Zhou Zong (周宗), courtesy name Juntai (君太), was an official of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Southern Tang.
Xu Zhigao, not wanting to turn against Song's suggestions at this point, while not putting Zhou to death, demoted him out of the headquarters to serve as the deputy military prefect of Chi Prefecture (池州, in modern Chizhou, Anhui).
[6] In 937, when, as part of the preparation for the transition, Yang created Xu Zhigao the Prince of Qi and Xu Zhigao began to build a government on the scale of the imperial government, he commissioned Zhou Zong and Zhou Tingyu (周廷玉) to serve as his chiefs of staff (內樞使, Neishushi)[7] (analogous to the Shumishi positions of the other states at the time, but not using the character mi (密) to observe naming taboo for Wu's founder Yang Xingmi).
[1] Zhou Zong continued to serve as Neishushi after Yang formally yielded the throne to Xu Zhigao (who then changed his name to Li Bian, as his original family name was Li) later in 937, ending Wu and starting Southern Tang as its Emperor Liezu.
[1][7] It was said that Emperor Liezu often held feasts for Zhou, treatment that other officials and generals did not receive except for Song Qiqiu and Ma Renyu (馬仁裕).
[1] At some point, he was apparently made the military governor (Jiedushi) of Fenghua Circuit (奉化, headquartered in modern Jiujiang, Jiangxi).
When the staff members welcomed Zhou to the post, Yu made the abrupt remark of, "How is Chief Ma doing?"
Zhou responded, "Chancellor Ma is currently defending Lu Prefecture [(廬州, in modern Hefei, Anhui)])."
[1] Zhou was subsequently made the military governor of Ningguo Circuit (寧國, headquartered in modern Xuancheng, Anhui).
Despite their prior animosity, Song mourned him bitterly, touching his coffin and stating, "Sir, you are of great wisdom.
"[1] His two daughters (Zhou Ehuang and another whose name is lost to history, both by his second wife) later successively became empresses during the reign of Emperor Yuanzong's son Li Yu.