Cao Zhongda (曹仲達) (882''

Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms The ''Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese title ''Shiguo Chunqiu'' (), is a history of the Ten Kingdoms that existed in southern China after the fall of the Tang dynasty and before the reunification of China ...

''
vol. 86
–943''Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms''
vol. 80
), né Cao Hongda (曹弘達), was an official of the

Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state

Wuyue Wuyue (; ) was a Dynasties in Chinese history, dynastic state of China and one of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period#Ten Kingdoms, Ten Kingdoms during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of History of China, Chinese history. It wa ...

, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of its second king

Qian Yuanguan Qian Yuanguan () (30 November 887 – 17 September 941''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 282.), born Qian Chuanguan (錢傳瓘), also known by his temple name as the King Shizong of Wuyue (吳越世宗), courtesy name Mingbao (明寶), was the second king o ...

and third king

Qian Hongzuo Qian Hongzuo (; 14 August 928 – 22 June 947), courtesy name Yuanyou (), also known by his temple name as the King Chengzong of Wuyue (), was the third king of Wuyue during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of China. Background ...

Background and service under Qian Liu

Cao Hongda was born in 882, during the reign of

Emperor Xizong of Tang Emperor Xizong of Tang (June 8, 862 – April 20, 888), né Li Yan, later name changed to Li Xuan (, changed 873), was an emperor of China's Tang dynasty. He reigned from 873 to 888. He was the fifth son of his predecessor Emperor Yizong and ...

. His father Cao Gui (曹圭) was a general under

Qian Liu Qian Liu (10 March 852Academia Sinica Chinese-Western Calendar Converter

, who would eventually control the region (modern

Zhejiang ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = ( Hangzhounese) ( Ningbonese) (Wenzhounese) , image_skyline = 玉甑峰全貌 - panoramio.jpg , image_caption = View of the Yandang Mountains , image_map = Zhejiang i ...

) that became the territory of

. Cao Hongda was born at Linping (臨平, in modern

Hangzhou Hangzhou, , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ; formerly romanized as Hangchow is a sub-provincial city in East China and the capital of Zhejiang province. With a population of 13 million, the municipality comprises ten districts, two counti ...

). After he grew older, Cao Gui wanted to train him physically, so Cao Gui had him eat with servants and not be given warm clothing even when it was in the winter. Cao Gui also had him lift bricks daily. After Cao Hongda grew yet older, he became a guard at the headquarters for one of the circuits Qian controlled, Zhendong Circuit (鎮東, headquartered in modern

Shaoxing Shaoxing is a prefecture-level city on the southern shore of Hangzhou Bay in northeastern Zhejiang province, China. Located on the south bank of the Qiantang River estuary, it borders Ningbo to the east, Taizhou, Zhejiang, Taizhou to the south ...

). At that time, his father Cao Gui served as the prefect of Su Prefecture (蘇州, in modern

Suzhou Suzhou is a major prefecture-level city in southern Jiangsu province, China. As part of the Yangtze Delta megalopolis, it is a major economic center and focal point of trade and commerce. Founded in 514 BC, Suzhou rapidly grew in size by the ...

Jiangsu Jiangsu is a coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province in East China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its capital in Nanjing. Jiangsu is the List of Chinese administra ...

), and wanted to enter into a marital alliance with a fellow general under Qian, Chen Xun (陳詢) the prefect of Mu Prefecture (睦州, in modern Hangzhou) — by having Cao Hongda marry one of Chen's daughters. He thus sent Cao Hongda on a mission to Mu, intending to have him marry Chen's daughter there. However, a fortuneteller informed Cao Hongda and/or Cao Gui, "The Chens are not appropriate for your marital relationship. You should marry with another family to bring glory and honor on you." When he went through the Qiantang (錢塘, in modern Hangzhou), the capital of Qian's main circuit, Zhenhai Circuit (鎮海), Qian was impressed by Cao Hongda's appearance, and therefore gave him a younger sister in marriage. Cao Hongda thereafter successively served as the prefect of Tai Prefecture (台州, in modern Taizhou,

), then of Chu Prefecture (處州, in modern

Lishui Lishui (; Lishuinese: ''li⁶ syu³'' ) is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. It borders Quzhou, Jinhua and Taizhou to the north, Wenzhou to the southeast, and the province of Fujian to ...

Service under Qian Yuanguan

Qian Liu, who then carried the title of King of Wuyue, died in 932, and was succeeded by his son

. Qian Yuanguan, who did not take the title of king but only that of military governor (''

Jiedushi The ''jiedushi'' (, Old Turkic: Tarduş) or jiedu, was a regional military governor in China; the title was established in the Tang dynasty and abolished in the Yuan dynasty. The post of ''jiedushi'' has been translated as "military commissi ...

'') of Zhenhai and Zhendong initially (as a vassal to

Later Tang Tang, known in historiography as the Later Tang, was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China and the second of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in Chinese history. The first three of the Later Tang's four ...

), put Cao Hongda in charge of the affairs of the state — effectively, to be chancellor, although not with that title as Qian Yuanguan was not claiming, at that point, statehood.''

Zizhi Tongjian The ''Zizhi Tongjian'' (1084) is a chronicle published during the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127) that provides a record of Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynasties and spanning almost 1400 years. The main text is ...

'', vol. 277. When Qian Yuanguan claimed the title of king in 937 (then as a vassal of Later Tang's successor state Later Jin), he commissioned Cao, along with

Shen Song Shen Song () (863–938), courtesy name Jifu (), was a chancellor of the History of China, Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Wuyue. Background Shen Song was born in 863, during the reign of Emperor Yizong of Tang. He was said ...

and Pi Guangye, chancellors.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 281. (It was probably at this time that he changed his name to Cao Zhongda, as the name change was said to be to observe

naming taboo A naming taboo is a cultural taboo against speaking or writing the given names of exalted persons, notably in China and within the Chinese cultural sphere. It was enforced by several laws throughout Imperial China, but its cultural and possibly ...

for Qian Yuanguan's heir apparent

Qian Hongzun Qian Hongzun (錢弘僔) (925''Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms''vol. 83 – June 7, 940),''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 282.Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter formally Heir Apparent Xiaoxian (孝獻世子, "the filial and w ...

, and it was at the time that Qian Yuanguan claimed the king title that he made Qian Hongzun his heir apparent.) He was said to be kind and honest, often donating food to the needy (implicitly, referring probably to Buddhist monks). Qian Yuanguan honored him greatly and referred to him only as "the Chancellor" rather than by name.

Service under Qian Hongzuo

Qian Yuanguan died in 941 and was succeeded as king by his son (Qian Hongzun's younger brother)

— as Qian Hongzun had died earlier. During Qian Hongzuo's mourning period, Cao Zhongda served as regent. When there was subsequently a disturbance among the army ranks where the soldiers claimed that there was unfairness in the rewards given to them, Cao personally met the soldiers to comfort them.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 282. He died in 943.

Notes and references

* ''

''
vol. 86
* ''

'', vols. 277,

281 __NOTOC__ Year 281 ( CCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Probus and Tiberianus (or, less frequently, year 1034 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination ...

282 Year 282 ( CCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Probus and Victorinus (or, less frequently, year 1035 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 282 for th ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Cao, Zhongda 882 births 943 deaths Politicians from Hangzhou Later Tang people Later Jin (Five Dynasties) people Wuyue chancellors