Hu Jinsi facts for kids

Hu Jinsi (胡進思) was a powerful general in the ancient Chinese kingdom of Wuyue during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. He became very influential when Qian Hongzuo was king. After Qian Hongzuo died, Hu Jinsi often disagreed with the new king, Qian Hongzong, who was Qian Hongzuo's brother. Hu Jinsi worried that King Qian Hongzong might try to get rid of him. So, Hu Jinsi led a sudden takeover, removed Qian Hongzong from power, and made Qian Hongzong's younger brother, Qian Hongchu, the new king.

Early Life and Military Career

Hu Jinsi was born in Hu Prefecture (which is now Huzhou in Zhejiang, China) sometime during the late Tang dynasty. When he was young, he worked as a butcher, preparing cattle. Later, he joined the army of Zhenhai Circuit, a region controlled by a powerful leader named Qian Liu. Qian Liu would later become the first king of Wuyue.

In the year 902, Qian Liu's capital city, Hang Prefecture (modern Hangzhou), was under attack. To make peace, Qian Liu had to send one of his sons, Qian Chuanguan, as a hostage to the enemy. This was a very dangerous journey. Hu Jinsi, along with another soldier, bravely went with Qian Chuanguan as his attendants. They faced the same dangers as the prince. When Qian Chuanguan returned safely in 903, Hu Jinsi likely came back with him.

Years later, after Qian Liu died in 932, Qian Chuanguan (who had changed his name to Qian Yuanguan) became the new ruler of Wuyue. Remembering Hu Jinsi's loyalty and bravery, Qian Yuanguan made him a general. Hu Jinsi continued to rise through the ranks, eventually becoming a top commander in the army.

Serving King Qian Hongzuo

In 941, King Qian Yuanguan passed away, and his son, Qian Hongzuo, became the new king. During King Qian Hongzuo's rule, some generals, including Hu Jinsi, gained a lot of power. They became very influential in the kingdom's government.

At one point, a clever but tricky officer named Cheng Zhaoyue became very close to King Qian Hongzuo. Cheng Zhaoyue caused trouble between the powerful generals. He made a plan with Hu Jinsi to remove another strong general named Kan Fan from the capital. Kan Fan and Hu Jinsi were sent to govern different prefectures. However, Cheng Zhaoyue found a reason to keep Hu Jinsi at the capital.

Cheng Zhaoyue then falsely accused Kan Fan and another official of planning against the king. Because of these false accusations, Kan Fan and many other officers were removed from their positions or punished. Hu Jinsi was careful and quiet during this time, so Cheng Zhaoyue did not see him as a threat. Cheng Zhaoyue himself was later executed in 947, but Hu Jinsi was not involved in that event.

Conflicts with King Qian Hongzong

In 947, King Qian Hongzuo died, and his younger brother, Qian Hongzong, became the new king. Hu Jinsi remained a very powerful general. However, King Qian Hongzong was not happy with how much power the generals had gained during his brother's reign. He wanted to reduce their influence.

Later that year, a local leader named Li Renda, who controlled the Fu Prefecture, visited the Wuyue capital. He was worried that King Qian Hongzong might keep him there. So, he secretly gave Hu Jinsi many valuable gifts and asked for help to return home. Hu Jinsi asked the king to let Li Renda leave, and the king agreed. Shortly after returning, Li Renda caused trouble with a Wuyue general stationed in his city.

Hu Jinsi continued to have a lot of say in how the kingdom was run, which bothered King Qian Hongzong. The king thought about sending Hu Jinsi away to govern a distant prefecture, but Hu Jinsi refused. From then on, King Qian Hongzong often disagreed with Hu Jinsi's ideas. Hu Jinsi became very upset and even built a small shrine at his home to honor the previous king, Qian Hongzuo, shedding tears there.

One time, King Qian Hongzong was giving awards to his soldiers. Hu Jinsi thought the awards were too generous and argued against it. The young king became angry and said, "My wealth is meant to be shared with my soldiers! There is no limit to that!"

Another time, a person was accused of illegally butchering a cow. The officer investigating the case claimed the person had an impossible amount of meat from the cow. King Qian Hongzong asked Hu Jinsi, "How much does the largest cow weigh?" Hu Jinsi replied, "No more than 300 catties (about 400 pounds)." The king then realized the officer was lying and punished the officer. When Hu Jinsi praised the king's cleverness, the king asked, "How did you know this, General?" Hu Jinsi hesitated and said, "Before I joined the army, I used to do this work." Hu Jinsi felt that the king already knew about his past as a butcher and was trying to embarrass him. This made Hu Jinsi even more unhappy with the king, especially since the king also kept bringing up the incident with Li Renda.

Around the beginning of 948, King Qian Hongzong started talking with two trusted officials about possibly removing Hu Jinsi from the capital. One official warned that it might be dangerous because Hu Jinsi had so much control over the army. Another official, fearing the plan would leak, actually told Hu Jinsi about it.

One night, while the king was having a feast, Hu Jinsi believed the king was about to act against him. So, he quickly gathered his soldiers and surrounded the king's mansion. He placed the king under house arrest. Then, Hu Jinsi issued an order in the king's name, claiming that the king was sick and was giving the throne to his younger brother, Qian Hongchu. When Hu Jinsi offered the throne to Qian Hongchu, the prince agreed, but only if his brother, Qian Hongzong, would be kept safe. Hu Jinsi agreed, and Qian Hongchu became the new king.

During King Qian Hongchu's Reign

After the takeover, Hu Jinsi had some officials who opposed him killed. However, King Qian Hongchu did not want to harm his deposed brother, Qian Hongzong. He moved Qian Hongzong to their grandfather's old mansion and secretly told the guard, Xue Wen, to protect him. The king instructed Xue Wen to resist any unusual orders to harm Qian Hongzong.

Hu Jinsi repeatedly tried to convince King Qian Hongchu to kill Qian Hongzong, but the king refused. Hu Jinsi even forged a secret order to Xue Wen, telling him to kill Qian Hongzong. But Xue Wen bravely refused, saying he had no such instructions from the king. Hu Jinsi then sent two assassins to kill Qian Hongzong. However, Qian Hongzong cried for help, and Xue Wen arrived with his soldiers, killing the assassins. He reported this to King Qian Hongchu, who was shocked but grateful to Xue Wen for saving his brother.

Despite this, King Qian Hongchu remained polite to Hu Jinsi, but Hu Jinsi became increasingly worried. Not long after, Hu Jinsi developed a large growth on his back and died from it. After Hu Jinsi's death, King Qian Hongzong was finally safe from further danger.

Images for kids

• Qian Liu.jpg

  Qian Liu, the first king of Wuyue.