Zhou Chu’s Quest to Eliminate the Three Evils

In the first installment of what will be a two-part feature, we’ll talk about the tales of Zhou Chu, the foundational inspiration behind the acclaimed film The Pig, the Snake, and the Pigeon, which has emerged as a surprise success in mainland Chinese cinemas.

Transcript

Zhou Chu’s Quest to Eliminate the Three Evils

In the first installment of what will be a two-part feature, we’ll talk about the tales of Zhou Chu, the foundational inspiration behind the acclaimed film The Pig, the Snake, and the Pigeon, which has emerged as a surprise success in mainland Chinese cinemas.

Action thriller The Pig, the Snake, and the Pigeon, which emerged as a dark horse in cinematic offerings following the Spring Festival holiday, has garnered considerable acclaim with an impressive rating of 8.2 on Douban, one of China’s leading movie rating platforms. Since its premiere on March 1, the film has achieved substantial commercial success, grossing a total of 600 million yuan, approximately US$83 million, on the Chinese mainland as of March 26, according to box-office tracking site Maoyan.

Inspired by “Zhou Chu’s Biography” from the Book of Jin, an authoritative Chinese historical text chronicling the Jin Dynasty’s history, lasting from 265 to 420 AD, as well as the New Account of the Tales of the World, the film delves into themes of redemption and transformation. “Zhou Chu’s Biography” recounts the journey of a young man named Zhou Chu, who forsakes his past misdeeds, confronts formidable challenges such as tigers and dragons, and ultimately undergoes profound personal reform.

The film’s central character, Chen Guilin, portrays a wanted criminal driven by a desire for notoriety. In a bid to emulate Zhou Chu’s legendary feats of eradicating three evils during the Wei-Jin period, Chen Guilin sets out to eliminate two fellow criminals notorious for their grievous wrongdoings.

Though neither the film’s setting nor its story is historical, it does present a very satisfying adaptation. So, today, let’s go back to the Wei-Jin period, to the era when Zhou Chu lived, and see whether Zhou Chu really eliminated three evils, and we’ll look into some other stories that happened during Zhou Chu’s life.

First, did Zhou Chu really eliminate three evils?

In the Chinese language textbook for middle school, there is a classical Chinese text titled “Zhou Chu,” which is an excerpt from the famous anecdotal novel New Account of the Tales of the World from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period. The gist of the original text is as follows:

When Zhou Chu was young, he ruled with tyranny in his hometown of Yixing, Jiangsu Province, causing everyone to loathe him deeply. On Yixing Mountain, there was a fierce tiger, and in the water, there was a formidable dragon, both of which endangered lives. Thus, people referred to the tiger, the dragon, and Zhou Chu collectively as the “Three Tyrants.” 

In order to get rid of Zhou Chu, someone employed a strategy to goad him into killing the tiger and defeating the dragon, with the aim of ensuring his demise along with the tiger and the dragon, effectively eliminating the Three Tyrants in one fell swoop. 

Unaware of the plot, Zhou Chu first went up the mountain to kill the tiger and then ventured into the water to combat the dragon. The dragon tossed Zhou Chu around, carrying him for miles, struggling in the water for three days and nights. Eventually, Zhou Chu managed to kill the dragon and crawled ashore, only to find his fellow villagers celebrating with drums and gongs, believing him dead. Feeling ashamed and embarrassed, Zhou Chu couldn’t bear to stay in his hometown any longer, so he went to the capital of Dong Wu, Jianye, now Nanjing, to seek counsel from the esteemed scholar Lu Yun. Encouraged by Lu Yun, he turned over a new leaf and eventually became a renowned statesman.

The Book of Jin first mentions Zhou Chu’s origin and background: his family hailed from Yangxian in Yixing, and his father, Zhou Bao, served as the Governor of Poyang for the Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period, passing away when Zhou Chu was still young. It further details the locations where Zhou Chu killed the tiger and defeated the dragon: he killed the tiger in the Southern Mountain and defeated the dragon at the Long Bridge. Additionally, while the New Account of the Tales of the World refers to Zhou Chu, the tiger, and the dragon as the Three Tyrants, the Book of Jin replaces this term with “Three Evils.”

Yixing was a place name during the Wei-Jin period, located in what is now Yixing City, eastern China’s Jiangsu Province. The southern area of Yixing is mountainous, likely corresponding to the Southern Mountain mentioned in the Book of Jin. In the southwest corner of the Tuanjiu Scenic Area in the ancient city of Yixing, there is a bridge called Jiao Bridge, also known as Chang Bridge, which is likely the Long Bridge mentioned in the Book of Jin.

Historical records match both the names of people and places, suggesting that the story of Zhou Chu eliminating the three evils may have indeed occurred. However, common sense tells us that without weapons or traps, humans could not possibly kill a tiger bare-handed, let alone engage in a three-day, three-night battle with a dragon in water. And by the way, it’s highly likely that the so-called “dragon” mentioned by ancient people is what we would refer to today as a crocodile. And it’s physiologically impossible for a person to contend with a crocodile in water, as our anatomies simply don’t support it.

The Book of Jin that we see today was compiled by the Tang Dynasty Prime Minister, Fang Xuanling, several hundred years after Zhou Chu’s time. Likewise, New Account of the Tales of the World was written by Liu Yiqing, an official from the Southern Dynasties, over 100 years after Zhou Chu. This means that the authors of these two works never actually met Zhou Chu.

However, there was another person named Lu Ji who did meet Zhou Chu. Lu Ji was the brother of Lu Yun, the scholar Zhou Chu visited in New Account of the Tales of the World. Lu Ji served as an official alongside Zhou Chu and, after Zhou Chu’s death, wrote a biographical inscription of Zhou Chu. This inscription provides firsthand information about Zhou Chu’s life… or does it?

According to Lu Ji’s inscription, it is stated that Zhou Chu possessed extraordinary physical strength from a young age. The inscription also mentions that Zhou Chu, despite facing false accusations and a tarnished reputation in his hometown, sought guidance from Lu Yun, leading to a transformation in his character and a dedication to learning.

The inscription provides extensive details about Zhou Chu’s ancestry, achievements throughout his life, and interactions with influential figures, yet it makes no mention of the elimination of three evils or the killing of a tiger and a dragon. Therefore, it is reasonable to be skeptical about the authenticity of Zhou Chu’s deeds in eliminating the three evils. If Zhou Chu did indeed kill a tiger and defeat a dragon, it likely would have been accomplished with the assistance of others, although this aspect is not mentioned in Lu Ji’s inscription.

Next, why did Zhou Chu seek advice from Lu Yun?

According to the “Biography of General Zhou”, Zhou Chu sought guidance from Lu Yun due to his troubled reputation in his hometown and a desire for personal growth and development. Zhou’s ancestry boasted illustrious military achievements and high-ranking positions, motivating his own aspirations for distinction. As a renowned scholar, Lu Yun likely served as a valuable mentor for Zhou’s endeavors.

According to the “Biography of General Zhou” in the Book of Jin, Zhou Chu had four sons with his wife, surnamed Sheng, who was from the same county. Their names were Zhou Jing, Zhou Qi, Zhou Zha, and Zhou Shuo. This inscription provides more detailed information compared to the one written by Lu Ji; for example, it mentions only three sons.

The inscription also mentions the year and age at which Zhou Chu passed away: In the seventh year of the Yuankang era of Emperor Hui of Jin, Zhou Chu’s health deteriorated, and he died away from home at the age of sixty-two. The seventh year of the Yuankang era corresponds to the year 297 AD, indicating that Zhou Chu was born in 236 AD. However, Lu Ji’s attribution of Zhou Chu’s cause of death to illness is erroneous. As for why Lu Ji would make such a claim – we’ll explain that in detail later on.

We have already deduced that Zhou Chu was born in the year 236 AD. So, when were Lu Ji and Lu Yun born? According to the detailed research presented in the Chronology of Lu Ji and Lu Yun published by People’s Literature Publishing House in 2009, Lu Ji was born in 261 AD, and Lu Yun was born in 262 AD. Thus, both Lu Ji and Lu Yun were more than 20 years younger than Zhou Chu.

Given their age difference, why would Zhou Chu seek guidance from younger individuals? There are two reasons: First, although younger, the Lu brothers enjoyed greater renown than Zhou Chu. Second, the Lu brothers and Zhou Chu had familial connections and longstanding relations. Lu Ji and Lu Yun were grandchildren of the renowned Eastern Wu general Lu Xun, and Zhou Chu’s father, Zhou Bao, served as a lieutenant under Lu Xun. Therefore, when Zhou Chu found himself unable to stay in Yixing, it was natural for him to seek counsel from the Lu brothers in Nanjing, given their familial and historical ties. This historical context lends credibility to Zhou Chu’s visit to the Lu brothers for guidance.

Well, that’s the end of our first podcast about Zhou Chu, and we’ll present the second half next time. Our theme music is by the famous film score composer Roc Chen. We want to thank our writer Lü Weitao, translator Du Guodong, and copy editor Pu Ren. And thank you for listening. We hope you enjoyed it, and if you did, please tell a friend so they, too, can understand The Context.