Swords into Plowshares Episode 5 Recap
> Swords into Plowshares Recaps
Shuiqiu Zhaoquan returned from Bianliang, bringing back the imperial edict of enfeoffment from the Central Plains court, which represented the court's official recognition of Qian Hongzuo's succession as the King of Wuyue. Facing all the civil and military officials, Qian Hongzuo announced that this year's autumn taxes would be fully exempted as usual, and the money for rewarding the three armies would be allocated from his private treasury, ensuring not to add even the slightest burden to the common people.
After the court adjourned, Qian Yuanyi eagerly sought out Yuan Dezhao, feeling uneasy because those people had not mentioned the matter of release. Yuan Dezhao advised Qian Yuanyi to relax; if he wanted to save someone, he had to wait patiently. The same words needed to be spoken by different people; taking sides in court carried risks, and speaking depended on one's status.
Some words, when spoken by a member of the imperial clan, would be called "favoritism," and when spoken by an external official, "sowing discord." Only when mentioned by someone with a special status and a detached position could things be accomplished. Just as Yuan Dezhao had predicted, Shuiqiu Zhaoquan advised Qian Hongzuo privately, without beating around the bush. He directly stated that Dai Yun had no rebellious intentions, nor did Qian Hongyou have any ambition to usurp.
Du Zhaoda and others were arrogant and greedy, and executing them according to the law was not excessively harsh. However, Qian Hongjun had rarely been negligent in commanding troops and managing affairs, yet he was wrongly imprisoned, chilling people's hearts. Finally, Shuiqiu Zhaoquan even warned of turmoil in the Central Plains and the Khitan covetously eyeing the land.
As Wuyue was ensconced in the southeast, it should now focus on placating the imperial clan internally and allying with the Central Plains externally. These words struck a chord with Qian Hongzuo; his heart was like a bright mirror. Yet, all the high officials in the court had their own agendas, and no one could be trusted, nor could anyone speak as frankly as Shuiqiu Zhaoquan, despite the risk of punishment.
Therefore, Qian Hongzuo expressed his hope that Shuiqiu Zhaoquan would assist him. With a single phrase, "I would not shrink from death," Shuiqiu Zhaoquan completely forged a political alliance. At Shuiqiu Zhaoquan's suggestion, Qian Hongzuo granted a general amnesty in the southeast, released the civil official Shen Wenqi from internal custody, and allowed Qian Hongjun to return home to reflect on his faults.
This not only strengthened ties with the imperial clan but also demonstrated Wuyue's internal unity to the outside world. Qian Hongjun watched his father waiting at the palace gate, his eyes welled up, and tears streamed down his face. Looking up, he also saw the injured Shen Wenqi. Their gazes met, and from a few steps away, they cupped their hands in a salute. There were no polite greetings, but that single salute was more meaningful than a thousand words.
In 944 AD, not long after the new Emperor Shi Chonggui of Later Jin ascended the throne, he insisted on launching a northern expedition, vowing to retake the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan-Yun occupied by the Khitan. The elder official Sang Weihan strongly advised against it, stating that it was not the right time, not the right situation, and he was not the right person.
In his view, a national war was not a reckless struggle on the battlefield, much less a matter of pure passion and individual bravery. Unfortunately, the new monarch's ambition burned like fire, and Sang Weihan's heartfelt words could not turn the tide. That night, Zhao Kuangyin, on his father's orders, married He Zhen. In their newlywed bliss, they should have been immersed in deep affection, but the border warfare was critical, and he was about to depart with the army.
He Zhen understood the greater good; though her heart was filled with reluctance, she knew the nation and its mountains and rivers were paramount, and could only admonish her husband to return safely. Later Jin fought the Khitan three times. Shi Chonggui personally led his army to Chanzhou. Thousands of Khitan soldiers drowned in the river, and thousands more were captured or killed. The Khitan army was forced to retreat north, and the first battle was victorious.
However, the Khitan were unwilling to accept defeat, so they raised troops and attacked again. Shi Chonggui continued to personally lead the campaign, pursuing them for over twenty li, achieving countless kills and captures, making the second battle a legendary victory. Until the third time, when the Khitan invaded from the south, they used a feigned surrender strategy. Their commander Du Chongwei secretly colluded with the Khitan and, with an army of 200,000, defected during battle.
This change was like a bolt from the blue; Later Jin's main forces were lost in a single day, and the gates north of the Yellow River were wide open. Khitan cavalry seized the opportunity to invade, as if entering an uninhabited land, their vanguard pointed directly at Kaifeng, and Bianliang city was as precarious as a stack of eggs.
For a time, as the news spread, envoys from kingdoms like Southern Tang, Western Shu, Southern Han, and Southern Chu gathered in the capital to inquire about the situation, colluding with high officials, awaiting changes. If the imperial army could not repel the enemy in Hebei, and the Northern Dynasty cavalry roamed freely on both sides of the Yellow River, it was feared that the chaos of the Five Barbarians and Sixteen Kingdoms would repeat.
Faced with reports from the north, Qian Hongzuo was uneasy. The situation in the Central Plains concerned the survival of Wuyue, so he decided to send envoys northward to ascertain the true situation, ostensibly as envoys to congratulate the New Year, but in reality, to investigate. He appointed Shuiqiu Zhaoquan as the chief envoy, and the choice for deputy envoy fell upon his younger brother, Qian Hongchu.
That night, Qian Hongchu knelt with his sixth brother before the ancestral tablets, complaining that his sixth brother, Qian Hongzuo, was now the esteemed new monarch and naturally could not easily leave the capital. As for his seventh brother, Qian Hongzong, who was participating in prime ministerial affairs and was his sixth brother's trusted aide, he also bore heavy responsibilities and was equally unable to get away.
Thus, the perilous mission to the north unexpectedly fell to him, an "idle person." Qian Hongzuo, hearing this, was not annoyed; instead, he earnestly and sincerely reminded Qian Hongchu that as a descendant of the Qian family, he should make progress. If their father, Qian Yuanguan, had not stepped forward to undertake great responsibilities back then, how could their grandfather have entrusted the nation to him?
Their ancestors found it difficult to establish the dynasty, and maintaining it was also not easy. These words struck Qian Hongchu's heart like a heavy hammer. He was startled at first, then suddenly realized his sixth brother's painstaking efforts. The next day, Qian Hongchu traveled with Sun Taizhen. On the way, they coincidentally met a ship from Huanglong Island and reunited with the third brother Qian Hongyou (Sun Ben), who had recovered his original name.
The envoy group traveled northward, and as far as their eyes could see, it was a scene of "white bones lay exposed in the wilderness, for a thousand li no cock crowed." Starving corpses lay piled up along the roads of Qingzhou, piles of white bones remained uncollected, and living people gnawed on dead bodies.
For Qian Hongchu and Sun Taizhen, who had long lived in the prosperity of Qiantang and were accustomed to "autumn osmanthus blossoms and ten li of lotus flowers," this was no less than a thunderbolt from the ninth heaven striking their minds. They had no appetite for the entire day, and especially upon hearing that many people had been abducted to serve as military provisions, their stomachs churned.
The envoy group traveled to the vicinity of Songzhou (present-day Shangqiu, Henan), where they rescued the seriously wounded young Guo Rong from a band of night thieves. Shuiqiu Zhaoquan assessed the situation and believed the man's identity was unknown, but Qian Hongchu disregarded the risks and insisted on taking him along for medical treatment.
Subsequently, everyone learned that Lanyang, an important town on the outskirts of Bianliang, had fallen, and the county magistrate had long since abandoned the city and fled. They immediately sped up their journey. During this time, Guo Rong's injuries gradually healed, and he quietly met with Yang Guangyi.
