King Qian of Wuyue: From the Submission of Wuyue to the Song

In the chaotic Five Dynasties era, warlords prowled like wolves, and human lives were worth no more than grass.

Qian Liu began as a salt smuggler on the banks of the Qiantang River. With courage and the fiery loyalty of his brothers, he carved out a path to survival between the cracks and laid the foundations of Wuyue.

His son, Qian Yuanguan, was forced to grow from a romantic young lord into an iron-fisted ruler. Through commerce and political intrigue, he turned this land into a prosperous paradise.

By the time of his grandson, Qian Hongchu, undercurrents churned beneath the golden age. As a carefree prince, he must venture into the shadows of the streets and the court, maneuvering amid corruption, spies, and the inexorable fate of his family to protect the century-old legacy won by his grandfather and father.

As the Northern Song’s iron cavalry sweeps across the north and south, the gaze of the mighty ruler Zhao Kuangyin finally falls upon this last prosperous land. Fight, and rivers of blood will flow. Surrender, and he will betray his ancestors.

This is an epic tale of three generations building an enterprise amid survival, wealth, and power. It is also the ultimate choice at a turning point in history: how to bring an end to an age of chaos. A man of means.

When Zhao Kuangyin signals that the realm is to be unified, and the court’s civil and military officials await a bloody conquest, Qian Chen smiles and presents a detailed Plan for Mergers and Joint Ventures.

“Your Majesty, please sign this agreement. You get the territory and the right to rule; I get the wealth and the future.”

“Let me bring Wuyue into Song my way. We both win, and peace comes to the realm.”

Thus was born history’s wealthiest carefree prince. And his financial empire, hidden behind the scenes, was only just beginning to swallow the age whole.