiji commanderies). Xia Tie gathered a few hundred men before the Administrator of Linhuai, Cai Bao attacked and killed him. Wang Hui was afraid that his scheme would be uncovered, so he fled to Zhou Qi. However, Zhou Qi then killed him and buried his body in a pig pen.

Death

Sima Rui found out about the plot, but pretended not to know at first. He invited Zhou Qi to serve as Grand Marshal Who Guards the East at Jianye. Along the way, the prince then promoted him to General Who Builds Martial Might and Administrator of Nan Commandery, so he diligently changed his course to Nan in the south. Once he passed by Wuhu, he received a praiseful imperial decree from Sima Rui, making him Army Libationer-Consultant and promoting his peerage to Duke of Wucheng. Zhou Qi was angry that he had been transferred three times in a short span of time, but also realized that his conspiracy had been discovered. The stress of the situation overwhelmed him and he soon died of illness at the age of 56 (by East Asian reckoning).

Before his death, Zhou Qi told his son, Zhou Xie, "It was those cangzi (傖子; derogatory term for northern emigres) who killed me. Avenge me and you can truly be my son." Sima Rui posthumously appointed him General Who Assists the State, and he received the posthumous name of "Zhonglie" (忠烈).

References

1. Vol.05 of Jiankang Shilu recorded that Zhou Qi died in the 7th month of the 1st year of the Jian'xing era of Emperor Min's reign; the month corresponds to 8 Aug to 6 Sep 313 in the Julian calendar. Volume 95 of Jin Shu recorded that Dai Yang correctly predicted (in the 6th year of the Yongjia era) that Zhou would die before the 8th month of the following year; the record went on to indicate that Zhou did die in the same month as recorded in Jiankang Shilu. (陈眕问洋曰：“人言江南当有贵人，顾彦先、周宣珮当是不？”洋曰：“顾不及腊，周不见来年八月。”荣果以十二月十七日卒，十九日腊，珮以明年七月晦亡。). Dai also correctly predicted the demise of Gu Rong, who died about seven months before Zhou.
2. Jiankang Shilu, vol.05
3. (玘字宣佩。強毅沈斷有父風，而文學不及。閉門潔己，不妄交遊，士友咸望風敬憚焉，故名重一方。弱冠，州郡命，不就。刺史初到，召爲別駕從事，虛己備禮，方始應命。累薦名宰府，舉秀才，除議郎。) Jin shu, vol.58
4. (時右將軍陳敏自廣陵率眾助圮，斬冰別率趙驡於蕪湖，因與玘俱前攻冰於建康。冰北走投封雲，雲司馬張統斬雲、冰以降，徐、揚並平。玘不言功賞，散眾還家。) Jin Shu, vol.58
5. (時敏弟昶爲廣武將軍、曆陽內史，以呉興錢廣爲司馬。玘密諷廣殺昶。玘與顧榮、甘卓等以兵攻敏，敏眾奔潰，單馬北走，獲之於江乘界，斬之於建康，夷三族。東海王越聞其名，召爲參軍。詔補尚書郎、散騎郎，並不行。元帝初鎮江左，以玘爲倉曹屬。) Jin Shu, vol.58
6. (來寇圮縣。帝遣將軍郭逸、郡尉宋典等討之，並以兵少未敢前。玘復率合鄕里義眾，與逸等俱進，討璯，斬之，傳首於建康。) Jin Shu, vol.58
7. (玘宗族強盛，人情所歸，帝疑憚之。於時中州人士佐佑王業，而圮自以爲不得調，內懷怨望，復爲刁協輕之，恥恚愈甚。時鎮東將軍祭酒東萊王恢亦爲周凱所侮，乃與圮陰謀誅諸執政，推玘及戴若思與諸南士共奉帝以經緯世事。) Jin shu, vol.58
8. (先是，流人帥夏鐵等寓於淮、泗，恢陰書與鐵，令起兵，己當與玘以三呉應之。建興初，鐵已聚眾數百人，臨淮太守蔡豹斬鐵以聞。恢聞鐵死，懼罪，奔於玘，玘殺之，埋於豕牢。) Jin Shu, vol.58
9. (將卒，謂之勰曰：「殺我者諸傖子，能復之，乃吾子也。」呉人謂中州人曰「傖」，故云耳。贈輔國將軍，諡曰忠烈。) Jin Shu, vol.58

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

• Jin dynasty (266–420) generals
• 258 births
• 313 deaths