Zhou Qun 周羣

Zhou Qun, courtesy name Zhongzhi, was a man of Langzhong County in Baxi Commandery. His father Zhou Shu, courtesy name Shubu, had in his youth learned the arts of divination from Yang Hou of Guanghan, and his reputation was second only to Dong Fu and Ren An; he was summoned several times but never went. When someone asked what was meant by the saying in the Apocrypha of the Spring and Autumn Annals, 'The one who replaces Han will be Dangtu Gao,' Zhou Shu answered, 'Dangtu Gao is Wei (魏),' and the scholars of his home district passed his words on in private. Records, Shu 12 §9

Zhou Qun studied under Zhou Shu in his youth and devoted himself to the study of observing the signs of the weather and the heavens. He built a small tower in his courtyard, and as his family was rich and had many slaves, he had the slaves take turns on duty on the tower watching for calamities in the sky. Whenever even a single wisp of vapor was seen, they told Zhou Qun at once, and he went up the tower to look for himself, whether at dawn or at night. So whenever there was a change in the vapors there was none he failed to see, and much of what he said came true. Records, Shu 12 §9–10

Liu Zhang, Governor of Yi Province, summoned him and made him Attendant Officer as Mentor-Friend. When the First Sovereign pacified Shu, he appointed him Colonel of the Forest of Scholars. Records, Shu 12 §10

When the First Sovereign, intending to contend with Lord Cao for Hanzhong, asked Zhou Qun, Zhou Qun answered, 'You will gain the land but not its people. If you send out a detached force it will surely fare badly; you must be on your guard and careful!' At that time Zhang Yu of Shu Commandery, Major of the Rear Division of Yi Province, was also versed in divination by signs and was more gifted than Zhou Qun, and he remonstrated that Hanzhong must not be contested and that the army would surely fare badly. The First Sovereign in the end did not use Zhang Yu's advice, and he did indeed gain the land but not the people. Records, Shu 12 §11

According to the Biography of the First Sovereign, in the 23rd year of Jian'an (218) the First Sovereign led his generals toward Hanzhong and sent the generals Wu Lan, Lei Tong and others separately into Wudu, where they were all wiped out by Lord Cao's army. The Biography of Zhou Qun records that since all this was just as Zhou Qun had said, he was recommended as Flourishing Talent. Records, Shu 2 §37Records, Shu 12 §12

Zhang Yu, whose story is recorded in the same biography, was later reported to have told others privately that the fortunes of the Liu house would come to an end, and since he had earlier incurred hatred by mocking the First Sovereign's lack of a beard, he was thrown into prison on the charge that his remonstrance against contesting Hanzhong had not come true. Zhuge Liang submitted a memorial asking that he be pardoned, but the First Sovereign would not grant it, and Zhang Yu was executed in the marketplace. Records, Shu 12 §13–15

When Zhou Qun died, his son Zhou Ju (周巨) inherited a good deal of his arts. Chen Shou's main text does not record the year of Zhou Qun's death. The 'Encomia on the Supporting Ministers of Ji Han,' written by Yang Xi in the 4th year of Yanxi (241), praised Zhou Zhongzhi (Zhou Qun) together with Wang Yuantai, He Yanying and Du Fuguo, saying, 'The Colonel of the Forest of Scholars was versed in astronomy.' Records, Shu 12 §16Records, Shu 15 §33 · 48–49

In the assessment of Records of Shu 12, after likening Du Wei to the integrity of Boyi and the Four Greybeards, Chen Shou said, 'Zhou Qun divined from the heavens with proven results, and Du Qiong was taciturn, cautious and meticulous; both were pure scholars.' Records, Shu 12 §102