During Zhong Chuans rule

It is not known when Zhong Kuangshi was born. His father Zhong Chuan, who had already taken over Zhennan Circuit sometime earlier, was officially commissioned the military governor (Jiedushi) of Zhennan in 882. The first historical reference to Zhong Kuangshi was in 901, when Zhong Chuan attacked Wei Quanfeng the prefect of Fu Prefecture (撫州, in modern Fuzhou, Jiangxi) and put Fu Prefecture under siege. When Wei subsequently agreed to follow Zhong Chuan's commands and sued for peace, Wei gave a daughter in marriage to Zhong Kuangshi to seal the peace.

Brief rule

Zhong Chuan died in 906. The soldiers supported Zhong Kuangshi to succeed him, and Zhong Kuangshi took the title of acting military governor. Meanwhile, Zhong Chuan's adoptive son Zhong Yangui (鍾延規), who served as the prefect of Jiang Prefecture (江州, in modern Jiujiang, Jiangxi), was angry that he could not succeed Zhong Chuan, and therefore send emissaries to submit to Yang Wo the military governor of Huainan Circuit. Yang Wo took this chance to commission his general Qin Pei (秦裴) to attack Zhennan. Qin defeated and captured Zhong's officer Liu Chu (劉楚), and then put Zhennan's capital Hong Prefecture (洪州) under siege. He soon captured it and took Zhong Kuangshi and Zhong Kuangshi's military advisor Chen Xiang, as well as 5,000 soldiers, captive, and delivered them to Huainan's capital Yang Prefecture (揚州). Yang assumed the title of military governor of Zhennan himself, while commissioning Qin as the overseer of Hong Prefecture.

Once Zhong and Chen were delivered to Yang Prefecture, Yang rebuked Zhong for not submitting earlier. Zhong bowed and begged death. Yang took mercy on him and spared him, while executing Chen. It is not known what occurred to Zhong later, or when he died.

Notes and references

• New Book of Tang, vol. 190.

• History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 17.

• New History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 41.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 262, 265.

鐘傳統治期間

鐘匡時生年不詳。中和二年（882年），先前已控制鎮南軍的鐘傳被任為江西觀察使即鎮南軍節度使。乾寧元年（894年），任鐘匡時為袁州刺史以攻打敗亡軍閥孫儒的殘部馬殷。天複元年（901年），鐘傳攻撫州刺史危全諷，圍撫州，危全諷同意奉鐘傳號令，求和，將女兒嫁給鐘匡時。

短暫統治

天祐三年（906年）四月，鐘傳薨。軍中立鐘匡時為留後。危全諷說：「讓鐘郎君做三年節度使，然後我當自己做。」鐘傳養子鐘延規（《新唐書》誤作鐘傳次子鐘匡范）為江州刺史，為自己不能繼立而懷恨，遣使投降淮南節度使楊渥，並稱鐘匡時勾結宣武軍節度使朱全忠圖謀淮南。五月，楊渥趁機任昇州刺史秦裴為西南行營都招討使，攻鎮南軍。七月，秦裴到洪州，駐軍蓼洲，諸將請阻水立寨，秦裴不肯，而鐘匡時卻遣將劉楚據之。諸將怪罪秦裴，秦裴說：「鐘匡時的驍將只有劉楚一人，如果率眾守城，不能速克，我故意以要害誘他來此。」不久破寨，擒劉楚，圍鎮南軍部洪州。饒州刺史唐寶請降。九月，秦裴拔洪州，擒鐘匡時和司馬陳象等五千人，解送淮南軍府揚州。楊渥自兼鎮南軍節度使，以秦裴為洪州制置使。

鐘匡時、陳象被送到揚州後，楊渥切責其不早降，鐘匡時頓首請死。楊渥哀憐赦免了他，斬陳象于市。鐘匡時後事不詳。

注釋及參考文獻

• 《十國春秋·鐘匡時傳》