Zhong Chuan or Zhong Zhuan , formally the Prince of Nanping, was a warlord of the late Tang dynasty, who controlled a large portion of Zhennan Circuit as its military governor for over 20 years.
It is not known when Zhong Chuan was born, but it is known that he was from Gao'an and that he was a merchant when he was young and liked hunting. On one occasion, when he was drunk, he encountered a tiger. Instead of fleeing, he decided to fight the tiger even though he was unarmed. The tiger pawed his shoulder, but he was able to hold on to the tiger and make it impossible for the tiger to attack him further. Other people came to his aid and killed the tiger. In the 870s, the major agrarian rebel Wang Xianzhi roamed the Yangtze River region, including Jiangxi Circuit, which Zhong's home territory belonged to. Zhong gathered a group of non-Han residents of the region and went up into the mountains, using the mountains as their defense, eventually with the group increasing to 10,000 people. At one point, after Wang captured but abandoned Fu Prefecture, Zhong took over the prefecture, and then-reigning Emperor Xizong thereafter made Zhong the prefect of Fu. In 882, after Wang's erstwhile ally Huang Chao captured the imperial capitalChang'an and forced Emperor Xizong to flee to Chengdu, Zhong attacked Jiangxi's capital Hong Prefecture and expelled the imperially-commissioned governor Gao Maoqing. The imperial government, which was also dealing with Min Xu's takeover of Hunan Circuit, decided to convert Jiangxi into a military circuit and commission Min as the military governor of Zhennan, hoping that Min would attack Zhong, but Min, not wanting to do so, declined. Later that year, at the request of Gao Pian the military governor of nearby Huainan Circuit, the imperial government capitulated and made Zhong the governor of Jiangxi. take over Xin Prefecture Soon thereafter, Emperor Xizong made Zhong the military governor of Zhennan, bestowed the honorary titles of acting Taibao and Zhongshu Ling on him, and created him the Prince of Yingchuan; that latter title was later changed to Prince of Nanping.
Governance of Zhennan Circuit
Only sporadic records of Zhong Chuan's acts as military governor were recorded in traditional historical sources. It was said that, as Tang imperial authority fell apart after Huang Chao's rebellion, few regional governors sent imperial examinees to Chang'an for the imperial examinations, but Zhong did so — and he would hold solemn ceremonies to send the examinees off and reward them greatly; therefore, many people who wished to receive Zhong's largess came a long distance to see Zhong. It was also said that whenever Zhong was planning a campaign, he would first offer sacrifices at Buddhist temples, and stack the offered pastries into the forms of rhinoceroses and elephants. Late in his governance, he levied heavy taxes; in response, the merchants abandoned trade routes that went through Zhennan Circuit. In 896, Zhong, as well as Qian Liu the military governor of Zhenhai Circuit and Du Hong the military governor of Wuchang Circuit, in fear of expansions by Yang Xingmi the military governor of Huainan, sought aid from the powerful warlord Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit to the north, to stem Yang's expansion. Zhu sent his adoptive son Zhu Yougong with an army to attack Huainan, but while Zhu Yougong later helped Du to defend against Yang's attacks, there was no record of any further interaction between Zhong and Zhu Quanzhong. In 897, Zhong planned to attack Zhou Bei the prefect of Ji Prefecture. In response, Zhou abandoned Ji Prefecture and fled to Huainan. In 898, Emperor Xizong's brother and successor Emperor Zhaozong bestowed on Zhong the honorary chancellor title of Shizhong. In 901, Zhong attacked Wei Quanfeng at Fu Prefecture. During the siege, there was a sudden fire that occurred within the city. His officers suggested that he use this opportunity to attack. Zhong responded, "It is not gracious to attack while the enemy is in danger." He further prayed, "When Wei Quanfeng is being punished, may it be that the people are not." After the fire was put out, Wei heard of what Zhong did, and sent messengers to apologize to Zhong and offer to give a daughter in marriage to Zhong's son Zhong Kuangshi.
Death and succession
Meanwhile, Zhong Chuan had made both Zhong Kuangshi and an adoptive son, Zhong Yangui, prefects and Zhong Yangui the prefect of Jiang Prefecture. When Zhong Chuan died in 906, the soldiers supported Zhong Kuangshi to take over the circuit as acting military governor. Zhong Yangui, resentful that he was unable to succeed Zhong Chuan, submitted to Yang Wo the military governor of Huainan. Due to this internal division within Zhennan, Yang Wo was able to conquer Zhennan later in the year, ending the Zhong family's hold on the circuit.
