| NAME | |
|---|---|
| Chinese Name | 赵忠, 趙忠, Zhào Zhōng |
| Other name | Triệu Trung |
| INFORMATION | |
| Birth Place | Anping Commandery, Ji Province (冀州安平国; quốc An Bình, Ký Châu) |
| Died | 189 |
| Death Reason | Executed during the palace purge by Yuan Shao's (袁绍, Viên Thiệu) forces (189 AD) |
| CAREER | |
| Allegiance | Eastern Han Dynasty |
Biography & Historical Record
Zhao Zhong (died 189 AD) was a prominent eunuch official and one of the leaders of the Ten Attendants (Shi Changshi) during the late Eastern Han Dynasty. Serving under Emperor Ling of Han, Zhao Zhong and his corrupt political faction wielded enormous influence over the imperial court, manipulating state appointments, extorting wealth from officials and the populace, and cruelly suppressing honest ministers who protested against their misrule. Their rampant corruption severely destabilized the governance of the Han empire, fueling public grievances and widespread peasant rebellions. Following the death of Emperor Ling in 189 AD, a fierce power struggle unfolded between General-in-Chief He Jin and the eunuchs. When He Jin plotted to eliminate the eunuchs, Zhao Zhong joined hands with Zhang Rang and other associates to lure He Jin into the palace and assassinate him at the courtyard gates. This political murder triggered an immediate military backlash, as elite officers led by Yuan Shao and Cao Cao stormed the palace to massacre the eunuchs. Zhao Zhong was captured and executed during the violent palace purge, bringing a disgraceful end to his tyrannical career.
Role in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
In Luo Guanzhong’s epic historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhao Zhong is portrayed as a key antagonist among the group of ten corrupt eunuchs who dominate Emperor Ling. Introduced in the early chapters, Zhao Zhong accepts massive bribes, perverts the laws of the land, and works alongside Zhang Rang to marginalize loyal statesmen and Confucian scholars.
In Chapter 3, after the passing of Emperor Ling, Zhao Zhong actively participates in the factional struggles against General-in-Chief He Jin. When He Jin attempts to purge the court of eunuchs, Zhao Zhong takes part in the conspiracy to ambush and assassinate He Jin at the palace gates. However, this act seals their doom; in Chapter 4, Yuan Shao and Wu Kuang lead armed forces into the palace to slaughter the eunuchs. Zhao Zhong fails to escape and is killed during the assault, ending the reign of terror of the Ten Attendants.
Notable Quotes & Famous Sayings
- “General-in-Chief He Jin seeks to destroy us all; if we sit and wait for death, we are lost. We must execute him first to preserve ourselves.” — Zhao Zhong plotting the assassination of He Jin.
Zhao Zhong (赵忠) — Historical & Literary Timeline
189 AD
Conspiracy and Assassination of He Jin
Confronted by General-in-Chief He Jin’s plans to exterminate the eunuchs, Zhao Zhong collaborates with Zhang Rang to lure He Jin into the palace and assassinate him.
189 AD
Palace Purge and Execution
Following He Jin’s murder, Yuan Shao’s troops storm the imperial palace to slaughter the eunuchs, resulting in Zhao Zhong being captured and executed.
For detailed historical records, archives, and official chronicles, explore Zhao Zhong on Wikipedia.
Key Relationships
Family
- No information
Friends
- Zhang Rang (张让, Trương Nhượng): Leader of the Ten Attendants and primary political collaborator; they worked together to manipulate Emperor Ling and orchestrated the assassination of He Jin in 189 AD.
- Song Dian (宋典, Tống Điển), Han Kui (韩悝, Hàn Khôi), Zhang Gong (张恭, Trương Cung), Gao Wang (高望, Cao Vọng), Li Song (栗嵩, Lật Tung), Bi Lan (毕岚, Tất Lam), Sun Zhang (孙璋, Tôn Chương), Xia Yun (夏恽, Hạ Huy), Guo Sheng (郭胜, Quách Thắng), and Duan Gui (段珪, Đoàn Khuê): Fellow members of the Ten Attendants (Shi Changshi) who collectively dominated the imperial court and shared in the downfall of the eunuch faction during the 189 AD palace purge.
Enemies
- He Jin (何进, Hà Tiến): The General-in-Chief who sought to purge the eunuchs from the court; he was lured into the palace and assassinated by Zhao Zhong and his associates in 189 AD.
- Yuan Shao (袁绍, Viên Thiệu): A key military leader who led the forces that stormed the palace in 189 AD to massacre the eunuchs, directly resulting in the capture and execution of Zhao Zhong.
- Cao Cao (曹操, Tào Tháo): An elite officer who participated in the violent 189 AD purge of the imperial palace, contributing to the destruction of the eunuch faction.
Other
- Emperor Ling (汉灵帝, Hán Linh Đế): The ruler of the Eastern Han Dynasty under whom Zhao Zhong served; Zhao Zhong and the Ten Attendants wielded immense influence and power through their proximity to the Emperor.
Comrades
Zhao Zhong — Historical & Literary Timeline
Ten Attendants in power
One of the Ten Attendants (十常侍) who sold offices, extorted commanders, and dominated the court of Emperor Ling alongside Zhang Rang.
He Jin’s assassination
Plotted with fellow eunuchs to lure He Jin into the palace and kill him; pursued and executed when Yuan Shao’s forces storm the palace after the coup collapses.
Appearance
In Novel
Chapter 1
- Zhao Zhong (赵忠, Triệu Trung): Zhao Zhong is named as one of the Ten Attendants who control the Han court. Together with Zhang Rang, he is among the eunuchs most trusted by Emperor Ling, and his faction is presented as one of the main causes of the court's corruption.
Chapter 2
- Zhao Zhong (赵忠, Triệu Trung): Zhao Zhong and Zhang Rang exploit their influence with Emperor Ling to demand gifts from the commanders who defeated the Yellow Turbans. When Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun refuse, Zhao Zhong joins the eunuchs in having them dismissed. During the later crisis with He Jin, Zhao Zhong remains inside the palace with the eunuch faction. After He Jin is killed, Yuan Shao and Cao Cao lead troops into the palace and order every eunuch they find to be killed. Zhao Zhong is among the eunuchs cornered inside the palace and is killed by the attacking forces.
Chapter 3
- Zhao Zhong (赵忠, Triệu Trung): Joined the Ten Attendants' plot to assassinate He Jin (何进, Hà Tiến) inside the palace after Emperor Ling's death. When He Jin's allies stormed the palace, Zhao Zhong was hunted down and killed along with the other eunuchs — the event that opened Luoyang to Dong Zhuo's takeover.
In History
Summary
- Zhao Zhong (赵忠, Triệu Trung) was a historical Eastern Han palace eunuch associated with the court faction commonly called the Ten Attendants.
- The surviving historical record places Zhao Zhong (赵忠, Triệu Trung) within the powerful eunuch establishment at Luoyang. Their influence grew through direct access to Emperor Ling and control of court affairs.
Court Career
- Zhao Zhong (赵忠, Triệu Trung) held the rank of palace eunuch during the reign of Emperor Ling of Han and belonged to the same political network as Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong.
- Individual biographical details about Zhao Zhong (赵忠, Triệu Trung) are much less extensive than the surviving accounts of the faction as a whole.
Year: 189 AD
- Zhao Zhong (赵忠, Triệu Trung) was one of the most powerful eunuchs of Emperor Ling's reign. He was killed during the purge of the eunuch faction after the death of He Jin.
Historical Record
- Zhao Zhong (赵忠, Triệu Trung) was a real historical figure. The sources securely place him within the Eastern Han palace eunuch establishment, although the surviving evidence does not justify attributing every later literary episode to him.
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