Chen Hongjin

Chen Hongjin (914–985), courtesy name Jichuan , formally Duke Zhongshun of Qi , was a warlord late in the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, who controlled Qingyuan Circuit (headquartered in modern Quanzhou, Fujian). After a series of conquests by the Song dynasty, Chen, who was a vassal to Song, believed that it would be wise for him to surrender his realm, and did so. He subsequently remained honored as a Song general until his death.

Background and service under Liu Congxiao Chen Hongjin was born in 914. His ancestors were said to be originally from Linhuai (臨淮, in modern Suqian, Jiangsu), but had relocated south and settled at Xianyou (仙遊, in modern Putian, Fujian), and thus Chen was said to be from Xianyou.

Chen was said to be ambitious and studious in his youth, particularly spending attention to military strategies. When he grew older, he was known for an impressive stature and bravery, and became a soldier at Quan Prefecture (泉州, in modern Quanzhou, Fujian), which Xianyou belonged to. In a siege of Ting Prefecture (汀州, in modern Longyan, Fujian), Chen successfully climbed up the city wall first, and after the battle, became a deputy commander of the Quan army (副兵馬使, Fu Bingma Shi).

As of 944, the Min state was in turmoil, as the general Zhu Wenjin had just assassinated the emperor Wang Yanxi (Emperor Jingzong) and seized the throne, and was battling with Wang Yanxi's younger brother Wang Yanzheng (who had earlier declared himself the emperor of a new branch state of Yin) for the control of the realm. Zhu, after his coup, sent the general Huang Shaopo to serve as the prefect of Quan. The officer Liu Congxiao encouraged other officers, including Wang Zhongshun , Zhang Hansi, and Dong Si'an to join him in a plot against Huang, arguing that they, having been the long-term subjects of Min's ruling Wang family, could not stand by and allow Zhu to take over. They agreed, and they assassinated Huang and supported Wang Yanzheng's nephew Wang Jixun to serve as the acting prefect, pledging their allegiance to Wang Yanzheng. Liu sent Chen to deliver Huang's head to Wang Yanzheng at Jian. When he got to Youxi (尤溪, in modern Sanmin, Fujian), he was intercepted by a Fu detachment that was taking position at Youxi. Chen declared to them, "The righteous forces have already killed Zhu at Fu. I am going to pay homage to the new emperor. Why are you still defending this position?" He also showed Huang's head to them. Upon seeing Huang's head, the Fu detachment scattered and fled, and several of the officers accompanied him to Jian to pay homage to Wang Yanzheng. Wang Yanzheng commissioned Wang Jixun as the prefect of Quan, and commissioned Liu, Wang Zhongshun, Dong, and Chen all as commanders of the Quan army. After Wang Yanzheng himself was attacked by and surrendered to Southern Tang, Quan came under allegiance to Southern Tang. In 946, Liu, alleging that Wang Jixun was incompetent, removed him; Southern Tang's emperor Li Jing then summoned Wang Jixun to the capital Jinling and left Liu in control of Quan. After Li subsequently commissioned Liu as the military governor (Jiedushi) of Qingyuan Circuit, Chen, serving as the commander of the army, shared the command with Zhang, who became deputy military governor, and Chen was said to have frequent battlefield accomplishments. Under the account in Liu's biography in the History of Song, the coup happened before Liu Congxiao's death, and therefore (implicitly) Liu Shaozi never controlled the circuit—but under Chen's biography, it gave the same account as the Xu Zizhi Tongjian (i.e., the coup was during Liu Shaozi's rule).

Chen reported the events to Li Jing's son and successor Li Yu, who then commissioned him as the military governor of Qingyuan. These events caused Chen to become apprehensive about his position. He sent Chen Wenhao to submit a tribute of frankincense, ivory, and dipterocarps. Emperor Taizu then summoned him to Kaifeng, and he decided to go. However, when he reached South Jian Prefecture (南劍州, in modern Nanping), news arrived that Emperor Taizu had died. He then turned back to Quan and declared a period of mourning for the emperor, rather than proceeding to Kaifeng to pay homage to Emperor Taizu's brother and successor Emperor Taizong.

After surrender to Song Emperor Taizong commissioned Chen Hongjin as the military governor of Wuning Circuit (武寧, headquartered in modern Xuzhou, Jiangsu), and gave him the honorary chancellor designation of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi . (However, by this point, military governorships were gradually waning in authority due to Emperor Taizu's centralization of the army.) He kept Chen at the capital Kaifeng, and awarded Chen a large award of platinum and a mansion. Chen's sons were made prefects of prefectures not far from the capital.

In 979, Chen accompanied Emperor Taizong on his campaign to conquest Northern Han. In 981, he was created the Duke of Qǐ. In 984, he was created the greater title of Duke of Qí (note different tone). Chen, in his old age by this point, then requested formal retirement. Emperor Taizong thereafter excused him from attendance of imperial meetings. He died of illness in 985, and was given posthumous honors.

Notes and references

History of Song, vol. 483. Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms, vol. 93. Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 284. Xu Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 2, 3, 9, 10.