Chai Rong

Chai Rong (Chinese: 柴榮) (27 October 921¹ – 27 July 959²), later known as Guo Rong (郭榮),³ also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shizong of Later Zhou, was the second emperor of the Later Zhou dynasty of China, during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. He reigned from 954 until his death in 959. He succeeded his uncle-in-law Guo Wei (Emperor Taizu), whose surname he had adopted.

Emperor Shizong is considered a highly successful emperor of the Five Dynasties period. He centralized military power by his reforms, and proved his military prowess by a series of victories against Northern Han, Later Shu, Southern Tang, and the Liao dynasty. Although his accomplishments were limited due to his premature death, they paved the way for the eventual unification of large parts of China proper by the Northern Song, founded by his trusted generals Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Guangyi.

Early life

Chai Rong was born in Xingzhou (邢州; modern Xingtai, Hebei).¹ As a child he came to live with his aunt — a younger sister of his father Chai Shouli (柴守禮) — and her husband Guo Wei, an official in the Later Tang military. The Guos had no sons, so they adopted the quiet nephew as their own. The youngster grew up into a muscular young man skilled at , while also possessing a basic understanding of , history, and the philosophy. When he was an adult, he handled household affairs for Guo Wei, and often went out to do business, traveling back and forth between the Central China and the Jiangnan area.