Swords into Plowshares Episode 22 Recap
> Swords into Plowshares Recaps
In the prefectural government office of Linhai County, a group of officials sat on both sides, discussing endlessly. First came Qian Hongchu, who caused a lot of trouble, and now Shen Yin had been added. They worried that the two would join forces and turn Taizhou upside down. Wei Lun, the Sima of Taizhou, inquired about Qian Hongchu's background from Cui Renji. A plan came to Cui Renji's mind; he knew that his colleagues feared power more than virtue.
So he exaggerated Qian Hongchu's character, describing him as ruthless and decisive, mentioning things like "beheading in the street" and "showing no mercy," adding fuel to the fire until everyone felt a chill down their spines. At this moment, Qian Hongchu was sailing through the waves straight for Taizhou. On the way, he made a detour to Huanglong Island, intending to borrow some grain from his mother-in-law, both to relieve the people's hunger and to ease the nation's worries.
Unexpectedly, when Qian Hongyou heard that his younger brother was not there to propose marriage, he immediately lost interest and treated him only with guest etiquette, making it impossible for Qian Hongchu to see Madam Yu. While Qian Hongchu was discussing his difficulties with his third elder brother, Sun Taizhen interceded on his behalf. However, Madam Yu's attitude was firm: Huanglong Island could help, but only those who intended to contend for the throne of Wuyue.
Shen Yin arrived in Linhai County and met with Cui Renji. As the two were preparing to welcome Qian Hongchu, they suddenly heard that Xie Tong, the local commissioner of customs duties, had come to visit. Shen Yin, experienced in officialdom, gestured for Cui Renji to handle the situation, instructing him that if "local gifts" were offered, he could accept them without hesitation.
Sure enough, Xie Tong's first gift was a tribute Mise kiln ware worth six hundred mu of paddy fields, asking for nothing more than Cui Renji's good words and recommendation in front of Qian Hongchu. After Xie Tong left, Cui and Shen lamented the collapse of Wuyue's etiquette and music, fearing it would replicate the chaos of the Central Plains.
Hu Jinsi, having heard about the developments in the imperial court, detected something unusual in the imperial edict demoting Qian Hongchu to Taizhou, and thus dispatched his confidant, Chang Jiu, to personally monitor him. Shen Wenqi hurried to Bianliang and entered the palace to meet the emperor. He reported to Emperor Liu Zhiyuan of Later Han on the domestic warfare, natural disasters, and tax reductions, apologizing for the decrease in the annual tribute.
Liu Zhiyuan was adept at recognizing true talent; seeing Shen Wenqi's sincere words and clear analysis, and knowing that Wuyue had indeed suffered from natural disasters and not intentionally been negligent, he did not investigate further. After the court dispersed, Guo Rong hosted a casual banquet at the Fanlou Main Restaurant. Shen Wenqi arrived as invited, and among those accompanying him at the table were Zhao Kuangyin and others.
After three rounds of wine, Guo Rong subtly mentioned the court's intention to expand trade with Wuyue. Shen Wenqi frankly stated that the heavy taxes along the routes severely hindered circulation, making the matter difficult to achieve. On this day, Wei Lun gathered his subordinate officials for a meeting. He suddenly shifted the topic to Qian Hongchu, deliberately revealing the words "demotion" to them, making the officials no longer fear Qian Hongchu and develop a sense of disdain.
In fact, Wei Lun had his own calculations. He had long worried about Shen Yin's increasing prominence, lording it over him, and thus conceived a strategy: "When others slight him, I will honor him." Privately, he prepared generous gifts for Qian Hongchu and planned to greet him respectfully, specifically waiting to use his colleagues' arrogance to highlight his own thoughtfulness. Upon hearing this, his confidant Ge Yanping praised the plan as brilliant.
Meanwhile, Ge Qiang, the Linhai County Lieutenant, personally visited Zhongshun Commandery, enthusiastically offering a box of real gold and silver, hoping to secure the position of County Administrator. After Lu Yanzhu heard his subordinate's report, the next day he went straight to Shen Yin with the person and the box, explaining the whole story. Shen Yin arranged for them to stay in a side room, then immediately investigated Ge Qiang's background with Cui Renji.
They discovered that Ge Qiang came from a humble background and had a poor reputation as an official, so they decided to conduct a thorough secret investigation. Qian Hongchu again spoke of his difficulties to Yu Wenxiu, hoping to meet Madam Yu.
Yu Wenxiu brought up the Shan Yue Society again and reminded him that if his marriage with Sun Taizhen could be accomplished, and the two families became one, the situation he spoke of might not be impossible, but it would require him to become King Qian to ensure the Huanglong Society could operate peacefully.
However, Qian Hongchu currently had no ambition to seize the throne and was more concerned about being unable to raise five hundred thousand hu of grain to fill the deficit in Taizhou. He truly did not understand why Madam Yu was so insistent. Sun Taizhen explained that Qian Yuanguan had owed Madam Yu a proper status back then, so Madam Yu wanted to reclaim it through her daughter.
Everyone knew that being a queen was uninteresting, but if one saw someone else become queen, then it became interesting. Sun Taizhen expressed her attitude to Qian Hongchu, stating that the person she had always wanted to marry was merely the Ninth Young Master of the Qian family, not the King of Wuyue.
