Five Dynasties · Warlord and Ruler

Qian Liu 錢镠

Born c. AD 852

Passages: 17
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Qian Liu was a warlord and Ruler.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name		鏐	Liu
Posthumous name	Wusu	武肅	Wusu

Life and dates

Death

Age 81 · Age Reckoning sui
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 67, passage 194

Age

81
Reckoning Sui
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 67, passage 194

Attested activity

AD 911 乾化元年
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 67, passage 113
AD 917 貞明三年
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 67, passage 117
AD 932 長興三年
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 67, passage 194
AD 923 唐莊宗入洛
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 67, passage 120
AD 910 開平四年
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 67, passage 111

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Qian Yuanguan (錢元瓘)
son 子
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 67, passage 122
Sibling of Qian Biao (錢鏢)
younger brother 弟 · Full siblings
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 67, passage 115

Kinship Role sons · Quantity several · Assessment dull and timorous
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 67, passage 127

Career and standing

Acting Director of the Secretariat 守尚書令
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 67, passage 113
Overall Commander of All Armies and Horses Under Heaven 天下兵馬都元帥
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 67, passage 117
Overall Commander of mobile camps for Huainan, Xuan, Run 淮南、宣潤等道四面行營都統
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 67, passage 113
restored titles and offices 復官爵
Restored
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 67, passage 193
Imperial Father 尚父
Granted
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 67, passage 116
imperial rescripts that did not name him 詔書不名
Granted
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 67, passage 119

Show 3 more source-backed claims

living shrine at Yijin Army 生祠
Granted
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 67, passage 114
stripped of royal title, overall command, and Imperial Father status; retired as Grand Marshal 削王爵、元帥、尚父，以太帥致仕
Stripped · Authority Emperor Mingzong (明宗)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 67, passage 191
King of Wu-Yue 吳越國王
Self styled
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 67, passage 122

Places and affiliations

Later Liang 梁
Relation Served
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 67, passage 116
Later Tang 唐
Relation Served
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 67, passage 120

Works and attributed material

Song of Returning Home 還鄉歌
Relation Author
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 67, passages 111-112
Song of Returning Home 還鄉歌
Poem · Author
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 67, passages 111-112
My sons are all dull and timorous, unfit to carry what comes after. When I die, choose among them yourselves.
Speech · Speaker
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 67, passage 127

Events and relationships

Began sending tribute to the capital by sea
Diplomatic · Tributary
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 67, passage 118
Handed keys and seals to Yuanguan after the generals chose him
Political · Testator
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 67, passage 129
Sent tribute to Zhuangzong and requested a jade register
Diplomatic · Petitioner · With Emperor Zhuangzong (莊宗)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 67, passage 120
Wrote to An Chonghui in insulting terms
Political · Correspondent · With An Chonghui (安重誨)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 67, passage 190

Assessments and attributes

Item jade register and gold seal 玉冊、金印 · Relation Bestowed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 67, passage 121

References in the histories

Search passages

History

17 passages

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 67Volume 67: Hereditary House of Wuyue · 17 passages

四年，镠遊衣錦軍，作《還鄉歌》曰：「三節還鄉兮掛錦衣，父老遠來相追隨。 In the fourth year Qian Liu visited Yijin Army and wrote the "Song of Returning Home": "Homeward with my triple seal, brocade cloak swinging wide— / Elders from far and near trail after me.

乾化元年，加镠守尚書令，兼淮南、宣潤等道四面行營都統。 In Qianhua 1 he was made Acting Director of the Secretariat and Overall Commander of the Mobile Camps on All Four Sides for Huainan, Xuan, Run, and related circuits.

二年，梁郢王友珪立，冊尊鏐尚父。 In the second year, when Liang's Prince of E, Yougui, took the throne, Qian Liu was ennobled as Imperial Father.

末帝貞明三年，加鏐天下兵馬都元帥，開府置官屬。 In Zhenming 3 of the Last Emperor, Qian Liu was made Overall Commander of All Armies and Horses Under Heaven, opened a grand headquarters, and appointed a full staff.

四年，楊隆演取虔州，鏐始由海路入貢京師。 In the fourth year Yang Longyan took Qianzhou, and Qian Liu began sending tribute to the capital by sea.

龍德元年，賜鏐詔書不名。 In Longde 1 Qian Liu was granted imperial rescripts that did not name him.

唐莊宗入洛，鏐遣使貢獻，求玉冊。 When Tang Emperor Zhuangzong entered Luoyang, Qian Liu sent envoys with tribute and asked for a jade register.

莊宗下其議於有司，羣臣皆以謂非天子不得用玉冊，郭崇韜尤為不可，既而許之，乃賜鏐玉冊、金印。 Zhuangzong referred the request to the ministries. The ministers held that only the Son of Heaven might use a jade register; Guo Chongtao was especially adamant against it. Even so, permission was granted, and Qian Liu received a jade register and gold seal.

鏐因以鎮海等軍節度授其子元瓘，自稱吳越國王，更名所居曰宮殿、府曰朝，官屬皆稱臣，起玉冊、金券、詔書三樓於衣錦軍，遣使冊新羅、渤海王，海中諸國，皆封拜其君長。 Qian Liu then transferred the Zhenhai command and related posts to his son Qian Yuanguan, styled himself King of Wu-Yue, renamed his residence "Palace" and his headquarters "Court," and had all officials call themselves ministers. At Yijin Army he built three towers for the jade register, gold voucher, and imperial rescripts; sent envoys to invest the kings of Silla and Bohai; and for every state across the sea, conferred titles on their rulers.

明宗即位，安重誨用事，鏐致書重誨，書辭嫚，重誨大怒。 When Emperor Mingzong came to the throne, An Chonghui dominated the court. Qian Liu wrote to him in insulting terms, and Chonghui flew into a rage.

是時，供奉官烏昭遇、韓玫使吳越，既還，玫誣昭遇稱臣舞蹈，重誨乃奏削鏐王爵、元帥、尚父，以太帥致仕。 At that time the palace attendant Wu Zhaoyu and Han Mei had been envoys to Wu-Yue. On their return Mei accused Zhaoyu of bowing and dancing in submission. Chonghui memorialized to strip Qian Liu of his royal title, overall command, and Imperial Father status and grant him retirement as Grand Marshal.

安重誨死，明宗乃復鏐官爵。 After An Chonghui died, Emperor Mingzong restored Qian Liu's titles and offices.

長興三年，鏐卒，年八十一，謚曰武肅。 In Changxing 3 Qian Liu died at eighty-one. His posthumous title was Wusu.

镠臥病，召諸大將告之曰：「吾子皆愚懦，不足任後事，吾死，公等自擇之。」 Qian Liu fell ill and summoned his chief generals. "My sons are all dull and timorous," he said, "unfit to carry what comes after. When I die, choose among them yourselves."

諸將泣下，皆曰：「元瓘從王征伐最有功，諸子莫及，請立之。」 The generals wept. "Yuanguan followed the Prince on campaign and earned the greatest merit," they said. "None of the sons can match him. We ask that he succeed."

镠乃出管鑰數篋，召元瓘與之曰：「諸將許爾矣。」 Qian Liu brought out several boxes of keys and seals, called Yuanguan forward, and handed them over. "The generals have chosen you," he said.

镠卒，元瓘立，襲封吳越國王，玉冊、金印，皆如镠故事。 Qian Liu died. Yuanguan succeeded, inherited the kingship of Wu-Yue, and received jade register and gold seal by the same precedent as his father.