Eradicating the Three Scourges

A folk story about Zhou Chu appeared in the 430 book A New Account of the Tales of the World and proved to be very popular. The story claims that Zhou Chu was such a cruel and violent ruffian in his younger days that he was called one of the "Three Scourges" by the villagers in his native (present-day city of Yixing, Jiangsu), along with a tiger and a dragon.

Prompted by a villager, Zhou Chu took on the challenge to seek out and kill the tiger and the scaly dragon that lived in a stream (the jiao). His battle with this dragon endured for 3 days in Lake Tai, and the villagers were celebrating the demise of the two scourges when Zhou Chu returned triumphant with the dragon's head. That was when he realized that he was the last scourge that the villagers feared. Determined to mend his old ways, he sought out Eastern Wu generals Lu Ji and Lu Yun, and received encouragement. Eventually he became an accomplished general beloved by his people.

Death

Zhou Chu became Palace Aide to the Censor-in-Chief (御史中丞) and had no fear in indicting and exposing the wrongdoings of other ministers. He thus offended many, including Sima Rong, son of Sima Yi and an uncle of Emperor Wu of Jin. In 296, when Sima Rong was named the Grand General of the Western expedition to quell the Di rebellion, Zhou Chu was named the vanguard general. His fellow general Sun Xiu warned him and suggested him to bid his aging mother a final farewell. Zhou Chu replied, "One cannot fulfill both filial piety and loyalty at the same time. Since I have already chosen to serve my country... I will die for it."

Zhou Chu was ordered to take 5,000 soldiers to attack the 20,000-strong enemy. After the attacks began, Sima Rong also ordered his supply to be cut off completely. Zhou's troops ran out of arrows and the generals assigned to reinforce him did not help. When asked to flee, Zhou Chu replied, "I am a minister of a nation. Isn't it proper to die for one's country?" He fought to his death.

Explanatory notes

生平

除三害

周處年幼喪父，年少時已經體力超群，喜歡騎馬打獵，而且輕狂放蕩，縱情肆慾，成為鄉里中惡名昭彰、眾人唯恐避之不及的人物。而周處自己也知道鄉里討厭自己，就有了改過之心，於是周處有一日就問鄉里的長輩：「當今時局平和，又是豐年，大家為何苦悶不呢？」長輩嘆道：「三害未除，何樂之有！」周處追問哪三害，得到的答案是：「南山白額虎，長橋下蛟龍，連同你就是三害了。」周處就說：「若是這些為禍，我可以消滅他們。」長輩們說：「你若是能消滅他們，不僅僅是除去禍害，而是整個郡的喜事啊！」周處就先入山射殺了猛虎，又下水與蛟龍纏鬥，周處抓住蛟龍載浮載沉穿越了數十里，終在荊溪斬殺了蛟龍。周處殺蛟龍用了三日三夜，鄉人見周處沒有消息，以為他死了，他們都很高興，全都互相慶賀。周處活著回來看見了，才知自己在鄉民眼中是何等禍患，於是堅定起決心改過自新，變得勵志好學，並有文才，志向存義烈，言談講忠信而守分寸。一年過後，周處得到州府闢命，歷任左國史、東觀令及無難督。

入仕晉朝

太康元年（280年），晉滅吳。晉軍大將王渾在建業宮中開慶祝酒會，半醉時問底下的吳臣：「你們的國家亡了，不難過嗎？」周處站出來說：「漢朝末年天下分崩，三國鼎立，魏國滅亡於前，吳國滅亡於後，該難過的豈只一人？」曾是魏臣的王渾面有慚色。而其後大批吳臣出仕於晉，周處名列其中，出任雍州新平郡太守，處理邊疆民族問題很成功，因令叛亂的羌人歸附而有美名。之後周處轉任梁州廣漢太守，處理爭訟詳細正直，平息纏訟經年案件。後來周處因母親年邁而辭官歸里，但不久又受徵為楚內史，尚未到任，又轉擔任散騎常侍。周處認為應當「辭大不辭小」，先到楚國赴任，對經歷過戰亂的當地有安撫教化、收葬無主屍骨等治績，然後才入朝當散騎常侍，此行為人稱道。

周處任散騎常侍接近皇帝，故多有規勸。後轉任御史中丞，糾劾對象不避權貴；梁王司馬肜違法也遭到糾舉，兩人於是結下樑子。元康六年（296年），秦雍一帶氐羌民族反叛，首領齊萬年稱帝，朝內眾官討厭周處，於是以其是東吳名將之子而推薦周處出討。十一月，朝廷任命司馬肜為征西大將軍、都督雍涼二州諸軍事，出鎮關中；周處為建威將軍，隸屬安西將軍夏侯駿出兵叛胡。伏波將軍孫秀知周處這樣一去將會戰死，於是對他說：「你有年老母親，可以用這理由來辭讓呀。」周處卻說：「忠孝之道，怎能兩全！既然離開親人去事奉君主，父母還怎有這兒子？今天這是我死的地方。」周處自知與梁王有私怨，肯定會被其陷害，但為盡人臣之節，便不推辭，抱著必死決心西征。朝中有中書令陳準為周處講話，警告說夏侯駿、司馬肜都是皇親國戚，不會打仗，若其令周處為先鋒，必敗無疑，建議讓孟觀領精兵萬人當周處前鋒；可是朝廷中人並不聽從。連周處的敵人齊萬年分析局勢，也認為若周處當主帥，則無法抵擋；若周處受制於人，則必可擒獲。

元康七年（297年）正月，齊萬年屯兵七萬於梁山（位於今陝西乾縣西北），司馬肜、夏侯駿逼周處僅以五千兵力發動攻擊。周處抗議：「我軍沒有後援，必然失敗，不只會死，而且為國取恥。」司馬肜不聽，逼迫周處前進，周處只好和振威將軍盧播及雍州刺史解系進攻六陌（今陝西乾縣東），就在與齊萬年軍接戰前，周處的士兵連飯都沒吃就被司馬肜逼上戰場，更不派後援給他們。周處知必敗無疑，臨戰賦詩：「去去世事已，策馬觀西戎。藜藿甘粱黍，期之克令終。」接著就率軍奮勇殺敵，殺了數以萬計的敵人，終於弦絕矢盡，而與他一同進攻的盧播及解系皆不救援。旁人勸周處撤退，他卻按著劍說：「這是我效忠死節之日，為甚麼要撤退！古代良將受命，鑿開凶險之門而出，都是有進無退。現在諸軍辜負信諾，士氣一定不振。我作為大臣，以身殉國，亦可以呀！」遂力戰至死。

周處獲朝廷追贈平西將軍，並有一百萬錢，一頃墓葬之地，以及五十畝京城土地作為府第，又賜王家近田五頃，並特別恩恤周處母親，賜其終身醫藥酒米。晉元帝稱晉王，經太常賀循議決，追封諡周處為清流亭孝侯。時今江蘇省無錫宜興有「周王廟」，奉祀周處。

逸事

《晉書》、《建康實錄》及《世說新語》都說周處除三害後都有拜訪名士陸機、陸雲兄弟，但只找到陸雲。他對陸雲告以實情，稱自己想改過自新，但已蹉跎歲月，恐怕來不及了。陸雲勉勵周處說：「古人珍視改過迅速，你尚有前途呀。而且只怕定不下志向，哪會怕名不顯露。」經此鼓勵，周處亦成功改過。不過，這些記述遭後世史家懷疑其真確性。

孫皓即位，立《國山碑》，周處時任太常。

著作

周處著有《默語》三十篇及《風土記》，也曾撰集吳國歷史。《風土記》是記述地方風俗的名著，今人查考端午、七夕、重陽等等習俗，所依據的便是這一部《風土記》。

子女

• 周靖，早卒

• 周玘，曾為東晉三定江南，但因與僑姓士族摩擦而打算與其他江南士族起事反抗，失敗後憂憤而死。

• 周札，在晉官至右將軍，他反對周勰殺僑姓士族復仇；王敦之亂時守衞石頭城，打開城門迎王敦入城令其得勢，但為王敦所殺。

• 周碩，亦早卒

註腳