Chen Hongjin () (914–985), courtesy name Jichuan (), formally Duke Zhongshun of Qi (), was a warlord late in the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, who controlled Qingyuan Circuit (headquartered in modern Quanzhou, Fujian). After a series of conquests by the Song dynasty, Chen, who was a vassal to Song, believed that it would be wise for him to surrender his realm, and did so. He subsequently remained honored as a Song general until his death.
Background and service under Liu Congxiao
Chen Hongjin was born in 914. His ancestors were said to be originally from Linhuai (臨淮, in modern Suqian, Jiangsu), but had relocated south and settled at Xianyou (仙遊, in modern Putian, Fujian), and thus Chen was said to be from Xianyou.
Chen was said to be ambitious and studious in his youth, particularly spending attention to military strategies. When he grew older, he was known for an impressive stature and bravery, and became a soldier at Quan Prefecture (泉州, in modern Quanzhou, Fujian), which Xianyou belonged to. In a siege of Ting Prefecture (汀州, in modern Longyan, Fujian), Chen successfully climbed up the city wall first, and after the battle, became a deputy commander of the Quan army (副兵馬使, Fu Bingma Shi). (It is not completely clear which battle this reference was to. As this was before the subsequent events described here, it might have been referring to a 941 incident where then-ruler of Min, Wang Xi (Emperor Jingzong), concerned that his younger brother Wang Yanxi () the prefect of Ting was getting ready to join the cause of another brother, Wang Yanzheng, who had risen against his rule at Jian Prefecture (建州, in modern Nanping, Fujian), sent the general Xu Renqin () with 3,000 men to launch a surprise attack on Ting, capturing Wang Yanxi.)
As of 944, the Min state was in turmoil, as the general Zhu Wenjin had just assassinated the emperor Wang Yanxi (Emperor Jingzong) and seized the throne, and was battling with Wang Yanxi's younger brother Wang Yanzheng (who had earlier declared himself the emperor of a new branch state of Yin) for the control of the realm. Zhu, after his coup, sent the general Huang Shaopo () to serve as the prefect of Quan. The officer Liu Congxiao encouraged other officers, including Wang Zhongshun (), Zhang Hansi, and Dong Si'an () to join him in a plot against Huang, arguing that they, having been the long-term subjects of Min's ruling Wang family, could not stand by and allow Zhu to take over. They agreed, and they assassinated Huang and supported Wang Yanzheng's nephew Wang Jixun () to serve as the acting prefect, pledging their allegiance to Wang Yanzheng. Liu sent Chen to deliver Huang's head to Wang Yanzheng at Jian. When he got to Youxi (尤溪, in modern Sanmin, Fujian), he was intercepted by a Fu detachment that was taking position at Youxi. Chen declared to them, "The righteous forces have already killed Zhu at Fu. I am going to pay homage to the new emperor. Why are you still defending this position?" He also showed Huang's head to them. Upon seeing Huang's head, the Fu detachment scattered and fled, and several of the officers accompanied him to Jian to pay homage to Wang Yanzheng. Wang Yanzheng commissioned Wang Jixun as the prefect of Quan, and commissioned Liu, Wang Zhongshun, Dong, and Chen all as commanders of the Quan army. After Wang Yanzheng himself was attacked by and surrendered to Southern Tang, Quan came under allegiance to Southern Tang. In 946, Liu, alleging that Wang Jixun was incompetent, removed him; Southern Tang's emperor Li Jing then summoned Wang Jixun to the capital Jinling and left Liu in control of Quan. After Li subsequently commissioned Liu as the military governor (Jiedushi) of Qingyuan Circuit, Chen, serving as the commander of the army, shared the command with Zhang, who became deputy military governor, and Chen was said to have frequent battlefield accomplishments.