Zhou Bo was from Pei County, though his ancestors hailed from Juan County. Back then, he eked out a living weaving and playing the flute, often playing funeral dirges. He was a powerhouse, both strong and capable.
When Liu Bang first began his uprising, Zhou Bo fought hard alongside him as a soldier, attacking Huling with great effort. When Huling rebelled, they went to fight again and repulsed the rebels. They then attacked Feng County, defeated the Qin army to the east of Dang County, and made camp near Xia County. They attacked Dang County again and captured it. They also took Xiaoyi, with Zhou Bo being the first to breach the city walls. For his achievements, he was appointed as a low-ranking officer. Later, they captured Meng County and Yu County, participated in battles against Zhang Han's army, and covered the retreat of the main army, pacifying the Wei region. They attacked Yuanqi and Dongming, capturing all the way to Lixian. In the attack on Niesang, he led the assault on the city walls. They defeated the Qin army at Axia, pursued them to Puyang, and captured Zhencheng. They also attacked Du Guan and Dingtao, taking Wanxu by surprise, and Zhou Bo became the county magistrate of Shanfu. They took Linji in a night raid, attacked Zhang County, fought all the way to Juan County, and captured it as well. They also participated in the battle against Li You's army in Yongqiu. In the attack on Kaifeng, he always led the charge against the city. Later, Zhang Han defeated and killed Xiang Liang, and Liu Bang and Xiang Yu led their troops east to Dang County. From the time Liu Bang began his uprising to returning to Dang County, it took a total of one year and two months. Chu's King Huai made Liu Bang the Marquis of Anwu and governor of Dang County. Liu Bang appointed Zhou Bo as the commander of the Tiger贲 Army, allowing him to follow him in pacifying the Wei region. They attacked the city of Wu, held by the Eastern County garrison, defeating them. They also defeated the army of Wang Li, attacked Changshe, with Zhou Bo being the first to breach the city walls. They captured Yingyang and Goushi, severing the Yellow River crossings. They also participated in battles against Zhao Ben's army, marched south to attack the defender of Nanyang, breaking through Wuguan and Yaoguan. After defeating the Qin army at Lantian, they marched into Xianyang and brought down the Qin Dynasty.
Xiang Yu made Liu Bang the King of Han, and Liu Bang in turn appointed Zhou Bo as the Weiwu Marquis. Zhou Bo followed Liu Bang into Hanzhong and was appointed as a general. After conquering the Three Qin states, he returned to Xianyang, where Liu Bang rewarded him with the fief of Huai De. He attacked Huaili and Haozhi, demonstrating exceptional military prowess; in Xianyang, he defeated Zhao Ben and Neishi Bao, also winning significant victories; he then marched north to attack the Qi state, defeating the armies of Zhang Ping and Yao Yang, pacifying the Qian area to the west, then capturing Mei and Pinyang, surrounding Zhang Han's army in Feiqiu, defeating Xi Cheng, routing the bandit army of Badi, capturing Shanggui, guarding Yaoguan to the east, and then went to war with Xiang Yu, attacking Quni and achieving great success once again. Afterwards, he defended Aocang and pursued Xiang Yu. After Xiang Yu's death, Zhou Bo marched east to pacify the Si River and Donghai Commandery in Chu territory, capturing a total of twenty-two counties. He then returned to defend Luoyang and Liyang, and together with Yingyinhou, shared the tribute from Zhongli.
Later, as a general, Zhou Bo followed the founding emperor Liu Bang to suppress the rebellious King Zang Tu of Yan, defeating him at Yixia. His army was the largest in the campaign. Liu Bang appointed him as a Marquis, issuing him a seal to be inherited by his descendants. He was granted the fief of eight thousand one hundred and eighty households in Jiang County, titled as the Marquis of Jiang.
Next, as a general, Zhou Bo followed the founding emperor Liu Bang to suppress the rebellion of King Xin of Han in Dai territory, subjugating the Huo. Before reaching Wuquan, he defeated the Xiongnu cavalry and achieved victory to the north of Wuquan. He then turned to attack Han Xin's army at Tongdi, crushing him. Afterward, he subdued six cities in Taiyuan. He defeated Han Xin's Xiongnu cavalry under Jin Yang City and captured Jin Yang. He then routed Han Xin's army at Shashi, pursuing them for eighty li. On his return, he captured three cities in Loufan, then defeated the Xiongnu cavalry under Pingcheng City, with the most prominent army on the road. Following these victories, Zhou Bo was promoted to Grand Commandant.
Zhou Bo attacked Chen Xi and wiped out Ma Yi. His army killed Chen Xi's general riding on a horse. He crushed the armies of Han Xin, Chen Xi, and Zhao Li at Lou Fan, capturing Chen Xi's leaders Song Zui and the Yanmen guard officer. He then seized the Yunzhong guard officer Bi, Prime Minister Ji Si, and leader Xun. He pacified seventeen counties in Yanmen and twelve in Yunzhong Commandery. He then attacked Chen Xi's army in Lingqiu, defeated him, killed Chen Xi, and captured Chen Xi's Prime Minister Cheng Zong, General Chen Wu, and Captain Gao Si. He pacified nine counties in Dai Commandery.
Yan King Lu Wan rebelled, and Liu Bang sent Prime Minister Fan Kuai to fight, but Fan Kuai proved ineffective, so he let Xiao He take over. Xiao He led the troops to capture Jicheng, seizing several key generals, including Di, Prime Minister Yan, Guard Xing, Grand Commandant Ruo, and Imperial Secretary Shi, and also captured Hundu City. He then defeated Lu Wan's army in Shanglan and Juyang. His pursuit reached the Great Wall, where he pacified twelve counties in Shanggu, sixteen counties in Youbeiping, twenty-nine counties in Liaoxi and Liaodong, and twenty-two counties in Yuyang. In short, Xiao He was a huge asset to Liu Bang, capturing key figures, crushing rebel armies, and securing vast swathes of territory.
Xiao He was an honest, straightforward man, but Liu Bang thought he was reliable and capable of doing great things. He didn't like reading much. Whenever scholars and literati were summoned, he'd sit off to one side and impatiently snap, "Hurry up and tell me!" Clearly, he had little patience for scholars and literati.
Xiao He returned to Chang'an after pacifying the Yan region. By then, Liu Bang had already kicked the bucket, so Xiao He served Emperor Xiaohui as a marquis. During Emperor Xiaohui's six-year reign, the position of Grand Commandant was established, and Xiao He was appointed to this position. Ten years later, Empress Dowager Lü also passed away. Lü Lu was made King of Zhao and became the Grand General of the Han Dynasty; Lü Chan was made King Lü and became the Chancellor of the Han Dynasty. They held great political power and aimed to wipe out the Liu family. Despite being the Grand Commandant, Xiao He couldn't get anything done; as the Chancellor, Chen Ping was also unable to accomplish anything. Therefore, Xiao He and Chen Ping discussed and finally took out the Lü clan, supporting Emperor Xiaowen. You can read all about it in the historical texts "Records of Empress Dowager Lü" and "Records of Emperor Xiaowen."
After Emperor Xiaowen ascended the throne, he appointed Xiao He as the Right Chancellor, rewarding him with five thousand catties of gold and granting him a ten-thousand-household fiefdom. A month later, someone said to Xiao He, "You eliminated the Lü clan, supported the King of Dai, and your reputation is known far and wide. Now, with all that power and wealth, there may be dangers ahead!" Xiao He, feeling fearful, saw the risk and thus requested to resign from his position as Chancellor. The Emperor agreed. Over a year later, Chancellor Chen Ping passed away, and the Emperor put Xiao He back in as Chancellor. Around ten months later, the Emperor said, "Some time ago, I ordered the feudal kings to return to their fiefs, and some have not left. The Chancellor is one of my big shots and should lead by example." So, the Emperor sent Xiao He packing back to his fiefdom.
More than a year later, every time the county magistrate of Hedong came to inspect Jiang County, Zhou Bo, the Marquis of Jiang, was very afraid of being killed. He always wore armor and had his family members bring weapons to see him. Later, someone wrote a letter accusing Zhou Bo of planning a rebellion, and the case was submitted to the court. The case was sent to Chang'an, and Zhou Bo was arrested for interrogation. Zhou Bo was very scared and didn't know what to say. The jailers gave him a hard time. Zhou Bo gave the jailers a lot of money, and they secretly wrote a few words on the back of the documents he submitted, telling him, "Use your son's marriage to the princess as your defense." This princess was the daughter of Emperor Xiao Wen, and Zhou Bo's son, Zhou Shengzhi, married her, so the jailers asked him to use this as evidence. Zhou Bo had previously given all his rewards and gifts to Bo Zhao. In times of urgency, Bo Zhao went to Empress Dowager Bo for help, and she also believed that Zhou Bo had not rebelled. Before Emperor Xiao Wen, Empress Dowager Bo gently patted him with a cotton ball and said, "Zhou Bo, the Marquis of Jiang, used to control the imperial seal and command the Northern Army. Back then, he didn't rebel. Now he's just an official in a small county. Would he rebel?" After Emperor Xiao Wen read Zhou Bo's statement in prison, he said, "He'll be released soon; they're just going through the motions." So he sent someone with a symbol of amnesty to release Zhou Bo, restoring his title and land. After Zhou Bo was released, he sighed and said, "I commanded a million men, and now these guys have me terrified!"
Zhou Bo returned to his fiefdom. In the eleventh year of Emperor Xiao Wen's reign, Zhou Bo passed away and was posthumously named Martial Marquis. His son, Zhou Shengzhi, succeeded him. Zhou Shengzhi married a princess at the age of six, but they didn't get along. Later, he was stripped of his title for committing murder. A year later, Emperor Xiao Wen appointed Zhou Bo's brother, Zhou Yafu, the Marquis of Tiao, thus inheriting the title of Marquis of Jiang.
Before Zhou Yafu was made a marquis, while serving as the prefect of Henei, he once had Xu Fu have his fortune told. Xu Fu said, "Three years later, you will become a marquis. Eight years after becoming a marquis, you will become a powerful official, calling the shots in the country, more powerful than any other official. However, nine years later, you will starve to death." Zhou Yafu laughed and said, "My elder brother has already inherited our father's title. In this case, with my son succeeding the title, why would I still talk about becoming a marquis? Since I am already as esteemed as you say, why bother mentioning that I will starve to death? So what's the deal?" Xu Fu pointed to his mouth and said, "Your downfall will come from your mouth." Three years later, Zhou Yafu's brother Zhou Shengzhi committed a crime, and Emperor Xiaowen picked a capable guy from Zhou Bo's sons to inherit the title. Everyone recommended Zhou Yafu, so Emperor Xiaowen appointed Zhou Yafu as the Marquis of Tiao, inheriting the title of Marquis of Jiang.
Six years after the death of Emperor Wen of Han, the Xiongnu launched a major invasion of the border. The court assigned Liu Li to Basha, Xu Li to Jimen, and Zhou Yafu, the prefect of Henei, to Xiliu, to defend against the Xiongnu. The emperor personally went to comfort the troops. When he arrived at the military camps at Basha and Jimen, the emperor just rode right in, and the generals greeted him with cavalry.
Later, when he arrived at the Xiliu military camp, he saw that every soldier was in full battle gear, weapons gleaming, bows strung, arrows nocked, ready to fire. The emperor's guys got to the gate but couldn't get in. The camp's captain said, "Only the General's orders count here!" After a while, the emperor arrived but still could not enter.
So the emperor sent an envoy bearing the imperial seal to convey the decree to the general: "I want to go in and check on the troops." Zhou Yafu then ordered the camp gate to be opened. The soldiers at the gate said to the emperor's entourage, "The general has a rule that no galloping is allowed within the camp." So the emperor slowly pulled back on the reins and proceeded at a gentle pace. When they arrived at the camp, General Zhou Yafu, holding a weapon, performed a military salute and said, "Soldiers in armor do not kneel; please allow me to greet you with a soldier's bow." The emperor was very moved, his demeanor changed, and he respectfully sat in the carriage. He sent someone to thank Zhou Yafu, saying, "The emperor expressed his appreciation to the general." Then he left.
When they departed the camp gate, all the ministers were very surprised. Emperor Wen said, "Wow, now *that's* a real general! The troops from Ba Shang and Ji Men just now were like a child's game; their leaders could easily be attacked and captured. But when they arrived at Zhou Yafu's camp, who would dare to offend him!" The ministers praised him for a long time. A month later, all three armies withdrew. The emperor then appointed Zhou Yafu as a Commandant.
Before Emperor Xiaowen passed away, he instructed the crown prince, "Should an emergency arise, Zhou Yafu can indeed be entrusted with important tasks; let him command the troops." After Emperor Wen's death, Zhou Yafu was appointed as the General of Chariots and Cavalry.
In the third year of Emperor Jing, the seven states of Wu and Chu rebelled. Zhou Yafu was appointed as the Grand Commandant and led the army to the east to suppress the rebellion. He actively suggested to the emperor, "The Chu army is too swift to engage directly. I suggest using the Liang region to contain them, cut off their supply lines; only then can we defeat them." The emperor agreed to his suggestion.
At that time, the Commander-in-chief was assembling troops in Yingyang, while the King of Wu was attacking Liang. Liang was in dire straits and begged the Commander-in-chief for help. However, he dug in at Changyi, refusing to engage based on his assessment of the situation. Liang sent daily pleas for help, but the Commander-in-chief believed it wasn't smart to rush in and rejected the requests. Liang then petitioned Emperor Jing, who sent a decree ordering the Commander-in-chief to rescue Liang. Still, the Commander-in-chief ignored the emperor's order. He only sent out light cavalry to cut off the supply lines of the Wu-Chu allied forces. Starving and desperate, the Wu army repeatedly challenged the Han, but the Commander-in-chief stayed put.
One night, a riot erupted in the Han camp, soldiers fighting amongst themselves, even near the Commander-in-chief's tent. He stayed in bed until it blew over. Later, the Wu army fled from the southeast corner of the camp, and the Commander-in-chief ordered the troops to prepare for defense in the northwest. Sure enough, the Wu elite tried to escape northwest, but the Han army stopped them cold. Starved and worn out, the Wu army retreated. The Commander-in-chief then sent his elite soldiers to pursue and defeated the Wu army. The King of Wu bailed, escaping with just a few thousand men to Dantu in southern China. The Han army pursued and captured most of the Wu soldiers, who surrendered. There was a bounty on the King of Wu's head. A month later, the people of Yue presented the head of the King of Wu to the Han Dynasty. Three months later, the Wu-Chu rebellion was crushed. Finally, the other generals saw the Commander-in-chief's strategy was brilliant, and King Liang was eternally grateful.
After the Minister of War returned to the court, he was reinstated to his original position. Five years later, he was promoted to Prime Minister, and Emperor Jing highly valued him. Later, Emperor Jing wanted to depose Prince Li, and the Prime Minister strongly advised against it, but was unsuccessful. Emperor Jing therefore got it in for the Prime Minister. Every time Prince Xiaowang entered the palace to see the Emperor, he would always speak ill of the Marquis of Tiao (referring to the Prime Minister) to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager said, "The Empress's brother Wang Xin can be made a marquis." Emperor Jing replied, "In the past, the Marquis of Nanpi and the Marquis of Zhangwu were both posthumously ennobled by the late emperor; Wang Xin does not yet qualify to be made a marquis." The Empress Dowager said, "Emperors have to play it by ear. My maternal family's Dou Changjun was not able to be made a marquis during her lifetime, and was only posthumously ennobled by her son Pengzu. I have always regretted this. The emperor should quickly make Wang Xin a marquis!" Emperor Jing said, "I want to discuss this with the Prime Minister first." After discussing the matter with the Prime Minister, he said, "Emperor Gaozu established the rule: 'Only Liu family members can be kings, and only those who've earned it get made marquises. If this agreement is not followed, the whole country would rise up against him.' Although Wang Xin is the Empress's brother, he has not made any contributions. Making him a marquis would be a violation of the agreement." After hearing this, Emperor Jing remained silent and did not mention making Wang Xin a marquis again.
Later, Xulu and four others from the Xiongnu surrendered to Emperor Jing of Han. Emperor Jing wanted to ennoble them as marquises to encourage others to surrender. However, Prime Minister Zhou Yafu said, "They have betrayed their own ruler to surrender to Your Majesty. If Your Majesty makes them marquises, how will you blame those subjects who are not loyal to you in the future?" Emperor Jing replied, "I cannot accept the Prime Minister's opinion." Therefore, Xulu and the others were all made marquises. Zhou Yafu then feigned illness and took leave. Three years later, Emperor Jing fired him, citing his illness.
After some time, Emperor Jing of Han summoned Lord Tiao to the palace for a meal. However, only a large piece of meat was served, not cut into smaller pieces, and no plate was prepared for it. Lord Tiao was quite unhappy and turned to the attendants to fetch a plate. Emperor Jing saw this and said with a smile, "Seriously? You're letting this get to you?" Lord Tiao took off his hat to apologize. Emperor Jing got up, and Lord Tiao quickly left. Emperor Jing watched his back and said, "This person is dissatisfied in his heart; he's not a qualified subject!"
Not long after, Lord Tiao's son hired some laborers to steal five hundred sets of armor and shields made by the royal workshop as burial goods for his father, but he didn't pay them. The laborers, knowing he was pilfering government supplies, were very angry and reported Lord Tiao's son to the authorities, implicating Lord Tiao. When the matter was reported to Emperor Jing, the officials began to investigate. The officials questioned Lord Tiao, but he did not answer. Emperor Jing scolded, "I won't use you!" and ordered him to be taken to the courts. The officials interrogated him, saying, "Marquis, do you intend to rebel?" Lord Tiao replied, "I bought those items for burial; how can you say it's rebellion?" The officials pressed on, "So you're planning a rebellion, even if it's a quiet one?" At first, when the officials arrested Lord Tiao, he tried to commit suicide, but his wife stopped him, so he did not die and was eventually imprisoned. He starved himself for five days, finally coughing up blood and dying in prison. His fiefdom was also revoked.
A year later, Emperor Jing conferred the title of Lord Pingqu to Zhou Jian, the son of Lord Jianghou Zhou Bo, inheriting the title of Lord Jianghou. Zhou Bo died in the nineteenth year of Emperor Jing and was posthumously named Lord Gong. His son Zhou Jiande inherited the title and held it for thirteen years, later serving as the Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince. He messed up the sacrificial gold thing, got convicted in the fifth year of Yuanding, and lost his title.
Tiao Hou eventually starved to death. After Tiao Hou's death, Emperor Jing made Wang Xin the Marquis of Ge.
Sima Qian said Marquis Zhou Bo was originally a commoner, wearing coarse clothes, a bit rough around the edges, and with only average abilities. Later, he followed Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang to conquer the world and climbed the ranks to become a general. When the Lü clan wanted to rebel, Zhou Bo saved the country and restored order. Even Yi Yin and the Duke of Zhou couldn't have done much better!
Furthermore, Zhou Yafu led his troops into battle, majestic and holding sharp weapons. Even a great general like Rang Ju couldn't have topped him! However, he was arrogant, unwilling to learn, stubborn in character, and unable to adapt, eventually ending up in poverty. Man, that's a lot to take in! "Even Yi Yin and the Duke of Zhou couldn't hold a candle to him!" "Rang Ju? No way!" This truly makes one feel a thousand emotions!
