Qian Hongzuo facts for kids

Qian Hongzuo (Chinese: 錢弘佐) was a Chinese king. He was born on August 14, 928, and died on June 22, 947. He is also known as the King Chengzong of Wuyue. He was the third ruler of the Wuyue kingdom. This kingdom existed during a time in China called the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

Early Life and Becoming King

Family Background

Qian Hongzuo was born in 928. He was the sixth son of Qian Yuanguan, who later became King Wenmu. At the time of Qian Hongzuo's birth, his father was helping his own father, Qian Liu. Qian Liu was the first king of Wuyue. Qian Hongzuo's mother was Lady Xu Xinyue.

A Playful Bet

When Qian Hongzuo's father, Qian Yuanguan, became king in 932, his older brother, Qian Hongzun, was chosen to be the next ruler. Qian Yuanguan even built a special home for Qian Hongzun. One day, Qian Hongzuo and Qian Hongzun were playing a game. Qian Hongzun joked, "The King is building a place for me. I'll bet you for it!" Qian Hongzuo won the game. He calmly told his brother, "When you, my fifth brother, move into your new place, I, Hongzuo, will become a general."

Taking the Throne

Sadly, Qian Hongzun passed away in 940. After this, Qian Hongzuo was chosen to be the next ruler. In 941, his father, Qian Yuanguan, became very ill. He decided that Qian Hongzuo should be the next king, even though he was young. Soon after, Qian Yuanguan died. There were some rumors about other people wanting to take the throne. However, a loyal officer named Zhang De'an made sure Qian Hongzuo became king. Qian Hongzuo quickly took on the role of king.

His Time as King

Starting His Rule

When Qian Hongzuo first became king, he was quite young. He asked a wise official named Cao Zhongda to help him rule as a regent. This meant Cao Zhongda would help make important decisions. At one point, soldiers were unhappy about their rewards. Cao Zhongda personally spoke to them and calmed them down.

A Kind and Smart Ruler

People said that King Qian Hongzuo was gentle and respectful. He loved to study and worked very hard. He was also good at finding out hidden problems. Once, he heard that the kingdom had a lot of extra food stored away. Because of this, he decided to let the people not pay taxes for three years. This was a very kind gesture. In 942, the emperor of Later Jin officially recognized him as the King of Wuyue.

Challenges and Changes

As time went on, some powerful officers gained a lot of influence in the court. Two of these were Kan Fan and Hu Jinsi. Later, Qian Hongzuo married Lady Yang, the daughter of a powerful general.

The kingdom of Wuyue had neighbors, and one of them, Min, was having a civil war. Different groups were fighting for control. Wuyue tried to stay out of the conflict. Eventually, Min fell to another kingdom called Southern Tang.

Dealing with Trouble

Later in his rule, Qian Hongzuo started to trust an officer named Cheng Zhaoyue. Cheng Zhaoyue caused a lot of problems. He falsely accused other officers of planning against the king. Because of Cheng's lies, many officers were either killed or sent away.

However, Qian Hongzuo eventually realized that Cheng Zhaoyue was dangerous. In 947, Qian Hongzuo worked with other officers to stop Cheng. They ambushed and killed him. After this, Qian Hongzuo released his cousin, Qian Renjun, who had been wrongly held.

Helping a Neighbor

In 946, the Southern Tang kingdom attacked Fu Prefecture, a city that was part of the former Min kingdom. The leader of Fu Prefecture asked Wuyue for help. Even though many of his officials disagreed, Qian Hongzuo decided to send his army to help. The Wuyue army, with 30,000 soldiers, went to help defend Fu Prefecture.

In 947, Qian Hongzuo sent even more soldiers. The Wuyue army fought bravely and managed to break the siege. The Southern Tang forces had to retreat. After this victory, Qian Hongzuo sent another general to stay in Fu Prefecture to help protect it.

End of His Reign

Around this time, Qian Hongzuo made his younger brother, Qian Hongzong, an important official. This showed that he planned for Qian Hongzong to be the next king.

Qian Hongzuo passed away in the fall of 947. He left a will stating that Qian Hongzong should take over. His brother then became the new ruler of Wuyue.