Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Military Officer and Rebel

Zheng Zhongli 鄭仲禮

First attested AD 532; died AD 545

Passages: 6
Chapters: 2
Histories: 2

Overview

Zheng Zhongli was a Military Officer and Rebel.

Life and dates

Death

AD 545 大同十一年
Executed after plot was exposed
Directly stated · Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance 159, passage 6; zizhitongjian:159:s0006a
executed 死
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 48, passage 48

Attested activity

AD 545 大同十一年
Dated from the passage context · Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance 159, passages 3, 6; zizhitongjian:159:s0003a
AD 532 to AD 545 鄭仲禮
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 48, passages 24, 44

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Sibling of Elder Sister of Zheng Zhongli (鄭仲禮姊)
elder sister 姊
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 48, passage 45
Sibling of Dache (大車)
elder sister 姊 · Uncertain siblings
Directly stated · zizhitongjian:159:s0006c
Child of Yan (嚴)
son 庶子
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 48, passage 44

Key source chapters

Career and standing

commander in personal guard 帳內都督
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 48, passage 45
commander 都督
Held
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 48, passage 24
Commissioner 都督
Held
Directly stated · Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance 159, passage 6
Put to death
Execution
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 48, passage 48

Places and affiliations

At Kaifeng in Xingyang 滎陽開封
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 48, passage 44

Events and relationships

Hid knife to attack Gaozu
Rebellion · Assassin
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 48, passage 26
Plotted to kill Gao Huan and enthrone Erzhu Wenchang
AD 545 大同十一年 · Rebellion plot · Conspirator · With Gao Huan (高歡)
Directly stated · Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance 159, passage 6

Assessments and attributes

reckless with physical strength
Character
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 48, passage 45

References in the histories

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 48Volume 48 Biographies 40: Imperial Affines · 4 passages

家富於財，招致賓客，既籍門地，窮極豪侈，與丞相司馬任胄、主簿李世林、都督鄭仲禮、房子遠等深相愛狎，外示杯酒之交，而潛謀逆亂。 Rich and hospitable, he leaned on his birth to live in extreme splendor. With Ren Zhou, Li Shilin, Zheng Zhongli, and Fang Ziyuan he feigned convivial friendship while secretly plotting revolt.

任胄令仲禮藏刀於袴中，因高祖臨觀，謀為竊發，事捷之後，共奉文暢為主。 Ren Zhou hid a blade in Zhongli’s trousers; when Gaozu came to watch, they meant to strike—and if they succeeded, to set Wenchang on the throne.

鄭仲禮，滎陽開封人，魏鴻臚嚴庶子也。 Zheng Zhongli was from Kaifeng in Xingyang, son of Yan, Wei’s director of ceremonial.

賴武明婁後為請，故仲禮死，不及其家。 Empress Wuming Lou pleaded for him, so only Zhongli died and his kin were spared.

Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance, Chapter 159Volume 159 Liang Records 15 · 2 passages

東魏儀同爾朱文暢與丞相司馬任冑、都督鄭仲禮等，謀因正月望夜觀打簇戲作亂，殺丞相歡，奉文暢為主。 Eastern Wei's Erzhu Wenchang, Chancellor Gao Huan's marshal Ren Zhou, Commissioner Zheng Zhongli, and others plotted a Lantern-night rising during the fireworks show: kill Gao Huan and make Wenchang ruler.

其姊，敬宗之後，及仲禮姊大車，皆為歡妾，有寵，故其兄弟皆不坐。 His sister, Jingzong's empress, and Zhongli's elder sister Dache were all Gao Huan's favored concubines, so their brothers went unpunished.