Zhou Xiang

Zhou Xiang (Chinese: 周庠) was a chief strategist for Wang Jian, the founding emperor (Emperor Gaozu) of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Former Shu, during Wang Jian's years of warfare to firmly establish himself as a warlord late in preceding Tang dynasty.

[1] Apparently, after leaving that post, he became a guest of the general Wang Jian, who was then the prefect of Li Prefecture (利州, in modern Guangyuan, Sichuan).

[2] In 887, then-reigning Emperor Xizong of Tang commissioned a new military governor (jiedushi) of Shannan West Circuit (山南西道, headquartered in modern Hanzhong, Shaanxi), which Li Prefecture belonged to—Yang Shouliang, the adoptive nephew of the powerful eunuch Yang Fugong.

Yang Shouliang was apprehensive about Wang's military abilities, and made several attempts to summon him to Shannan West's capital Xingyuan Municipality (興元).

Wang had another idea—that he should petition the imperial government to send a senior official to head the operations against Chen and serve as that official's assistant, so he had Zhou draft a petition on his behalf, to then-reigning Emperor Zhaozong (Emperor Xizong's brother and successor), who had long hated Tian.

Wang then intimidated Wei by executing one of his close associates, Luo Bao (駱保), on purported offenses of embezzlement.

Wang Jian, along with Li Keyong, Li Maozhen the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi), and Yang Wo the military governor of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu), refused to recognize the new Later Liang emperor, and briefly, Wang and Yang were jointly issuing declarations calling for the entire realm to rise against Later Liang.

[6] In 920, he made Zhou the military governor of Yongping Circuit (then-headquartered in modern Ya'an, Sichuan), sending him out of the capital but still having him maintain the Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi designation as an honorary chancellor.