History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 1003 Walking on Thin Ice
[Walking on thin ice]

After Qian Hongchu surrendered and returned to the court, he was treated with high courtesy and full trust by Emperor Taizong of Song, Zhao Guangyi. However, he was a king of a fallen country living under someone else's roof, and it was not as comfortable as in Hangzhou. Qian Hongchu was very cautious and trembling as if he was walking on thin ice. He also encountered several "dangerous situations" during his time. Perhaps mental anxiety and excessive fear were one of the reasons why he was ill for a long time.

"Poison Oolong"

In the first month of 981, Qian Hongchu's rheumatism relapsed and he was still suffering from it until May.

On this day, an eunuch named Zhao Hai was drinking heavily and wandering drunkenly on the streets of the capital, singing "One night in Beijing, don't drink too much, walking outside the door of Lixian's house..." He accidentally walked to a large courtyard and looked up, "Lixian's house!" Under the influence of alcohol, Zhao Hai actually took a step and was about to walk in.

When the gate guard saw that it was an imperial court official, he subconsciously thought that this was a messenger sent by the imperial court to deliver the imperial decree. He did not dare to question him and hurriedly reported inside that the imperial court messenger had arrived!
It was already late at night and Qian Hongchu and his family had fallen asleep. When they heard that the imperial envoy was coming, they immediately got dressed to welcome him. However, Zhao Hai drunkenly barged into Qian Hongchu's bedroom.

Qian Hongchu and his family all smiled and nervously let Zhao Hai sit in the seat of honor, not daring to ask him why he came there.

After sitting down, Zhao Hai’s drunkenness subsided a little bit, and he became a little more sober. He secretly asked himself three questions: Who am I, where am I, and what should I do?

"Well...ah, I heard that you, the king, have been ill for a long time. I wonder how you are doing now?" Finally, they started to talk to each other.

Qian Hongchu answered truthfully, "I have been suffering from foot disease for a long time, and recently I have also suffered from rheumatism, which makes me feel dizzy and vertigo."

“Oh…” Zhao Hai smiled slightly, reached into his arms, and carefully took out a delicate and exquisite small medicine bottle. He removed the cork, took out about a hundred pills, and respectfully presented it, “As the saying goes, the right medicine for the right disease, this medicine is just for the king’s stubborn illness. Take it, and all your troubles will be gone!”

From the moment he took out the bottle of medicine, the faces of the Qian family members changed suddenly, and they could not hide their fear (they were panic-stricken, worried and terrified, and had no idea what to do). Only Qian Hongchu remained calm and took the medicine with tea and drank it all on the spot.

Zhao Hai was very happy. "That's good. The medicine has cured the disease. I wish the king a speedy recovery. I'll take my leave now."

After Zhao Hai left, the family could no longer hold back and burst into tears, looking like they were parting forever. Everyone agreed that this was poison given by Zhao Guangyi.

Qian Hongchu disagreed, and smiled as he comforted his family, saying that the Lord treated him very well and this must be a good medicine, and they should not let their imagination run wild.

The next day, Zhao Guangyi learned about this and was shocked. He immediately sent his confidant to Lixian's residence to explain and communicate and clear up the misunderstanding. Then he arrested Zhao Hai, who had caused the trouble, and beat him with twenty sticks (not on the buttocks, but on the back, "twenty sticks on Hai's back"). Then he put a full set of shackles and shackles on the half-dead Zhao Hai, dragged him to the gate of Lixian's residence for three days to be displayed to the public, and finally exiled Zhao Hai, who was still alive, to an island.

Qian Hongchu sent his son Qian Weijun to the court to express his gratitude. Zhao Guangyi comforted him for a long time and gave him a golden box of medicine. Afterwards, Qian Hongchu paid a tribute of 3,000 taels of gold and 20,000 taels of silver as a thank you.

The farce that was a surprise came to a successful conclusion.

The tree wants to be calm and the wind does not stop.

In the early years of Emperor Taizong's reign, "Zhao Pu VS Lu Duosun" can be seen as the biggest factional struggle within the Song Dynasty. The details of the struggle will be described in detail later. In the struggle between the two, Qian Hongchu almost became cannon fodder.

At that time, Zhao Pu, who was reappointed as prime minister, had the upper hand, and Lu Duosun was dismissed as the Minister of War. Political struggles are always life-and-death struggles, and Zhao Pu was determined to put Lu Duosun to death.

One day, Zhao Pu summoned Qian Hongchu's son Qian Weijun and told him that Lu Duosun was a corrupt official, which was an indisputable fact. I heard that you also had financial transactions. The reason why I did not dig deeper along this clue was that I was afraid of implicating you and your son. Let's do each other a favor. After you go back, ask your father to hand over the account books related to Lu Duosun over the years. This matter has nothing to do with you. Don't worry, we will only hold Lu Duosun responsible.

Qian Weijun hurriedly relayed Zhao Pu's words to Qian Hongchu.

Qian Hongchu had been the emperor for forty years and was a veteran in the political arena. With his current status, he was afraid of the internal struggles in the Song Dynasty. How could he be tricked into using Zhao Pu's words? So he said, "Your Majesty is wise. If there is evidence to prove that the minister is guilty, you can punish him according to the law. What evidence do I have? None!"

Zhao Pu was at the height of his power and was a well-known figure in the court. Everyone knew that he would do anything to achieve his goals. Qian Weijun tremblingly conveyed his father's intentions to him.

Zhao Pu tried his best to persuade Qian Hongchu patiently and repeatedly, but it didn't work. He then brought in his eloquent and articulate staff to team up to deceive Qian Hongchu. But no matter how they talked, Qian Hongchu just said one word - no, I won't give it to you!

Zhao Pu's true intentions were exposed, and he tore off his disguise of kindness. "I gave you face, right? Don't refuse my toast and drink a forfeit. I advise you to think twice, otherwise, you will regret it (if you don't predict, things may turn out badly)!"

Qian Hongchu straightened his chest and raised his head, glanced at him from the corner of his eyes, and sneered, "Calm down, I have too many files and documents here, let me check them carefully."

Zhao Pu looked at the people around him and gave a lewd smile, thinking that it seemed that this old guy would only respond to tough measures and would just have to scare him.

Unexpectedly, Qian Hongchu came to the archives room, burned all the archives, and then called Qian Weijun and his descendants, pointed at the pile of ashes, and taught: "After I entered the court, I was favored by the emperor beyond the norm, so many ministers gave me gifts, not just Lu Duosun. These are all normal interpersonal relationships. But now, some people have taken my words out of context and made a fuss with ulterior motives in this regard. How can we add insult to injury? You still have a long life ahead of you, and you must not get involved in this muddy water. I will destroy them. If there is any landmine, I will take it alone!"

Afterwards, Qian Weijun told Zhao Pu about this. The so-called "evidence" had all been destroyed. You can kill or chop him up as you wish!
Zhao Pu was stunned at first, then he sighed for a long time, praised Qian Hongchu highly, and asked Qian Weijun to convey his respect to Comrade Qian Hongchu.

Just pretend that this incident never happened and let it go.

(End of this chapter)