25 Facts About Qian Yuanguan

Qian Yuanguan, born Qian Chuanguan, known by his temple name as the King Shizong of Wuyue, courtesy name Mingbao, was the second king of Wuyue during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of China.

Qian Yuanguan ascended to the throne in 932, when his father Qian Liu left the state in his hands, to 941.

Qian Yuanguan was the father to all three of Wuyue's subsequent kings.

Qian Chuanguan was born in 887, during the reign of Emperor Xizong of Tang, at a time when his father Qian Liu was serving as the prefect of Hang Prefecture, loosely as a vassal of the warlord Dong Chang the military governor of Weisheng Circuit.

Qian Yuanguan was Qian Liu's seventh son, and his mother was Qian Liu's concubine Lady Chen.

Qian Yuanguan Chuanguan took the initiative and attacked Guangde himself, capturing Hua and Wo.

In 919, at Zhu Zhen's order, Qian Yuanguan Liu sent Qian Yuanguan Chuanguan, who was then serving as his deputy military governor, to attack Wu's Dongzhou with 500 ships.

Qian Yuanguan then threw torches at the Wu ships, setting them afire and causing a general rout.

The Wuyue generals He Feng and Wu Jian were killed, and Qian Yuanguan Chuanguan was forced to flee.

Meanwhile, by the time that Qian Yuanguan Chuanguan was in his 30s, he still had not had a son with his then-wife Lady Ma.

In 924, Qian Yuanguan Liu established tributary relations with Later Tang, formally submitting to Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang as a vassal.

Qian Yuanguan confirmed Qian Chuanguan's titles of military governor of Qinghai, as well as acting military governor of Zhenhai and Zhendong, and bestowed the greater honorary chancellor title of Zhongshu Ling, acting Taishi, and Kaifu Yitong Sansi.

Qian Yuanguan entrusted the governance to the official Cao Zhongda and the selection of officials to the general Shen Song.

Meanwhile, the officers had long been resentful of the power that Lu and fellow royal guard commander LIu Renqi had, and one day they gathered around Qian Yuanguan's headquarters, demanding that Lu and Liu be put to death.

Qian Yuanguan subsequently sent Lu and Liu out of the headquarters to serve as prefectural prefects.

For example, by 933, his younger brother Qian Yuanxiang, who was serving as the military governor of Shunhua Circuit, had become arrogant and spoiled, such that whenever there were requests he made to Qian Yuanguan that were rejected, he would submit further letters to show his anger and displeasure.

Qian Yuanguan sent his officer Yang Renquan to Shunhua's capital Ming Prefecture to summon him, knowing that he was fearful of Yang.

Yang was able to seize him and bring him back to Hang Prefecture, where Qian Yuanguan put him under house arrest.

Qian Yuanguan apparently submitted to Later Jin quickly as a vassal, for later that year Emperor Gaozu bestowed on him the title of deputy generalissimo of the entire realm.

In 937, apparently after Qian Yuanxiang offended him more, Qian Yuanguan stripped Qian Yuanxiang of his titles of military governor of Shunhua and honorary chancellor, and demoted him to commoner rank.

Later in the year, Qian Yuanguan further became suspicious of another younger brother, Qian Yuanxu, who was gathering arms and trying to associate with many officials, particularly after Qian Yuanxu refused to abandon those arms and accept a commission as the prefect of Wen Prefecture.

Qian Yuanguan took an opportunity, when Qian Yuanxu was in the palace for a feast, to kill both him and Qian Yuanxiang.

Qian Yuanguan thereafter took on the same royal trappings that his father did as King of Wuyue.

Qian Yuanguan created his son Qian Hongzun as his heir, and made Cao Zhongda, Shen Song, and Pi Guangye his chancellors.

Qian Yuanguan entrusted his son Qian Hongzuo to his official Zhang De'an, and then died.