Kou Zhun

Life

In the fifth year of Taiping Xingguo (980), he passed the jinshi examination, was appointed Dali pingshi, and became magistrate of Badong in Guizhou; he was later transferred to Cheng’an in Daming. He subsequently served as assistant prefect of Yunzhou, rose to the posts of Direct Academician of the Privy Council and director of the Ministry of Personnel’s selection office, and held the offices of san si duzhi tuiguan and yantie pan’guan.

He was known for fearless remonstrance; Emperor Taizong compared him to Wei Zheng. In the second year of Chunhua (991), he became Left Counsellor-in-Remonstrance and deputy privy councillor, later serving as a fellow participant in the Privy Council. He was removed to Qingzhou in the fourth year, recalled as vice chancellor in the fifth with the additional title of jishizhong, and in the second year of Zhidao (996) was sent as prefect of Dengzhou.

After Zhenzong’s accession, he was transferred to Minister of Works and made acting prefect of Kaifeng; in 1003 he became Minister of War and Commissioner of the Three Financial Agencies. In 1004 he was appointed Vice Grand Councillor in the Secretariat and Grand Academician of Jixian Hall, and became chancellor.

That winter, the Khitan invaded Song, causing alarm throughout the court and the country. Kou Zhun opposed the prevailing view and urged Zhenzong to lead the campaign in person; the emperor went to Chanzhou (present-day Puyang, Henan), and the resulting settlement became the Chanyuan Covenant.

After the Chanyuan settlement, Wang Qinruo slandered him, and in the third year of Jingde he was removed as chancellor and made Minister of Justice and prefect of Shanzhou; he later became Minister of War and entered the Secretariat to supervise its affairs. In 1014 he returned as Vice Grand Councillor and Privy Council Commissioner, and left office the following year.

In 1019 he again became Vice Grand Councillor and was appointed superintendent of Jingling Palace. In the fourth year of Tianxi, he became involved with Zhou Huaizheng’s plan to have the crown prince act as regent, bar the empress from intervening in government, and make Zhenzong Retired Emperor. After the plan became known, Ding Wei took the opportunity to bring him down: Kou Zhun was dismissed as chancellor, enfeoffed as Duke of Laiguo, and soon demoted to sima at Daozhou; in the first year of Qianxing (1022), he was demoted again, to household-tax military assessor at Leizhou.

In the first year of Tiansheng (1023), he died in exile at Leizhou; accounts differ as to whether he was sixty-two or sixty-three. Eleven years later, the court restored him to Grand Tutor of the Heir Apparent and posthumously granted him the titles Zhongshu Ling and Duke of Laiguo.

Family and associations

His father is named as Kou Xiang (寇湘) or Kou Xiang (寇相), while his father-in-law is variously named Xu Zhongxuan (許仲宣) or Song Wo (宋偓). Kou Sui is described both as a nephew and as an adopted heir; his sons-in-law included Wang Shu, Zhang Zigao, and Bi Qingchang, and a great-granddaughter surnamed Kou is identified as the mother of You Shimeng.

He was interested in epigraphy. He was a close friend of Zhang Yong, who repeatedly corrected him to his face and did not change his manner even when Kou held high office; Wen Zhongshu was another friend. He also recommended Zhao He, Li Shiheng, Liu Ping, Di Fei, Yan Su, Zheng Xifu, Wang Kai, Wang Shenrui, Qian Xi, and Chen Chong.

Works

His works include *Badong ji* (three juan), *Zhongmin gong shiji* (three juan, extant), and *Kou Laigong ji* (seven juan, extant); the title *Kou Zhongmin ji* also occurs. *Kou Laigong ji* preserves five ci poems, and fifteen poems outside the collection were compiled as a fourth juan of *Zhongmin gong shiji*.