Qian Hongzuo (Chinese: 錢弘佐; 14 August 928[2][4] – 22 June 947[2][3]), courtesy name Yuanyou (元祐), also known by his temple name as the King Chengzong of Wuyue (吳越成宗), was the third king of Wuyue during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of China.
He was the sixth son of father Qian Chuanguan (King Wenmu), who was then still serving under his father (Qian Hongzun's grandfather), Wuyue's first king Qian Liu (King Wusu), as the acting military governor (Jiedushi) of Wuyue's two main circuits, Zhenhai (鎮海, headquartered at Wuyue's capital Hang Prefecture (杭州, in modern Hangzhou, Zhejiang)) and Zhendong (鎮東, headquartered in modern Shaoxing, Zhejiang).
[1] Qian Hongzuo was thereafter made the deputy military governors of Zhenhai and Zhendong, effectively being designated the heir.
[1] As king, Qian Hongzuo was said to be mild-tempered and respectful, studious, diligent, and capable of discovering hidden evils.
[1] By fall 943, however, the commander of the headquarter corps, Kan Fan (闞璠), was said to be so dominant at Qian's court such that, even though Zhang De'an and another officer, Li Wenqing (李文慶), tried to counterbalance his power, they could not do so, and Zhang and Li ended up being sent out to be prefects of Chu (處州, in modern Lishui, Zhejiang) and Mu (睦州, in modern Hangzhou), respectively, such that Kan and Hu Jinsi became particularly dominant after that.
)[9] By 944, Wuyue's southern neighbor Min was deeply caught in civil war, with the general Zhu Wenjin (having earlier assassinated the emperor Wang Yanxi and taken control of the capital Fu Prefecture (福州, in modern Fuzhou, Fujian)) claiming the title of Emperor of Min, battling Wang Yanxi's brother Wang Yanzheng (in control of Jian Prefecture (建州, in modern Nanping, Fujian), who claimed the title of Emperor of Yin.
Zhu sought aid from Wuyue and sent brother(s) and son(s) to serve as hostages in that effort, but there was no record of any responses by Qian.
Initially, the joint forces of Wuyue and Li Renda were unable to stop the Southern Tang attack, and Fu appeared in danger of falling.
[13] In spring 947, Qian, working with the officers Shuiqiu Zhaoquan (水丘昭券) and Chu Wen (儲溫), ambushed and killed Cheng (whose power he had become apprehensive about).
[14] In summer 947, Qian sent another detachment, commanded by Yu An (余安), to aid Fu, but initially was unable to land.
Qian Hongzuo sent the general Bao Xiurang (鮑修讓) to command a Wuyue detachment to be stationed at Fu.