Zong Qinke

Zong Qinke (宗秦客) (d. 691? [All traditional sources agree that Zong Qinke died about a year after he was exiled. As he was exiled late in 690, this implies that he died in 691 or early 692.] ) was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving briefly as chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign.

It is not known when Zong Qinke was born, but it is known that he was from Hedong (河東, in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi), and that his mother was a cousin of Wu Zetian's. As of 689, when Wu Zetian was empress dowager and regent over her son Emperor Ruizong, Zong was "Fengge Shilang" (鳳閣侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau of government (鳳閣, "Fengge"), and he submitted 12 new characters to substitute for common characters such as "Tian" (天, heaven) and "Di" (地, earth). Around the new year 690, she adopted and promulgated the new characters, which were used until at least 705.

Later in 690, Empress Dowager Wu had Emperor Ruizong yield the throne to her, establishing Zhou as its "emperor" and interrupting Tang. She made Zong acting "Neishi" (內史) -- the head of the legislative bureau and a post considered one for a chancellor. About a month later, however, on September 28, 690, [ [http://www.sinica.edu.tw/ftms-bin/kiwi1/luso.sh?lstype=1&yy=690&mm=9&dd=28 兩千年中西曆轉換 ] ] Zong was accused of corruption, and his younger brother Zong Chuke was accused of rape and corruption as well. Wu Zetian stripped Zong Qinke of his chancellor authorities and demoted him to be the sheriff of Zunhua County (遵化, in modern Qinzhou, Guangxi), and Zong Chuke and another brother, Zong Jinqing (宗晉卿), were also exiled to the same region. Zong Qinke died about a year after his exile.

Notes and references

* "Book of Tang", vol. 92. [http://ef.cdpa.nsysu.edu.tw/ccw/02/tan11.htm]
* "New Book of Tang", vol. 109. [http://ef.cdpa.nsysu.edu.tw/ccw/02/ntan15.htm]
* "Zizhi Tongjian", vol. 204.