Lou Shide

Lou Shide (Chinese: 婁師德; 630–699), courtesy name Zongren (宗仁), formally Viscount Zhen of Qiao (譙貞子), was an official and general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, twice serving as chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign.

Lou Shide was born in 630, during the reign of Emperor Taizong. He was from Zheng Prefecture (鄭州, roughly modern Zhengzhou, Henan). When he was young, he passed the imperial examination and was made the sheriff of Jiangdu County (江都, in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu) – a formally low post that was, however, regarded as important as Jiangdu was one of the largest cities of the empire. While serving there, his superior Lu Chengye (盧承業) the secretary general of Yang Prefecture (揚州, roughly modern Yangzhou), was greatly impressed by him, and stated, "You are material to be an emperor's assistant. I should entrust my descendants to you, and how can I treat you as a subordinate?"

During the reign of Emperor Taizong's son Emperor Gaozong, when Tang was having recurrent wars with Tufan. Emperor Gaozong sought volunteers to serve in the army against Tufan, and Lou Shide volunteered. Emperor Gaozong was pleased, and gave him the honorific title of Chaosan Daifu (朝散大夫) and allowed him to serve in the army, and it was said that he had much achievement in the army. In 678, when the chancellor Li Jingxuan suffered a major defeat against the Tufan general Gar Trinring Tsendro ("Lun Qinling" (論欽陵) in Chinese) and Li's deputy, the general Liu Shenli (劉審禮) was captured by Tufan, Emperor Gaozong sent Lou to reorganize Li's disorganized troops, and further then as an emissary to Tufan. Lou met with Trinring's brother Gar Tsenba ("Lun Zanpo" (論贊婆) in Chinese) and was able to enter into a peace agreement with Lun Zanpo. In addition to his censor post, he was also made the military advisor to the commander at Heyuan Base (河源軍, in modern Xining, Qinghai) and put in charge of the agricultural affairs of the base. By 682, however, Tufan was said to be again attacking Heyuan, and Lou prevailed over Tufan forces eight straight times. Emperor Gaozong gave Lou the position of a deputy minister but made him the deputy commander at Heyuan, stating to him in the edict, "You have both civil and military talents. Do not decline these posts."

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