Hu Ying, known as Fang Xiu, was a native of Wuxing. His ancestors had lived in Wuxing for generations, but later became common people due to land confiscation. He was tall and handsome, with a kind and generous personality. During the Liang Dynasty, he served as the Attendant Officer of Wuling and also oversaw the West River in Guangzhou. When the founding emperor, Chen Baxian, was in Guangzhou, Hu Ying proactively befriended him since they were from the same hometown, and the founding emperor held him in high regard. During the campaign against Jiaozhi, Hu Ying followed along, and other generals followed his command. After quelling the rebellion of Li Ben, the founding emperor returned, leaving Hu Ying in charge of the West River, where he was responsible for many military matters.
During the rebellion of Hou Jing, the founding emperor captured Yuan Jingzhong, crossed the mountains to rescue Taizhou, and quelled the rebellions of Cai Luyang and Li Qianshi, during which Hu Ying made notable contributions. He later served as the county chief of Pinggu and Suixing. When the main army of the founding emperor was stationed in Xichang, Hu Ying was appointed county chief of Baqiu, stationed in Dagao, in charge of overseeing food and forage transport. After arriving in Yuzhang, he was appointed Prefect of Yuzhang. The founding emperor and Wang Sengbian met at Baimaowan, teamed up to confront Hou Jing, and Hu Ying was appointed an official overseeing garrison affairs.
In the early years of Liang Chengsheng, the Emperor Yuan granted Hu Ying the positions of Acting General, General of Iron Cavalry, and Administrator of Luozhou, and conferred upon him the title of Marquis of Hanyang with a fief of five hundred households. Not long after, he was appointed as the Governor of Yuzhang and served under Emperor Gaozu to defend Jingkou. When the Qi army led by Guo Yuanjian attacked, Commander Hou Tian led the forces to resist. Emperor Gaozu selected three thousand elite soldiers and capable generals from his command to assist Hu Ying, allowing him to fight alongside Hou Tian and secure a decisive victory against the Qi army at Dongguan. Three years later, Emperor Gaozu besieged Guangling, and the Qi general Dongfang Guang sought to surrender at Supre. Hu Ying was appointed as the Magistrate of Qu'a and followed Du Sengming to support Dongfang Guang, but was unsuccessful and had to retreat. He was later appointed as a cavalry commander and took on the role of cavalry commander, following Gaozu in attacking Wang Sengbian. He then joined Zhou Wenyu in the campaign against Du Gang in Wuxing. In the first year of Shaotai, he was appointed as Acting General, Commander of Military Affairs in Southern Yuzhou, General of Light Chariots, and Governor of Southern Yuzhou. In the first year of Taiping, he was appointed as General of Renwei and Chief of Cavalry, and shortly after also served as the Intendant of Danyang. After Emperor Gaozu ascended the throne, he was appointed as Left Guard General while retaining his previous titles. In the third year of Yongding, he joined General Hou Andu in the campaign against Wang Lin, defeating the rebel leader Chang Zhongai and his followers at Gongting. After Emperor Shizong succeeded to the throne, he was appointed as Palace Attendant, Commander of Military Affairs in Wuzhou, General of Xuanhui, and Governor of Wuzhou. However, he did not take up the post and was soon transferred to Yixing as the Prefect, while keeping his title as a general. In the first year of Tianjia, he was appointed as Chief of Cavalry and Prefect of Wuxing. He passed away in June of that year, at the age of fifty-four. The court posthumously honored him with the titles of Palace Attendant and Central Protector, and conferred upon him the posthumous title "Zhuang." Two years later, his portrait was placed in the temple of Emperor Gaozu. His six sons succeeded him in his title.
His younger brother Xu Shuo also enlisted in the army alongside him. After his brother's death, Xu Shuo took command of his troops. He served as the Governor of Donghai and Yuzhang, and later was promoted to the position of Cavalry Officer. He also followed Zhang Zhaoda in quelling the rebellion of Ouyang Ge, serving in the East River Protectorate in Guangzhou. He later participated in the Northern Expedition, being appointed as General Xiongxin and Prefect of Liyang. He died in the sixth year of Taijian and was posthumously honored with the title of Inspector of Guizhou.
Xu Du, styled Xiaojie, was from Anlu and had been a resident of the capital for generations. He had a strong personality from a young age and was not one to sweat the small stuff. As he grew up, he became tall, handsome, and enjoyed drinking and gambling, often sending his servants to fetch wine and meat. During the Liang Dynasty period, he worked under the Interior Minister of Shixing, Xiao Jie, in the county, leading troops to combat mountain bandits and becoming famous for his bravery in battle. When Emperor Wu of Liang campaigned against Jiaozhi, he extended a respectful invitation to Xu Du, and Xu Du submitted to the Emperor.
During the rebellion of Hou Jing, Emperor Wu pacified Guangzhou, defeated Cai Lu Yang and Li Qianshi, and many of Xu Du's strategies played a significant role. He led the army and achieved military achievements in every battle. After Emperor Wu captured Baimaowan, Emperor Yuan of Liang appointed him as General Ning Shuo and Inspector of Hezhou. After the suppression of the Hou Jing rebellion, the court acknowledged his prior military achievements, promoted him to Cavalier Attendant, appointed him as Marquis of Guangde County with a fief of five hundred households. Later, he was promoted to Cavalier Attendant again. When Emperor Wu was stationed in Zhufang, he was appointed as General Xinwu and Prefect of Lanling. When Emperor Wu sent Prince Hengyang to Jingzhou, Xu Du led the troops to follow. After the fall of Jiangling City, he secretly returned by land. During Emperor Wu's suppression of the rebellion of Wang Sengbian, he and Hou An were in charge of the navy together. In the first year of Shaotai, Emperor Wu campaigned against Du Gan in the east, escorted Emperor Jing to Jingkou, appointed Xu Du in charge of guarding, and assigned him to oversee the household affairs.
Xu Sihui and Ren Yue led troops into battle, while Gaozu and Jingdi returned to the capital together. At that time, the enemy had already occupied Shitou City, and the civilians in the city had all fled to the south, far from the imperial palace. They were worried that the enemy would take advantage of the situation to launch a surprise attack, so they dispatched him to station troops at Yecheng Temple, building fortifications to block the enemy. The enemy launched a full-scale assault but was unable to breach the defenses. Later, Gaozu came to his aid and decisively defeated Ren Yue and his forces. The following year, Xu Sihui and his men crossed the Yangtze River with the army of Qi, and he commanded his forces to victory against them at Beijiaotan. In recognition of his achievements, he was appointed General Xinwei, Inspector of Yingzhou, and concurrently Prefect of Wuxing. Shortly after, he was promoted to General of the Right, General of the Army, Chief Military Officer of the Xu River region, General of the North, Inspector of South Xu Province, and was also assigned a ceremonial guard.
Zhou Wenyu, Hou Andu, and their comrades advanced westward to confront Wang Lin, but were defeated and subsequently captured by Wang Lin. He was then subsequently appointed Commander of the Vanguard and stationed at Nanling. After the accession of Emperor Shizu, he was promoted to Palace Attendant, General of the Central Pacification Army, and appointed as Duke. Before he assumed his new position, he was dispatched to serve as Commissioner, Cavalry Commandant, General Who Pacifies the East, and Governor of Wu County. In the first year of Tianjia, he was awarded an additional one thousand households of land. In recognition of his contributions to pacifying Wang Lin, he was reappointed as Duke of Xiangdong County, with four thousand households of land. After completing his term, he served as Palace Attendant and General of the Central Army. Later, he was dispatched to serve as Commissioner, Commander of Kuaiji, Dongyang, Linhai, Yongjia, Xin'an, Xinning, Xin'an, Jin'an, and Jian'an Nine Counties, Chief Military Officer of Zhen Dong, and Prefect of Kuaiji. Just before his departure, Grand Commandant Hou Tian passed away in Xiangzhou, so he took over as Commander of military operations for the six provinces of Xiang, Yuan, Wu, Ba, Ying, and Gui, General of the South, and Inspector of Xiangzhou. After completing his term, he served as Palace Attendant and Grand General of the Central Army, with the ceremonial guard and orchestra unchanged.
When the founding emperor passed away, he participated in his dying instructions, bringing fifty soldiers and weapons into the palace to serve. After the usurper emperor ascended to the throne, he was promoted to Minister of Public Works. During the rebellion led by Hua Jiao in Xiangzhou, he led troops to Dukou, faced off against the imperial army, and was appointed as the General of Chariots and Cavalry by the court, commanding the infantry. He took the mountain route from Ancheng Commandery to Xiangdong, conducted a surprise attack on Xiangzhou, and captured all the troops, families, and civilians that Hua Jiao had left behind. He passed away in the second year of the Guangda era at the age of sixty. The court posthumously appointed him as Grand Commandant, assigned him twenty sword-bearing guards, and posthumously honored him with the title 'Loyal and Respectful.' In the fourth year of Taijian, he was honored at the ancestral temple. His son Jing Cheng inherited his title. Jing Cheng was bright and clever from a young age, especially fond of reading. He was quick-witted and skilled at answering questions, and he made many cultured and knowledgeable friends. He became known for his insight and judgment. Later, he became a Gentleman of the Palace Writers, signifying the beginning of his official career. In the first year of Yongding, he led troops to join Zhou Wenyu and Hou Andu in the campaign to subdue Wang Lin, but was defeated at Dukou and subsequently captured by Wang Lin. With the help of Zhou Wenyu and Hou Andu, he eventually returned to the court the following year and was appointed as a Junior Attendant in the Crown Prince's court, later rising to the position of Imperial Stablemaster.
When Xiao Du became the Governor of Wu County, Jing Cheng was appointed as the district supervisor. In the second year of Tianjia, he was promoted to be Chamberlain to the Crown Prince and was granted the title of Duke of Xiangdong County. Four years later, Xiao Du returned to the court from Xiangzhou with elite troops, and Jing Cheng led all of Xiao Du's troops. He then followed Zhang Zhaoda to attack Chen Baoying, captured Jinnanping, and was appointed General of Zhenwei and Prefect of Yuzhang. In the first year of Guangda, Hua Jiao rebelled, and the court appointed Jing Cheng as Acting General of the Imperial Guard, Commander-in-Chief of the various military forces in Bazu, General of the Cloud Banner, and Governor of Bazu. Soon after, the court ordered him to lead the navy to quell the rebellion led by Hua Jiao. After Hua Jiao was pacified, Jing Cheng returned to Bazu. The following year, due to his father's death, he resigned from his official position.
Shortly after, he was appointed as the Commissioner, Commander-in-Chief of the various military forces in Southern Yuzhou, General of Zhuangwu, and Governor of Southern Yuzhou. Four years later, he inherited his father's title and became the Duke of Xiangdong County, and was appointed as Right Guardian to the Crown Prince. Five years later, he was appointed as General of Zhenwei and Prefect of Wuxing. In the same year, he followed the Commander Wu Mingche to the north to Qin County. Upon arriving at Qin County, Wu Mingche appointed Jing Cheng as Commander-in-Chief, and he sailed up the river on a golden-winged ship from Ouyangyindai to Guangling. The troops of the Qi Kingdom held their positions in the city and were too afraid to engage in battle. Jing Cheng led his troops from Fanliang Lake into the Huai River, surrounded Huaiyin City, and also supervised Beiyanzhou. Local militias in the Huai River and Sishui regions responded in droves, and within a couple of days, the army had grown to tens of thousands. Consequently, they captured Huaiyin, Shanyang, and Yancheng counties, as well as the two forts of Liankou and Qushan. They then attacked Yuzhou and captured it as well. Due to these military achievements, he was appointed as Imperial Cavalry Officer, General of the Cloud Banner, with an increase of five hundred households in his domain. He was later promoted to General of Zhuangwu and stationed at Qushan. However, he often arbitrarily punished soldiers in his command and executed newly surrendered soldiers, leading to his dismissal from office.
Not long after, he was appointed as the military commander of An, Yuan, and Tong provinces, as well as the Inspector of Anzhou, while maintaining his role as a general and stationed in Suyu. Seven years later, he passed away at the age of thirty-six. The court posthumously honored him with the title of Cavalier Attendant and conferred the title "Si" upon him. His son Chang inherited his title.
Du Leng, known as Xiongsheng, was from Hangzhou, Zhejiang. His family was one of the leading families in the region. Although Du Leng was well-read, he was relatively unknown in his youth. Later, he went to Lingnan and served as an official under Xiao Ying, the Governor of Guangzhou, during the Liang Dynasty. After Xiao Ying's death, he followed Emperor Gaozu and was responsible for administrative duties. During the rebellion led by Hou Jing, Emperor Gaozu sent Du Leng to lead troops in battle. He successively quelled the rebellions of Cai Luyang and Li Qianshi, earning many merits. When the army reached Yuzhang, Emperor Yuan of Liang appointed him as General Renwei, Inspector of Shizhou, and also granted him the title of Marquis of Shangmo County with a fief of eight hundred households.
After the suppression of the Hou Jing rebellion, Emperor Gaozu stationed himself in Zhufang, while Du Leng was responsible for overseeing Yixing and Langye counties. Later, when Emperor Gaozu wanted to kill Wang Sengbian, he discussed it with Du Leng, Hou An, and others, but Du Leng disagreed. Emperor Gaozu feared that Du Leng would leak the information, so he used a handkerchief to knock him unconscious and locked him in a secluded room. He was summoned to join the army when they set out. After Wang Sengbian was subdued, Emperor Gaozu went east to suppress Du Gan and others, leaving Du Leng and Hou An to defend the rear. However, Xu Sihui and Ren Yue led the Qi army across the Yangtze River to attack Taicheng, and Hou An and Du Leng led the troops to resist. Du Leng patrolled day and night, reassured the soldiers, and didn't even loosen his belt once. After the rebellion was quelled, in recognition of his achievements, he was promoted to Cavalier Attendant, Right Guard General, and Intendant of Danyang. In the inaugural year of Yongding, he received further appointments as Palace Attendant and General of Loyalty and Martial Valor. Not long after, he was promoted to Chief of the Army, while still serving as Palace Attendant and General.
In the third year of Yongding, Gaozu died, and Shizu was in Southern Wan. At that time, there were no suitable heirs within the court, and there were powerful enemies outside, including generals like Hou Jian, Hou An Dou, and Xu Du in the army. Among the veteran generals in the court, only Du Leng remained in the capital, solely in command of the Forbidden Army. So he, along with Cai Jingli and others, secretly refrained from mourning and welcomed Shizu. This event is also documented in Cai Jingli's biography. After Shizu ascended the throne, Du Leng was promoted to leading general. In the first year of Tianjia, due to his contributions to establishing the new dynasty, he was promoted to Marquis of Yongcheng County, with his fiefdom increased to 1,300 households. Later, he was appointed as Yunhui General and Prefect of Jinling, with his rank elevated. In the second year of Tianjia, he was summoned back to the court and appointed as attendant and leading general. Shortly after, he was further promoted to Yizuo General and Prefect of Dan Yang. After Fei Di's enthronement, he was promoted to Zhenyou General and Tejin, while still serving as attendant and Prefect of Dan Yang. In the first year of Guangda, he stepped down from his position as Prefect of Dan Yang, and the court provided him with enough staff and servants, and he was reappointed as leading general. In the year 550 AD, he was appointed as Imperial Attendant of Cavalry, General Who Guards the East, and Prefect of Wuxing, with a rank of middle 2,000 stone. The following year, he was summoned back to the court again, serving as attendant and Zhenyou General. Not long after, he was further titled as Tejin and Protector General. In the third year, due to official negligence, he was relieved of his duties as attendant and Protector General. In the fourth year, he was once again appointed as attendant and Right Guanglu Daifu, with a trumpet and music ensemble provided, with generals, aides, and guards remaining the same as before.
He served three emperors throughout his life and received their favor. In his later years, he no longer needed to participate in battles and lived leisurely in the capital, enjoying generous rewards. Shortly after, he passed away while in office at the age of seventy. The court posthumously appointed him to the official title of "Sanji" and bore all funeral expenses, also granting him the posthumous title "Cheng." That same year, he was honored in the ancestral temple. His son An Shi succeeded his title.
Shen Ke, styled Zi Gong, was a native of Wukang, Wuxing. He was reserved and steady, and very talented. When Xiao Ying, the Marquis of Xinyu in the Liang Dynasty, served as a county magistrate, he summoned Shen Ke to serve as his chief clerk. When Xiao Ying was transferred to Beixuzhou, Shen Ke followed him to be stationed there. Later, when Xiao Ying was transferred to Guangzhou, he appointed Shen Ke as a military advisor in the prefecture, leading troops to suppress local bandits. During the rebellion of Lu Zilue, Shen Ke bravely resisted and earned military merit and was promoted to a military officer. Emperor Gaozu and Shen Ke hailed from the same hometown and shared a close bond. After Xiao Ying's death, when Emperor Gaozu marched south to suppress Li Ben, he entrusted Shen Ke with escorting his wife and children back to their hometown. Soon after, Shen Ke was appointed as a direct attendant to the Eastern Palace, and in recognition of his achievements in Lingnan, he was promoted to a Cavalier Attendant and was also tasked with recruiting descendants of the clan.
During the siege of Taicheng by Hou Jing, Shen Ke led his men into the city and was promoted to the position of General of the Right Army according to regulations. The rebels built earth mounds on both the east and west sides of the city to attack, and the defenders of the city also constructed earth mounds for resistance. Shen Ke was responsible for defending the eastern earth mound and fought day and night. Because of his contributions, he was appointed as the Marquis of Dongxing County with a fief consisting of five hundred households. He was later promoted to the position of Supervisor of the Imperial Guards. After the capital fell, Shen Ke secretly returned to his hometown. When Gaozu launched a campaign against Hou Jing, he notified Shen Ke, who then mobilized troops in response from the east. After the rebellion was quelled, Shen Ke went to Jingkou to meet with Gaozu, who appointed him as the Deputy Commander of the Capital Army on the same day, and soon promoted him to the position of Marshal of the Prefecture.
When Gaozu planned to attack Wang Sengbian, Shen Ke participated in the planning. At that time, Wang Sengbian's son-in-law Du Gan was stationed in Wuxing, so Gaozu sent his son to the Great Wall to prepare defenses against Du Gan, and sent Shen Ke back to Wukang to recruit soldiers and buy horses. As a result, Wang Sengbian was killed, and Du Gan indeed sent his deputy Du Tai to sneak attack Gaozu at the Great Wall. By then, Shen Ke had already led his troops out of the city to eliminate Du Gan's supporters. Gaozu then sent Zhou Wenyu to support the Great Wall, and upon Zhou Wenyu's arrival, Du Tai fled. Gaozu and Zhou Wenyu continued to march out of the county city, and Shen Ke's army also arrived and camped on the south side of the county city. After Du Gan was defeated, Gaozu attacked the Governor of East Yangzhou, Zhang Biao, and appointed Shen Ke as the Prefect of Wuxing County. In the first year of the Taiping era, he was promoted to General of the Xuanmeng and Inspector of Jiaozhou. In the same year, he was promoted to Prefect of Yongjia, but he declined the position and chose to continue serving as the Prefect of Wuxing County. Later, he returned to the court from Wuxing.
After Emperor Gaozu ascended the throne, he appointed him as the Governor of Wuxing Commandery. In the second year of Yongding, he was transferred to supervise Kuaiji Commandery. At that time, Yu Xiaoqing wanted to support Wang Lin and led troops to attack Zhou Di. The Emperor Gaozu then appointed Ke as the General of Zhuangwu, leading troops over mountains to rescue Zhou Di. Upon hearing that Ke was coming, Yu Xiaoqing fled. Three years later, Ke was promoted to the position of Commissioner, Cavalry Commandant, General of Intelligent Warfare, and Inspector of Wu Province, while on his way to Poyang. Soon after, he received an imperial decree summoning him back to continue managing Kuaiji Commandery. In the same year, he was also appointed as Cavalry Commandant, Loyal General of Martial, and Governor of Kuaiji.
After the emperor succeeded to the throne, Chen Shubao promoted him to oversee the military affairs of nine commanderies including Kuaiji, Dongyang, Xin'an, Linhai, Yongjia, Jian'an, Jin'an, Xinning, and Xin'an, with his positions as General and Governor remaining unchanged. In the first year of Tianjia, he was granted an additional five hundred households of land. Two years later, he was summoned to serve as the General of the Left Guard. Not long after, he was sent to serve as the Commander of military affairs in the four states of Yingzhou, Wuzhou, Baozhou, and Dingzhou, serving as Military Advisor General and concurrently Inspector of Yingzhou. Six years later, he was recalled by the court to take on the role of Central Protector-General, and soon after was promoted to Protector-General. In the second year of Guangda, he was appointed as Commissioner, Commander of military affairs in the three states of Jingzhou, Wuzhou, and Youzhou, with the position of General Pacifying the West and concurrently Inspector of Jingzhou. Before he could assume the role, he was reassigned as Protector-General.
After Emperor Gaozong ascended the throne, Chen Shubao was appointed as a Cavalier Attendant and given military command over eighteen provinces, namely Guang, Heng, Dong Heng, Jiao, Yue, Cheng, Ding, Xin, He, Luo, Ai, De, Yi, Huang, Li, An, Shi, and Shuang. His official titles were General Who Pacifies the South, General of the Central Army for Pacifying Yue, and concurrently Governor of Guangzhou. However, before he arrived in Lingnan, the former Governor Ouyang He rebelled, which prevented Chen Shubao from entering. The court then sent the Minister of Works, Zhang Zhaoda, to lead troops to suppress Ouyang He. After Ouyang He was defeated, Chen Shubao was able to assume his post in Guangzhou. At that time, Guangzhou was experiencing war and famine, with ruins all around. Chen Shubao worked hard to pacify the people, extending kindness to them, for which the people of Lingnan were very grateful.
In the fourth year of the Taijian reign, he was summoned back to the court to serve as General of the Front. On his way back to the court, due to the lengthy journey, he did not arrive on time and was impeached and dismissed by the appropriate authorities. Eleven years later, he was appointed as a Cavalier Attendant and Minister of Guards. In the same year, he was granted the title of General Who Pacifies the North and Acting General, responsible for overseeing Nanyanzhou. In the twelfth year, he was reassigned as a Cavalier Attendant and General of the Right, responsible for supervising Nanxuzhou. The court also sent General of Electric Power, Pei Zilie, to lead five hundred war horses to support him in defending the Yangtze River. The following year, he returned to the court as Minister of Guards, while retaining his titles of Cavalier Attendant and General. Shortly after, he was appointed as Imperial Attendant, and then promoted to General Who Protects the Army. After the later Emperor ascended the throne, he fell ill and was reassigned as a Cavalier Attendant, Special Advanced, and Senior Grand Master of Splendid Happiness. He passed away in the same year at the age of seventy-four. The court posthumously conferred upon him the title of General of the Left Yi, granted him the Eastern Garden Secret Artifacts, sent officials to mourn for him, and covered all the funeral expenses. He was posthumously honored with the title "Yuan." His son, Chen Faxing, succeeded to his title.
Historians say that Hu Ying, Xu Du, Du Leng, and Shen Ke, these individuals, are like a steed that covers a thousand miles, bathed in the radiance of the sun and moon. Only then can they truly grasp their duty to serve the state and fully understand their responsibility to assist the emperor. They enjoy wealth and honor during their lifetime, and even after death, they can enjoy the honor of being honored in sacrifice. It's truly magnificent!
The achievements of these individuals, like a steed that covers a thousand miles, flourish rapidly. Their merits shine like the sun and moon, allowing people to recognize their ability to assist the emperor and their responsibility to the state. They enjoy wealth and honor during their lifetime, and even after death, they can be revered through sacrifice. They truly stand out!
