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Song Qiqiu

Song Qiqiu 宋齊丘
Personal details
Born 887
Hong Prefecture, Tang Empire
Died 959
Mount Jiuhua, Southern Tang
Spouse(s) Lady Wei (魏)
Father Song Cheng (宋誠)
Song Qiqiu
Traditional Chinese
Simplified Chinese
Song Zisong
Chinese

Song Qiqiu (887–959), courtesy name Zisong, formally Duke Chouliao of Chu (楚醜繆公), was the chief strategist of Emperor Liezu of Southern Tang (Xu Zhigao/Li Bian), the founding emperor of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Southern Tang. His strategies were viewed as instrumental in allowing Xu Zhigao to consolidate his power during the latter part of the regency of Xu Wen, Xu Zhigao's adoptive father and regent of Wu, eventually allowing Xu Zhigao to take over the Wu state and take the throne as the emperor of Southern Tang. After the establishment of Southern Tang, Song had a fall out with Emperor Liezu and largely lost his power, but became powerful again during the reign of Emperor Liezu's son Emperor Yuanzong, until he eventually lost the trust of the emperor and committed suicide in 959.

Song Qiqiu was born in 887, during the late Tang Dynasty. His family had been from Luling (廬陵, in modern Ji'an, Jiangxi) for generations. In his youth, he was studious and ambitious, and was particularly well-learned in strategies.

Song Qiqiu's father Song Cheng (宋誠), at some point, served as the deputy military governor to the late Tang warlord Zhong Chuan the military governor of Zhennan Circuit (鎮南, headquartered in modern Nanchang, Jiangxi). After Song Cheng's death, Song Qiqiu thus remained at Zhennan and became dependent on Zhong and Zhong's family (apparently including Zhong's son and successor Zhong Kuangshi). At some point, he apparently became a candidate for imperial examinations, but it was unclear whether he actually stood for those examinations.

In 906, Zhennan was conquered by Yang Wo, the ruler of rival Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu). With the Zhongs thus no longer in control, Song Qiqiu became impoverished, and was forced to follow a group of people to head to Huainan proper to try to make a living. He eventually was forced to work for a house of prostitution run by a Lady Wei, apparently at Sheng Prefecture (昇州, in modern Nanjing, Jiangsu). Lady Wei supplied him with money, and he eventually took her as his wife.


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