History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 996 Qian Hongchu Visits the Emperor

【Qian Hongchu's Visit to the Emperor】

Before retaking Shengzhou, Zhao Kuangyin asked someone to tell Qian Hongchu that he had made great contributions in retaking Changzhou. After completely pacifying the Southern Tang, he could come to the capital to meet him in person. We have been communicating online through letters for so many years. I really want to meet you. Don't worry, I will let you go back to your country after a few words and will not detain you. Don't you even trust what I say?

Zhao Kuangyin had made it clear many times that what he asked Huang Yijian to bring this time should be an ultimatum.

In the first month of 976, Qian Hongchu set out from Hangzhou with carefully prepared gifts, heading towards Bianzhou with trepidation.

Zhao Kuangyin attached great importance to this state visit. In order to facilitate Qian Hongchu's visit, a temporary highway was built (the imperial court dispatched the attendant official Zhang Fugui and the Huainan Transport Envoy Liu Deyan to open an ancient river from Guazhoukou to Runzhoujiangkou, and reach Longzhou Weir to wait for the king's boat). This river channel was opened specifically for Qian Hongchu, so Longzhou Weir was renamed "Datong Weir" - this is the glorious description in "Wu Yue Beishi". In fact, it can be changed to any name, but it must be changed, because the original name was "Longzhou". How dare you, a small local vassal king, call yourself a dragon?

The boat floated gently in the water, and a cool breeze blew towards us.

In February, Qian Hongchu's fleet arrived at Baoying County (in Yangzhou), and someone was already specially assigned to greet them at the highway service area - the envoy Zhai Shousu, who had long been waiting here for a long time in accordance with Zhao Kuangyin's order. He "gave the king medicine in a golden box, and also gave him two horses with golden saddles and bridles, and also brought along the imperial kitchen staff, Yiluan, and Hanlin scholars."

When we arrived in Sizhou, we were welcomed by the central government officials, who gave us 300 horses and 100 camels to carry our luggage. We knew that we had brought many gifts, so we specially allocated transport vehicles. Come if you want, but bring more things.

Not long after, the court sent a senior official to present golden boxes of medicine, fifty bottles of French wine (not French red wine), and fifty boxes of tea and fruit.

When they were about to arrive at Bianzhou, Zhao Kuangyin sent the prince Zhao Dezhao to greet them and gave them 100 bottles of Buddhist wine and 100 boxes of fruit.

The next day, Qian Hongchu finally arrived in Bianzhou. Zhao Kuangyin ordered Zhao Dezhao to hold a banquet in Yingchun Garden to welcome him, and then led Qian Hongchu and his party to stay in Lixian House. A few days before that, Zhao Kuangyin personally inspected the Lixian House project and participated in the acceptance and delivery of the house to show his high regard for Qian Hongchu's visit.

A few days later, Qian Hongchu and Zhao Kuangyin met formally in Chongde Hall. The atmosphere was quite harmonious. Zhao Kuangyin expressed warm welcome to Qian Hongchu's arrival, and Qian Hongchu presented two articles - "Congratulations on the Pacification of Jiangnan" and "A Memorial to the Emperor on the Court of Appeal", along with a rhinoceros horn jade belt, more than 5,000 pieces of precious jade and gold articles, and 1,000 bottles of fine wine.

Afterwards, Zhao Kuangyin held a state banquet in Changchun Palace to entertain Qian Hongchu and his party. During the banquet, Zhao Kuangyin gave them a golden photo box, a golden banknote gong, and bottles and plates, "all of which were imperial items."

The next day, Qian Hongchu came to thank him, and Zhao Kuangyin ordered a banquet in the back garden. "A friend has come from afar, can you still have a meal?"

After settling for a few days, Zhao Kuangyin came to Lixian's house and gave Qian Hongchu 2,000 taels of gold, 30,000 taels of silver, and 20,000 pieces of silk. Qian Hongchu's son Qian Weijun and others also received rewards. Qian Hongchu sent Qian Weijun to return the gift with two rhinoceros belts and 5,000 gold and jade treasures.

In March, Zhao Kuangyin granted Qian Hongchu the privilege of entering the palace with a sword and shoes, and of being honored without a name. He also named his wife Sun as the Princess of Wuyue and his daughter as the Princess of Pengcheng. He also gave Qian Hongchu more than 3 items of medicine, wine, tea, and fruit. Qian Hongchu offered taels of white gold and pieces of silk as a token of his gratitude.

The next day, the prime minister said that there was no precedent for the wives of princes of different surnames to be conferred the title of consort, which was against the rules. Zhao Kuangyin replied that it would start with me.

After that, the state banquet was changed to a family banquet. Zhao Kuangyin invited Qian Hongchu to drink and go boating in the imperial garden. In addition to Zhao Kuangyin, only Zhao Guangyi and Zhao Guangmei were present. When they were drunk, Zhao Kuangyin asked Zhao Guangyi, Zhao Guangmei and Qian Hongchu to become sworn brothers (after drinking, the emperor ordered the king to perform the etiquette of brothers with Taizong and Qin Wang). Qian Hongchu was so scared that he left the table quickly and kowtowed repeatedly to refuse, saying that he did not dare to marry someone of such high status (the king kowtowed and refused repeatedly).

The next day, Zhao Kuangyin ordered the emperor to visit Luoyang and at the same time ordered Qian Hongchu to return to the country, fulfilling his previous promise.

Qian Hongchu applied to accompany the emperor, but Zhao Kuangyin refused and only allowed his son Qian Weijun to accompany him. As a farewell gift, Zhao Kuangyin gave Qian Hongchu 2,000 taels of gold, 10,000 taels of silver, 30,000 taels of silver, a pair of jade belts, a jade saddle and bridle imperial horse, five fine horses, 80,000 pieces of silk and satin, 800 pieces of military uniforms, 100 pieces of horses, 2,000 pieces of belts and sewn shirts, and other rewards for his entourage.

Zhao Kuangyin explained that the climates in the north and south were different, and he was afraid that Qian Hongchu would not be able to adapt to the local climate, so he asked him to return to Hangzhou as soon as possible. Before leaving, Zhao Kuangyin personally handed him a tightly sealed package (very tightly sealed), and asked him to secretly open it and read it on the way (you should read it secretly on the way).

Qian Hongchu was very moved and cried and asked for a three-year-old birthday.

Zhao Kuangyin said that the journey was too long and the travel was too tiring, so you should come when I summon you to the court, otherwise there is no need to come in person.

The next day, Qian Hongchu's wife went to the palace to decline her gratitude, and was rewarded with 300 taels of gold, 2,000 pieces of clothing, and 2,000 taels of silver.

On the day of leaving Beijing, Zhao Guangmei was ordered to hold a farewell banquet at Yingchun Garden, and he also asked the ushering envoy Zhai Shousu and the imperial chef, Hanlin, Yiluan and others to escort you all the way to Suiyang County (about 300 miles southeast of Bianzhou). I sent you to the outside of the village, and you know my heart clearly. The next day, I sent someone to catch up with you at full speed and gave you a golden box of medicine.

Thirteen days later, the fleet entered the territory of Wuyue. Qian Hongchu bathed, changed his clothes, cleansed his hands and burned incense, then took out the yellow cloth package given to him by Zhao Kuangyin, respectfully placed it in the middle of the desk, knelt in front of the desk, bowed to the package, and then opened the blind box carefully and expectantly.

After opening the box, he found that they were all memorials and letters, and most of them were secret memorials. After taking a closer look, Qian Hongchu was so scared that he broke out in a cold sweat, and the shower he had just taken wasted.

There are many memorials, but the theme is quite consistent - we implore Your Majesty to detain Qian Hongchu!
Therefore, "Wu Yue Bei Shi" said that Zhao Kuangyin knew Qian Hongchu was "loyal, honest and cautious", so he ignored the opposition and insisted on letting Qian Hongchu return to his country, and forwarded all the memorials and private letters persuading him to stay to Qian Hongchu.

The above-mentioned "Qian Hongchu's visit to the emperor" is basically the record of "Wu Yue Beishi", which is undoubtedly another happy family reunion. Zhao Kuangyin and Qian Hongchu hit it off at first sight, and they were very open-minded and like two gentlemen.

So "Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms" added some content for him:

1. Three belts When Qian Hongchu first met Zhao Kuangyin, he presented him with a precious rhinoceros belt, which was a very valuable and rare treasure. After Zhao Kuangyin accepted it, he said, "I also have three precious belts, but they are not the same as yours." Qian Hongchu, who was acting as a supporting actor, said, "Then please take them out and let me see them."

Zhao Kuangyin smiled and said, "There is the Bian River, the Huimin River, and the Wuzhang River." These three rivers are key water conservancy projects that serve the people's livelihood.

Qian Hongchu felt very ashamed after hearing this.

There is another record that is slightly different: Zhao Kuangyin said, "There is one Bian River, one Huai River, and one Yangtze River." If this is the sentence, then it is full of threats and intimidation.

The Bian River, which runs through Bianzhou, refers to Bianzhou and then to the Central Plains; the Huai River refers to the Southern Tang; the Yangtze River is another name for the Yangtze River, which refers to the Wuyue Kingdom. The Southern Tang had just been recovered by the Song Dynasty. Think about this sentence again, isn’t it very aggressive?
Zhao Kuangyin tactfully expressed the serious political red line that there is only one China in the world, and that China has not tolerated secession or division since ancient times, whether it is in Huainan, Jiangnan or on the other side of the strait.

2. “But I will do my best for the rest of my life”

Zhao Kuangyin hosted a banquet for Qian Hongchu in the Imperial Garden. Qian Hongchu first "thanked him for a long time". Zhao Kuangyin ordered the eunuchs to help him up, and then personally gave him a glass of wine. Qian Hongchu was so moved that he "fell to the ground and cried" and swore: "My descendants will be filial and loyal to the Emperor of Song!" Zhao Kuangyin replied: "But it's only for my lifetime. My descendants in the future will not be able to do as well as you do."

Neither person's words need to be translated, as their superficial meanings are obvious, but they both need to be translated because there is more to their words.

Qian Hongchu apparently said that the descendants of the Qian family would always be loyal to the Song Dynasty.

——Translation Translation: The Wu Yue Kingdom will forever control Liangzhe.

Zhao Kuangyin said: It’s enough if you can pledge allegiance to me. How can you restrain your descendants after you die?
——Translation Translation: Your loyalty makes it difficult for me to find a reason to destroy you. But as for your descendants and my descendants, it’s hard to say. So just don’t worry about it.

There was harmony and mutual trust on the surface, but there were conflicts behind the scenes. The talks were beneficial as they fully exchanged views on key issues and enhanced mutual understanding.

3. Golden Phoenix is ​​about to fly

During a banquet, Zhao Kuangyin asked the royal women's group to play the pipa to entertain the guests, and Qian Hongchu took the initiative to present a lyric. The melody was beautiful, and everyone was intoxicated by it and cheered together. When they were having fun, they suddenly heard a line in the lyric: "The golden phoenix is ​​about to fly but is restrained, the love is deep, and the jade tower is separated by clouds and rain." Zhao Kuangyin immediately jumped up from his seat, caressed Qian Hongchu's back, and said, "I swear I will not kill Prince Qian."

You, Qian Hongchu, and I, Zhao Kuangyin, have no personal grudges. Recovering Liangzhe and completing unification is a public matter. We must clearly distinguish between public and private. I only want your land, not your life.

【Second audience】

This visit to a great country had a profound impact on Qian Hongchu. After returning home, he ordered people to rearrange his office and move his chair to the east.

It's understandable that he didn't dare to sit facing south, but why did he have to turn the table and chair to the east instead of west? Qian Hongchu explained: "Northwest is where the divine capital is. The majesty of heaven is within reach. How dare I stay there!" Northwest is Bianzhou, the location of Comrade Zhao Kuangyin. I dare not act rashly;

From then on, before paying tribute to the imperial court, they would burn incense and pray to show their humility.
The above is still a formality, but the next is a substantial move: "The king ordered that the borders be safe and the hundreds of enemy defenses be removed. The white houses and city defenses in the cities were also removed." In a word, Wuyue Kingdom did not regard the Song Dynasty as an imaginary enemy, and removed the city defenses. Demilitarization, treat the Song Dynasty with sincerity.

Half a year after Qian Hongchu returned to China, a major event happened in the Song Dynasty: Taizu passed away and Taizong ascended the throne.

The Central Plains had a new emperor, and according to the old rules, Qian Hongchu would usher in a new round of promotion: Qian Hongchu was granted the title of Shangshu Ling and Zhongshu Ling. A senior official was also sent to give Qian Hongchu a birthday gift.

As a token of thanks and return gift, Qian Hongchu sent his son Qian Weijun to offer generous tribute and also requested to increase the frequency of tribute. However, Zhao Guangyi declined the request in an edict, saying that he appreciated the kindness but requested that the request not be spent so much.

Now that there was a new emperor in the Central Plains, Qian Hongchu had to go to the dock to pay homage again.

On February 978, 2, two years after his first visit to the court, Qian Hongchu left Hangzhou for Bianzhou again. After entering Song territory, he was greeted by high-ranking officials from Yangzhou, Sizhou, and Suzhou. The reception was no different from the last time, showing the court's favor. There is no need to elaborate.

On March 3, Qian Hongchu arrived in the capital. His younger brother Zhao Guangmei hosted a banquet to welcome him at Yingchun Garden, and he then stayed at Lixian Residence. On the 24th, Zhao Guangyi met Qian Hongchu at Chongde Hall.

Repeated banquets, gift-giving, return of gifts, expressions of gratitude... everything seemed to be a repeat of two years ago. According to the old script, Zhao Guangyi would soon issue an edict to send the guests away. However, in April, a small incident occurred - Chen Hongjin of Quanzhou returned to the court with land as tribute.

Quanzhou's small step has advanced Chinese history by a big step.

What does Quanzhou's return to the court have to do with Qian Hongchu of the Wuyue Kingdom, and what does it have to do with the so-called Chinese history? Wasn't Quanzhou ruled by Liu Congxiao? How did Chen Hongjin suddenly appear?

We will briefly sort it out and use brief words to review this section of the book.

(End of this chapter)