Qian Hongzuo

Qian Hongzuo (; 14 August 928

After Qian Chuanguan succeeded to the throne after Qian Liu's death in 932 (and changed his name to Qian Yuanguan), Qian Hongzun was initially designated the heir apparent. As his sons grew older, Qian Yuanguan built a mansion of the heir apparent for Qian Hongzun. Shortly before Qian Hongzun was to move into the mansion, there was a time when Qian Hongzuo and Qian Hongzun were gambling with each other, and Qian Hongzun made a comment in jest, "The Lord King is building an office for me. I am willing to gamble you for it." When they then played dice, however, Qian Hongzuo won, causing Qian Hongzun to lose his composure. Qian Hongzuo, without losing composure as well, stated, "When you, fifth brother, enter the headquarters, I, Hongzuo, will receive the seal of a general." He bowed to Qian Hongzun, but Qian Hongzun was not pleased and left immediately. (He had a prior wife, a Lady Du, but she appeared to have died before his becoming king. Consort Yuan herself, though, apparently did not live a long time after the marriage, although when she died is unclear.) Before Wuyue could intervene at all, however, Jian fell to Southern Tang, ending Min, and Southern Tang, at least nominally, took over all of the former Min realm, although Li Renda, while formally a Southern Tang vassal, continued to control Fu and the surrounding area.

By late 945, Qian was said to have trusted the wicked officer Cheng Zhaoyue , who had previously been a wealthy merchant who was able to become an officer by ingratiating Kan and Du Zhaoda , a nephew to the deceased Lady Du. Kan became irritated at the close association between Qian and Cheng, and when Cheng tried to appease Kan by apologizing to him, Kan made him more fearful by stating, "I wanted to kill you at first. Now that you are showing remorse, I will not do so." Cheng thereafter conspired with Hu, and had Qian issue orders making Kan and Hu the prefects of Ming (明州, in modern Ningbo, Zhejiang) and Hu (湖州, in modern Huzhou, Zhejiang) respectively. Kan initially wanted to refuse the order, but Hu persuaded him to accept. Cheng then falsely accused Kan and Du of wanting to support Qian's cousin Qian Renjun to be the new king, and Qian Hongzuo then put Kan and Du to death and put Qian Renjun under house arrest. Cheng used this opportunity to accuse many officers of being in league with Kan and Du, and it was said that some 100 were either killed or exiled.

In summer 947, Qian sent another detachment, commanded by Yu An , to aid Fu, but initially was unable to land. The Southern Tang general Feng Yanlu, believing that allowing the Wuyue army to land would allow them to be conclusively destroyed, decided to allow them to do so. Once the Wuyue army landed, however, they aggressively attacked the Southern Tang sieging army, and the Southern Tang forces collapsed. The siege was lifted, and Zhang and Yu thereafter returned to Wuyue. Qian Hongzuo sent the general Bao Xiurang to command a Wuyue detachment to be stationed at Fu. Simultaneously, he made his younger brother Qian Hongzong chancellor — which, in light of later events, appeared to be intending to designate Qian Hongzong as heir. (By this point, Later Jin had fallen to the Khitan Liao state, and Qian Hongzuo had apparently formally submitted to Liao's Emperor Taizong as a vassal, although he also apparently submitted to the Later Jin general Liu Zhiyuan, who then established Later Han in rivalry to Liao, as well.)

Qian Hongzuo died in fall 947. He left a will designating Qian Hongzong as the military governor of Zhenhai and Zhendong, and Qian Hongzong thereafter took over control of the state.

Family Father Qian Yuanguan (King Wenmu) Mother Lady Xu Xinyue Wives Lady Du Consort Yang Children Qian Yu (錢昱) (943-999), posthumously created the Marquess of Fushui by Emperor Zhenzong of Song Qian Yu (錢郁, note different character than his brother), posthumously created the Marquess of Xiping by Song

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