Zhou Huaizheng (周懷政) | |
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Personal details | |
Born | 970s likely Taiyuan, Northern Han |
Died | August 16, 1020 Kaifeng, Song Empire |
Occupation | Eunuch |
Adoptive father | Zhou Shaozhong (周紹忠) |
Zhou Huaizheng | |||||||||
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Traditional Chinese | 周 懷 政 | ||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 周 怀 政 | ||||||||
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Zhou Huaizheng (died 16 August 1020 [1] ) was a powerful Song dynasty palace eunuch during Emperor Zhenzong's reign. From 1016 onwards, the emperor began to fall ill, which gradually removed him from ruling effectively. However, after Emperor Zhenzong's illness in 3 May 1019 made him incapable of ruling and could no longer his duties, state power gradually fell to the hands of his wife Empress Liu and chancellor Ding Wei over the course of these years. Zhou plotted to assassinate Ding so that Kou Zhun could return to chancellorship, depose and imprison Empress Liu, and force Emperor Zhenzong to abdicate in favor of the crown prince Zhao Zhen, but his coup failed. He was arrested by Lei Yungong and executed. [2]
During the Conquest of Northern Han by Song in 979, eunuch Zhou Shaozhong followed Emperor Taizong of Song and the Song dynasty army to Northern Han's capital Taiyuan. He found a young boy among the dead bodies and adopted him as a son, naming him Zhou Huaizheng. Thus Zhou Huaizheng was able to grow up in the imperial palace as a young eunuch in the Song capital Kaifeng. [2]