I am running this C++ code:

#include <Python.h> 
#include <stdio.h>
#include <iostream>
#include <sstream>

int main(int argc, char** argv) {

	// 1) initialize Python
	Py_Initialize();
	PyRun_SimpleString("import sys");
	PyRun_SimpleString("sys.path.append(\".\")");
	PyRun_SimpleString("print(sys.path)");

	// 2) Import the python module
	PyObject* pName = PyUnicode_FromString("module1");
	assert(pName != NULL);
	PyObject* pModule = PyImport_Import(pName);
	assert(pModule != NULL);

	// 3) Get a reference to the python function to call
	PyObject* pDict = PyModule_GetDict(pModule);
	assert(pDict != NULL);
	PyObject* pFunc = PyDict_GetItemString(pDict, (char*)"getInteger");
	assert(pFunc != NULL);

    // 4) Call function
	PyObject* pValue = PyObject_CallObject(pFunc, NULL);

	Py_XDECREF(pValue);
	Py_XDECREF(pFunc);
	Py_XDECREF(pDict);
	Py_XDECREF(pModule);
	Py_XDECREF(pName);

	Py_Finalize();

The imported module is called module1.py and has this content:

def getInteger():
    print('Python function getInteger() called')
    c = 100*50/30
    return c

It works fine if I comment out the Py_XDECREF lines. I suppose, however, that it causes memory leaks in such a case. When the Py_XDECREF lines are commented in, the code execution behaves unexpected. First of all, I don't understand the number of references. Why is there for example seven references to pName? Second, why do I get a negative refcount-error when using Py_XDECREF? As I understood Py_XDECREF should be safe in this respect, and the current error should only be possible if I use Py_DECREF? Third and most importantly: How to I change the code so that it works?

This is how the local variables look when the code reaches the line Py_XDECREF(pValue) but before it executes:

After executing Py_XDECREF(pValue); it looks like this:

After executing Py_XDECREF(pFunc); it looks like this:

Finally when executing Py_XDECREF(pDict); I get the following error:

D:\a\1\s\Include\object.h:497: _Py_NegativeRefcount: Assertion failed: object has negative ref count
<object at 0000018CA6726410 is freed>
Fatal Python error: _PyObject_AssertFailed: _PyObject_AssertFailed
Python runtime state: initialized
Current thread 0x000086b0 (most recent call first):
<no Python frame>