Du Sengming, courtesy name Hongzhao, was born in Yangzhou, Jiangsu. He was short in stature, but his courage and boldness surpassed that of most. He was strong and skilled in both horseback riding and archery. During the Datong period of the Liang Dynasty, Lu Anxing served as the supervisor of Nanjiang in Guangzhou. Du Sengming, his brother Du Tianhe, and Zhou Wenyu were recommended by Lu Anxing to follow him to Guangzhou. They participated in multiple expeditions against the local indigenous people, gained significant achievements, and also assisted in defending Xinzhou. Du Tianhe was also talented and participated in numerous military campaigns. After Lu Anxing's death, Du Sengming worked for Lu Anxing's son, Lu Zixiong. When the local warlord Li Ben of Jiaozhou rebelled and drove away the governor Xiao Zi, who subsequently fled to Guangzhou, the court sent Lu Zixiong and Sun Jiong, the governor of Gaozhou, to suppress Li Ben. At that time, the grass was just beginning to grow in spring, and the miasma was starting to spread. Lu Zixiong requested to wait until autumn to launch the attack, but the governor of Guangzhou, Xiao Ying, disagreed, and Xiao Zi urged them to set off quickly. Lu Zixiong and his men had no choice but to depart. When they reached Hepu, nearly seventy percent of the troops had died, and the soldiers were afraid and exhausted, fleeing in all directions. Unable to keep them in line, Lu Zixiong had to retreat with the remaining soldiers back to Guangzhou. Xiao Zi accused Lu Zixiong and Sun Jiong of conspiring with the rebels, deliberately stalling the campaign, and Emperor Wu of Liang ordered Lu Zixiong and his son to be executed in Guangzhou.
Lu Zixiong's sons, Lu Zilue and Lu Zilie, are both remarkable figures, and their family is in Nanjiang. Du Tianhe discussed with everyone, saying: "The Lu family has treated us well for generations. Now that Lu Zixiong and his son have been wrongly accused and died, we can't let their deaths go unavenged. This is not how a true man acts! My brother Du Sengming is a force to be reckoned with. If we surround the city and rally the people, who would dare not to obey? Once we take the city, we will execute Xiao Ying and Xiao Zi in honor of the Lu father and son. Then when the court's envoys arrive, we will surrender and face trial in court. This way, dying is better than living in shame! Even if we fail, we’ll have no regrets!" Everyone was fired up and responded, "We are willing to do this; we will follow your orders!" So Du Tianhe, Zhou Wenyu, and others led everyone to form an alliance, elected Lu Zilue, the son of Lu Zixiong, as the leader, and attacked the Guangzhou Governor Xiao Ying. Lu Zilue stationed in the south of the city, Du Tianhe in the north, and Du Sengming and Zhou Wenyu occupied the east and west sides respectively, and the officials and people responded to them. In just one day, our forces swelled to tens of thousands. At that time, Emperor Liang Wu was stationed in Gaoyao. After hearing about this matter, he marched his army to quell the rebellion, defeated the rebels, killed Du Tianhe, and captured Du Sengming, Zhou Wenyu, and others. Emperor Liang Wu later released them all and appointed Du Sengming as the commander-in-chief. Legend has it that when Emperor Gaozu fought against Jiaozhi and suppressed Yuan Jingzhong, Sengming and Zhou Wenyu both played pivotal roles. Later, when Hou Jing rebelled, they both followed Gaozu to rescue the capital. Gaozu triumphed over Lan Yu in Shixing, and Sengming captured Lan Yu alive and beheaded him. Another time, he and Cai Luyang fought in Nanye, Sengming's horse was wounded, and Gaozu rushed to his aid, even giving his own horse to Sengming. Sengming took Gaozu's horse, led dozens of people to charge again, and the enemy fell apart. Gaozu pressed on and routed Cai Luyang.
Gaozhou's Governor, Li Qianshi, occupied Dagao and advanced towards Xanshi, attempting to compel Gaozu to surrender. Gaozu sent Zhou Wenyu to lead the vanguard, along with Monk Ming, to drive Li Qianshi back. Li Qianshi teamed up with Liu Xiaoshang of Ningdu, planning to attack Nankang. Gaozu then dispatched Monk Ming and Wenyu to confront them. After a stalemate lasting over a hundred days, Li Qianshi was finally captured and brought to Gaozu's army. After Gaozu took Nankang, he assigned Monk Ming to defend Xichang, overseeing military affairs in Ancheng and Luling. Emperor Yuandi issued a decree appointing Monk Ming as the General of the Guard, Governor of Xinzhou, and granting him the title of Viscount of Linjiang County with a fief of three hundred households.
Hou Jing dispatched Yu Qing and others to disturb Nanjiang. Gaozu, stationed in Yuzhang, appointed Monk Ming as the vanguard, where he achieved victory every time. Gaozu recommended Monk Ming for the position of Chief Clerk and continued to follow him on the eastern expedition. Upon the army's arrival at Caizhou, Monk Ming led his troops to set fire to the enemy's large ships. After Hou Jing was pacified, in recognition of his military achievements, Monk Ming was appointed as a Cavalier Attendant, General of Mingwei, and Governor of Nanyanzhou, promoted to a Marquis with a fief of five hundred households, also serving as the Prefect of Jinling. In the second year of Chengsheng, he followed Gaozu north to besiege Guangling, his official position was further elevated to Commissioner, and he was appointed as the General Who Pacifies the North, with his other titles remaining unchanged. When Jingzhou was lost, Gaozu sent Monk Ming to follow Hou Tian to the western front for rescue, where he died of illness in Jiangzhou at the age of forty-six. He was posthumously appointed as Cavalier Attendant and posthumously bestowed with the title "Wei." After Emperor Sizong took the throne, he posthumously appointed Monk Ming as the Minister of War. In the second year of Tianjia, Monk Ming was commemorated in Gaozu's temple. His son, Monk Jin, succeeded him in his title.
Zhou Wenyu, courtesy name Jingde, was from Yangxian, Yixing, Jiangsu. He grew up in poverty as an orphan, originally surnamed Xiang and named Mengnu, living in Shouxian, Anhui. At the age of eleven, he could swim several miles and jump five or six feet high. He played with his friends and was unmatched. Zhou Hui, the chief of Shouchang Pukou from Yixing, was amazed by Zhou Wenyu and called him over to talk. Zhou Wenyu said, "My mother is old, our family is poor, my older siblings are burdened by taxes and can barely breathe." Zhou Hui felt sorry for him and followed him home, asking Zhou Wenyu's mother to adopt him as her own, and she agreed. When Zhou Hui completed his term, he took Zhou Wenyu back to the capital to meet Zhou She, the Prince's Supervisor, and asked him to give Zhou Wenyu a name. Zhou She named him Zhou Wenyu, courtesy name Jingde. He had his nephew Hongrang teach him reading, writing, and arithmetic. Hongrang was proficient in clerical script and gave Zhou Wenyu Cai Yong's "Exhortation to Study" along with some ancient poems, but Zhou Wenyu didn't even bother to look at them. He told Hongrang, "Who needs to bother learning that stuff? If you want to get rich, you need to practice riding and fighting!" Hongrang was impressed by his determination and started teaching him how to ride horses and shoot arrows. Zhou Wenyu was thrilled.
The governor of Sizhou, Chen Qingzhi, and Zhou Hui are from the same county and have a good relationship. Chen Qingzhi recommended Zhou Hui as the commander of the vanguard troops. Chen Qingzhi sent Zhou Hui with five hundred men to Xinchai Xuanhu (now Runan, Henan) to quell the Baishui Barbarians. The Baishui Barbarians wanted to capture Zhou Hui and send him to Northern Wei, but their plot was uncovered. Zhou Hui and Zhou Wenyu resisted together. They faced a multitude of enemies and fought dozens of times in a day. Zhou Wenyu fought bravely and valiantly. During the battle, Zhou Hui was killed, and Zhou Wenyu rushed into the enemy's formation to retrieve Zhou Hui's body, causing the enemy to hesitate. Only by evening did both sides withdraw. Zhou Wenyu sustained nine wounds, and after he recovered, he requested to return home to bury Zhou Hui. Chen Qingzhi held his loyalty in high regard and gave him many valuables to send him back. After the burial, he encountered Lu Anxing, who had been appointed as the supervisor of Nanjiang, and invited Zhou Wenyu to work together. After several campaigns against the Li and Liao tribes (ancient southern minority ethnic groups), Zhou Wenyu was appointed as the county magistrate of Nanhai. After Lu Anxing's death, Zhou Wenyu and Du Sengming attacked Guangzhou together but were ultimately defeated by Gaozu (referring to Emperor Wu of Liang, Xiao Yan). Gaozu later granted him a pardon, and this incident was recorded in Du Sengming's biography.
Governor Wang Mo of Jianzhou promoted Wenyu to a significant official role and gave him many responsibilities. As Wang Mo was preparing to depart, Wenyu wanted to leave with him. When they reached Dayu Ling, they went to a fortune teller, who told them, "If you go north, you will at most become a county magistrate. If you go south, you can become a marquis." Wenyu replied, "As long as I have enough money, who cares about becoming a marquis!" The fortune teller then said, "You will unexpectedly receive two thousand silver coins soon. If you don't believe me, let's put this to the test." That night, they stayed at an inn, and a merchant approached Wenyu to gamble, and Wenyu ended up winning two thousand silver coins.
The next morning, Wenyu bid farewell to Wang Mo, who asked him what happened. Wenyu told him about the incident, and Wang Mo let him go. Upon hearing that Wenyu had returned to Gaoyao, Gaozu was very happy and sent someone to welcome him, rewarding him generously and giving him a portion of the army.
During the time when Gaozu was on campaign against Hou Jing, Wenyu and Du Sengming were fighting on the front lines, capturing Kelanyu, supporting Ouyang Wei, and both achieved great success. Gaozu defeated Cai Luyang in Nanye, while Wenyu was surrounded by Cai Luyang's forces with enemies on all sides and arrows raining down. His horse died, but he fought desperately with his right hand while untying the saddle with his left hand, breaking out of the encirclement. He regrouped with Du Sengming and others to continue the attack, ultimately defeating the enemy. Gaozu recommended Wenyu for the position of governor.
Li Qianshi took control of Daga and sent his general Du Pinglu to construct a fort at Shanshi Yuliang. Gaozu ordered Wenyu to attack him. Du Pinglu abandoned the fort and fled, which allowed Wenyu to take control of the city. Hearing of Du Pinglu's defeat, Li Qianshi left the old, weak, and sick in Daga, leading a force of elite soldiers to attack Wenyu. The soldiers were terrified, but Wenyu fought back, causing Li Qianshi to retreat slightly. Gaozu then dispatched Du Sengming to provide reinforcements, defeating Li Qianshi's navy and forcing his troops to retreat to Xingan. Emperor Liang Yuan appointed Wenyu as General and Governor of Yizhou.
Li Qianshi and Liu Xiaoshang sought to resist the rebel forces, so Gaozu sent Wenyu along with Hou Andu, Du Sengming, Xu Du, and Du Leng to fortify Baikou. Wenyu engaged in several battles and eventually captured Li Qianshi alive.
Gaozu set out from Nankang and sent Wenyu with five thousand troops to secure a route along the river. Hou Jing's general Wang Bouchou occupied Yuzhang, but Wenyu defeated him and took the city. In recognition of his previous military achievements, he was granted the title of Marquis of Dongqian County, with a fief of five hundred households.
The army of Gaozu arrived at Baimaowan and ordered Wenyu and Du Sengming to lead the vanguard, pacifying cities such as Nanling and Quetou. Upon reaching Gushu, they fought against Jingjiang Hou Zijian and defeated him. During the Jingping period, Wenyu was appointed as Gentleman of the Imperial Secretariat, was granted the title of Marquis of Nanyi County with a fief of one thousand households, and was also appointed as the Prefect of Xinyi. Later, he was promoted and successively served as the Prefect of Nandanyang, Lanling, and Jinling, as well as the General of Zhiwu and Changshi Sanki, among other positions.
After Gaozu had Wang Sengbian executed, he ordered Wenyu to lead the army to support Shizu in Wuxing, and together they besieged Du Gan, ultimately capturing it. Afterwards, Wenyu crossed the river to launch an attack on Zhang Biao, the Prefect of Kuaiji, capturing his county city. Later, when Shizu was attacked by Zhang Biao, Wenyu was stationed at Xiangyansi in the north of the city. Shizu rushed to find him at night, and together they constructed defensive fortifications. Shortly after, Zhang Biao launched another attack, and Wenyu fought valiantly and ultimately defeated Zhang Biao.
Gaozu heard that Hou Jian had occupied Jiangzhou, so he ordered Wenyu to attack him and appointed Wenyu as the Commander of the Southern Yuzhou forces, General of Wuwei, and Governor of Southern Yuzhou, leading an assault on Pancheng. Before he could capture it, Xu Sihui led the Qi army to cross the river and occupy Wuhu. The court issued an edict ordering Wenyu to return to the capital. Xu Sihui and others positioned their warships from Qingdun to Qiji, attempting to cut off Wenyu's retreat. In the evening, Wenyu suddenly beat the drums and called for an attack, catching Xu Sihui and others off guard. The next morning, Wenyu turned around and attacked Xu Sihui. Xu Sihui's valiant general Baopeng only led a few warships to hold the rear, while Wenyu engaged him in a single sculled boat, boarded Baopeng's ship, killed Baopeng, and hauled his boat back to his own forces. The enemy was taken aback and left their boats in Wuhu, retreating on foot toward Danyang. At this time, Gaozu was holding off Xu Sihui in Baicheng and happened to meet with Wenyu. Just as they were about to engage in battle, a strong wind suddenly blew. Gaozu said, "Military strategy advises against fighting into the wind." Wenyu said, "The situation is urgent, we must fight immediately, who cares about tradition!" With that, he drew his spear, mounted his horse, charged into battle, and the entire army followed suit, charging ahead. The wind also changed direction, taking out hundreds of enemy soldiers. Xu Sihui and others moved their camp to Mofu Mountain, while Wenyu also repositioned his troops across the way. Wenyu fought repeatedly, with remarkable success, and was promoted to General Pingxi, enfeoffed as Duke of Shouchang County, and bestowed a ceremonial trumpet.
Xiao Bo, the Governor of Guangzhou, rebelled and led his troops over the mountains. The court then sent Wen Yu to lead the army to suppress him. At this time, Yu Xiaoqing, the leader of Xin Wu Dong, also joined Xiao Bo's rebellion. He sent his brother Yu Xiaomai to defend the county city while he himself went to Yuzhang and took control of Shitou City. Xiao Bo sent his son Xiao Zi to reinforce Yu Xiaoqing, and another general, Ouyang Fei, stationed his troops at Kuzhu Beach, while Fu Tai guarded Zhaokou City to block the official army's attack.
The official army had limited ships, while Yu Xiaoqing had three hundred small boats and over a hundred large boats under his command. Wen Yu dispatched generals Jiao Sengdu and Yang Jian to launch a covert attack, seize the ships, and establish a camp in Yuzhang. At this point, the soldiers had run out of food and were eager to retreat, but Wen Yu opposed this. He secretly sent a letter to Zhou Di, addressing him as brother and explaining the interests involved. Zhou Di was very happy to receive the letter and promised to provide food and troop salaries.
Wen Yu arranged for the elderly, the weak, women, and children to board the old ships and travel downstream. He also burned down the camp in Yuzhang, pretending to retreat. When Yu Xiaoqing saw this, he was overjoyed and let down his guard. Wen Yu took a shortcut and reached Qianshao by nightfall. Upstream of Qianshao were Ouyang Wei and Xiao Bo, while downstream were Fu Tai and Yu Xiaoqing. Wen Yu occupied the middle ground, built fortifications to boost the morale of his soldiers, and frightened the rebels. Ouyang Wei was forced to retreat to Nixi to fortify the city. Wen Yu then dispatched General Yan Wei, Zhou Tiewu, and Chief Secretary Lu Shancai to assault Ouyang Wei, capturing him in the process.
Then Wenyu prepared for battle, boarded a boat with Ouyang Pei for a drinking session, and also took a tour around Fu Tai's city. They then attacked Fu Tai and captured him. When Xiao Bo learned of this in Nankang, his men were terrified and could no longer hold their ground. His general Tan Shiyuan contemplated killing Xiao Bo to surrender, but was subsequently killed by another officer. Shiyuan's general Xiahou Mingche brought Xiao Bo's severed head to surrender. Xiao Zi and Yu Xiaoqing continued to defend Shitou City. Gaozu sent Hou Andu to help Wenyu attack them. Xiao Zi surrendered to Wenyu, and Yu Xiaoqing escaped back to Xinfu. After securing Guangzhou, Wenyu returned to Yuzhang. In recognition of his achievements, he was appointed as General of the South, Inspector of Military Affairs, Governor of Jiangguangheng and other states, and Governor of Jiangzhou.
Wang Lin occupied the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. The court ordered Hou Andu to serve as the commander of the Western Route, and Wenyu to serve as the commander of the Southern Route, to proceed to Wuchang together. They engaged in battle with Wang Lin at Dunkou, and Wenyu was captured by Wang Lin, but later managed to escape. This event is documented in the "Biography of Hou Andu." Shortly after, Wenyu was appointed as Commissioner, Cavalier Attendant, General of the South, Inspector of Military Affairs, and was also bestowed the title of Duke of Shouchang, along with a ceremonial guard.
Later, Zhou Di defeated Yu Xiaoqing, and Yu Xiaoqing's son Gong Yang and brother Xiao Mai still occupied the original camp, stirring up rebellion in the south. Emperor Gaozu sent Wen Yu, Zhou Di, Huang Fabian, and others to suppress them. The governor of Yuzhang, Xiong Tanlang, also led troops to support, with a total strength of around ten thousand. Wen Yu assigned Wu Mingche to lead the navy to assist Zhou Di in transporting supplies, while he led the army to enter the Ivory River to construct a fort at Jinkou. Gong Yang led five hundred people to pretend to surrender, wanting to capture Wen Yu. However, their ruse was uncovered, and Wen Yu captured Gong Yang and sent him back to the capital, while his subordinates were also distributed to other armies. Wen Yu then abandoned the navy and switched to infantry, stationed in Sanbei. Wang Lin dispatched General Cao Qing with two thousand troops to rescue Xiao Mai. Cao Qing allocated some of his troops to Chang Zhongai to confront Wen Yu, while he led the remaining troops to directly attack the armies of Zhou Di and Wu Mingche. They were defeated, prompting Wen Yu to retreat to Jinkou. Xiong Tanlang plotted to kill Wen Yu in order to defect to Chang Zhongai. Wen Yu's military advisor, Sun Baixiang, noticed this and urged him to take preemptive action. Wen Yu said, "No, my old troops are few, and the outside troops are many. If I kill Tanlang, it will instill fear in everyone, and the army will quickly disband. It's better to be honest and appease them." Initially, after his defeat, Zhou Di abandoned his boat and fled, and no one knew where he went. Later, Wen Yu received a letter from Zhou Di and was overjoyed. He showed the letter to Xiong Tanlang, who subsequently killed him right in front of Wen Yu. Wen Yu was fifty-one at the time. Upon hearing the news, Emperor Gaozu held a mourning ceremony that very day, posthumously promoting Wen Yu to the rank of attendant and Minister of Works, and conferring upon him the posthumous title of Zhongmin.
When Wenyu was stationed in Sanbei, a meteor fell to the ground that sounded like thunder, causing a collapse of an area roughly ten feet on each side, containing several measures of broken charcoal. Another time, the market in the military camp suddenly heard the cry of a baby, which startled everyone in the market as the sound seemed to come from underground. The soldiers dug into the ground and found a three-foot long coffin, which Wenyu considered to be very ominous. Shortly after, Zhou Di was defeated in battle and Wenyu was also killed. In the second year of Tianjia, the court decreed that Wenyu should be honored with sacrifices in the Gaozu Temple. His son Bao'an inherited his title. Wenyu's cousin Jingyao, because of Wenyu's official position, also became the new governor of Xin'an.
Bao'an, styled Anmin, started practicing archery at the age of thirteen. Being a rich family's child, he was arrogant and unruly, idle, liked to raise dogs and ride horses, roam around, dressed flamboyantly, and secretly indulged in food and drink. At that time, Wenyu served as the Taishou of Jinling, and because he needed to pacify some unruly counties, he put Bao'an in charge of managing the affairs in the county. Bao'an also attracted a group of delinquent youths, causing considerable concern for Emperor Gaozu. Later, when Wenyu was defeated in the west and captured by Wang Lin, Bao'an reformed himself, studied diligently, associated with scholars, and managed Wenyu's army well, earning respect. He was then appointed as an Assistant Cavalry Officer. When Wenyu returned, Bao'an was promoted to Zhenwei General and the Prefect of Wuxing. Later, when Wenyu was killed by Xiong Tanlang, the court summoned Bao'an back to the capital. He was appointed as a General of Fierce Might, leading Wenyu's former troops in the continued southern campaign.
After Emperor Shizong ascended the throne, he held Bao An in high regard, considering him a trusted confidant and providing him with elite troops. During the suppression of the Wang Lin rebellion, Bao An achieved significant achievements. After defeating Xiong Tanlang, Bao An pursued and completely eliminated the remnants. In the second year of Tianjia, he was appointed as General of Xiongxin, Prefect of Wuxing, and granted the title of Duke of Shouchang County. Three years later, during the expedition against Liu Yi, he served as the vanguard for Hou Andu. After Liu Yi was subdued, he was appointed as Minister of the Yellow Gate and Commander of the Guard. Four years later, he was appointed as Governor of Southern Xuzhou, General Zhenyi, and Inspector of Southern Xuzhou. He was later summoned as General of the Left Guard and promoted to General of Xiwu. Shortly after, he also served as Commander of the Guard and was promoted to General Renwei. He died in the first year of Tiankang at the age of twenty-nine, posthumously awarded the titles of Palace Attendant and General of the Left Guard, with the posthumous title of Cheng.
His son inherited his title. After Bao An's death, his son also became a Deputy General. During the expedition against Ouyang Ge and the pacification of Huainan, he earned commendations and was granted the title of Count of Jiang'an with a fief of 400 households. Later, he served as Prefect of Jinling and Dingyuan Counties. He died in the ninth year of Taijian at the age of twenty-four, posthumously awarded the title of General Dianwei.
Hou Andu, whose courtesy name was Chengshi, was a native of Qujiang, Shixing. His family was well-respected in the area. His father, Wenhan, was renowned for his loyalty and prudence as a local official. After Andu rose to prominence, his father was appointed as Grand Master of Splendor and Interior Minister of Shixing, receiving a high salary.
Andu was skilled in calligraphy, playing the zither, had read various books, could write pentasyllabic poetry proficiently, and excelled in horseback riding and archery, which established him as a prominent figure in the area. Later, the Interior Minister of Shixing, Xiao Zifan, invited him to take on the role of chief clerk.
During Hou Jing's rebellion, An Du recruited troops, and he managed to gather as many as three thousand men! Gaozu set out to rescue the capital, and An Du led his troops to follow Gaozu, defeating Cai Lu-yang and Li Qian-shi, and finally quelling Hou Jing's rebellion together, earning many military achievements. Emperor Yuan appointed him as the Fierce General and Imperial Attendant of the Cavalry, and granted him the fief of three hundred households in Fuchuan County.
An Du later remained with Gaozu in Jingkou and subsequently became the Prefect of Lanling. Gaozu devised a surprise attack on Wang Sengbian, and besides An Du, no other generals knew about it. Gaozu and An Du discussed the plan, with An Du commanding the navy to sail directly from Jingkou to Shitou City, while Gaozu himself led the infantry and cavalry from Jiangcheng to meet at Luoluo. When An Du arrived at the north of Shitou City, he directly abandoned the ship and landed, without Wang Sengbian noticing. On the north side of Shitou City, there was a hillside nearby, and the city wall was not particularly high. An Du was wearing armor, with a long knife around his waist, and the soldiers hoisted him and tossed him through a gap in the city wall. Everyone rushed in together, charging straight towards Wang Sengbian's quarters.
Gaozu's army also arrived and fought with Wang Sengbian in front of the hearing hall. An Du burst out from the inner chamber, coordinating the internal and external forces, flanking from front and back, and finally captured Wang Sengbian.
In 555 AD, in recognition of his achievements, he was appointed as the Commissioner, the Cavalier Attendant, the Commander of all military forces in Southern Xuzhou, the General of Renwei, and the Governor of Southern Xuzhou, holding a prestigious official position. When the emperor went to suppress Du Gang in the east, An Du stayed in the capital. Consequently, Xu Sihui, Ren Yue, and others conspired with the enemies of the Qi state, captured Shitou City, and the enemy's cavalry even reached the gate of the imperial palace!
Andu, this fellow, remained calm in the face of danger. He ordered the city gates to be tightly closed and the flags to be put away, putting on a show of weakness and feigning fear. He also commanded the people in the city to say, "Anyone who dares to climb up the city wall to see the enemy will be beheaded!" By nightfall, seeing no activity, the enemy retreated to the stone city. Under the cover of night, Andu quietly had his soldiers prepare their defenses.
Early the next morning, the enemy cavalry returned. Andu, calmly, led three hundred elite soldiers, opened the gates on both sides of the city, took the initiative to attack, engaged the enemy and routed them, forcing them to flee back to the stone city in disgrace, never daring to approach the palace again. After the emperor returned, he appointed Andu in charge of the navy to intercept the enemy's supply lines in the middle of the Yangtze River. He also led troops to attack Qin County, broke through Xu Sihui's camp, and captured their families, horses, donkeys, and other supplies.
Even more remarkably, Andu also captured Xu Sihui's pipa and his hunting falcon, and intentionally returned them with a message: "I visited your mansion yesterday and found these things, so I am returning them to you now." Xu Sihui and his men were so terrified that they hurriedly sought a truce. The emperor agreed to let them return to the Qi state. However, after Xu Sihui and his men crossed the Yangtze River, the remaining Qi troops were still entrenched at the stone pier, maintaining a tight defense. The emperor then sent Andu to attack, resulting in the capture of numerous enemy soldiers.
Next spring, the emperor ordered Andu to garrison at Liangshan to guard against the Qi state. Xu Sihui and his men pushed into Danyang and reached Hushu, and Gaozu called Andu back, leading cavalrymen and infantry to face the Qi army at Gaoqiao. They then fought a battle south of Gengtan, with Andu leading just twelve cavalrymen charging into the enemy lines, defeating them and capturing the Qi general Qifu Wulao. He also wounded Qi general Dongfang Lao, who fell from his horse. The Qi cavalry arrived just in time to rescue Dongfang Lao, enabling his escape. The Qi army crossed Jiangshan to the north, and Andu engaged in another battle against Qi general Wang Jingbao at Longwei, where he sent his brother An Xiao and military officer Zhang Zuan to charge into the enemy lines. An Xiao was shot and fell from his horse, and Zhang Zuan was killed in action. Andu quickly rushed to rescue An Xiao, killing eleven enemy cavalrymen, and then brought back Zhang Zuan's body, causing the Qi army to retreat. Gaozu clashed with the Qi army at Mofu Mountain, ordering Andu to lead over a thousand cavalrymen and infantry to strike the Qi army from behind at Bai Xia, resulting in a crushing defeat for the Qi army. Andu then pursued the enemy to Sheshan, capturing countless foes. For his outstanding achievements, Andu was promoted and granted the title of marquis, along with an additional five hundred households of land and a ceremonial escort. He was later promoted to General of the South and granted the title Duke of Xijiang.
Afterwards, An Du continued to serve as the commander of the navy, went to Yuzhang, and assisted the governor of Yuzhou, Zhou Wenyu, in attacking Xiao Bo. Before An Du arrived, Zhou Wenyu had already killed Xiao Bo and captured Xiao Bo's generals Ouyang Wei, Fu Tai, and others. Only Xiao Qiang and Xiao Bo's son Xiao Zi still occupied the stone city of Yuzhang, where they built two fortifications, each occupying one, and prepared many ships, establishing a defensive formation on the water. Once An Du arrived, he ordered the soldiers to secretly burn their ships at night. Zhou Wenyu led the navy, An Du led the infantry and cavalry, and they landed and formed their troops. Xiao Qiang quickly cut off An Du's retreat, so An Du ordered the soldiers to fell a large number of pine trees, erect fences, gradually advance the camp, engaged in several battles, and achieved repeated victories, until finally Xiao Zi surrendered. Xiao Qiang fled back to Xingwu and requested to surrender using his own son as a hostage, which An Du agreed to. The army returned in triumph, and due to his achievements, An Du was promoted to General of the Northern Frontier and granted the title of "Imperial Preceptor."
It is said that An Du gathered his troops in Wuchang, and together with Zhou Wenyu, they went to the west to attack Wang Lin. Before departure, officials below the rank of nobility held a banquet in Xinlin to see them off. Unfortunately, when An Du rode his horse over the bridge, both he and his horse fell into the water, and later fell into the oar well from the cabin, which everyone interpreted as an ominous sign.
When they arrived in Wuchang, Wang Lin's subordinate Fan Meng abandoned the city and made a run for it, while Zhou Wenyu also rushed over from Yuzhang. At that point, the two generals acted together, but neither of them wanted to yield, leading to frequent squabbles among their subordinates. When the army arrived in Yingzhou, Wang Lin's subordinate Pan Chun fired arrows at the government troops inside the city, angering An Du, who surrounded the city with troops but couldn't take it. When Wang Lin reached Yankou, An Du ultimately abandoned Yingzhou, taking all his troops to Diankou to intercept Wang Lin, but they ran into a fierce wind and couldn’t get in. Wang Lin occupied the east bank, while the official army held the west bank. The two sides faced off for several days, and eventually clashed, with An Du, Zhou Wenyu, and Xu Jingcheng getting captured by Wang Lin. Wang Lin chained the three of them together with a long chain and stashed them in the hold, with his trusted aide Wang Zijin keeping watch. When Wang Lin's ship arrived at Baishuipu in Piancheng, An Du and his men sweet-talked Wang Zijin, promising him a ton of perks. Wang Zijin pretended to be fishing off the side of the ship in a little boat, and at night, he rescued An Du, Zhou Wenyu, and Xu Jingcheng, hiding them in some thick grass before making their way to the government troops. After returning to the capital, An Du owned up to his mistakes, and the emperor forgave him and reinstated his official rank and title.
Later, he became the Governor of Danyang and was also appointed as the Commander of the Southern Yuzhou Military, General of the West, and Governor of Southern Yuzhou. He was ordered to replace Zhou Wenyu in attacking Yu Xiaomai and the subordinates of Wang Lin, such as Cao Qing and Chang Zhongai. Andu set out from Gongting Lake, passed through Songmen, and quietly followed Chang Zhongai. Zhou Wenyu was killed by Xiong Tanlang, and Andu went back to get a large boat, coincidentally encountering Wang Lin's subordinates Zhou Jiong and Zhou Xie heading south. Andu fought them, won, and captured Zhou Jiong and Zhou Xie. Yu Xiaomai's brother, Xiaoyou, led over four thousand households intending to surrender to Wang Lin, but upon hearing of Zhou Jiong and Zhou Xie's defeat, surrendered to Andu. Andu then advanced to Qinqizhou, defeated Cao Qing, Chang Zhongai, and others, and burned their boats. Chang Zhongai fled to Lushan, where he was killed by local villagers, while the rest surrendered, and the situation stabilized.
When the army returned to Southern Anhui, Emperor Gaozu died. Andu followed Emperor Shizu back to the capital, where they discussed enthroning Emperor Shizu with the ministers. Emperor Shizu declined, out of humility, and the Empress Dowager, concerned about the Prince of Hengyang, also refused to issue the order. The ministers hesitated and were indecisive. Andu stood up and said, "The world is not yet pacified; how can we concern ourselves with such distant matters! The Prince of Linqing has made great contributions to the country and must be enthroned! Anyone who dares to oppose today will face execution!" Afterward, he drew his sword and asked the Empress Dowager to produce the Imperial Seal, then personally loosened Emperor Shizu's hair and pushed him onto the throne of mourning. Thus, he ascended the throne. Afterwards, Andu was promoted to Minister of Works, still serving as the Commander of the Southern Xuzhou Military, General Who Conquers the North, and Governor of Southern Xuzhou, and was also granted generous rewards.
Wang Lin's army reached Zhakou Pass, and the main force camped in Wuhu. At that time, Hou Han was the Grand Commander, in charge of command and strategic deployment, and many decisions were made based on An Du's advice. In the first year of the Tianjia era, An Du's fiefdom increased by a thousand households. When Wang Lin was defeated and fled to Northern Qi, An Du led the army to attack Piancheng, to quell the remnants of Wang Lin's forces, achieving victory wherever he went.
An Du was also ordered to welcome Prince Hengyang Xiao Chang. Initially, when Xiao Chang wanted to go to the capital, he wrote a letter to Emperor Shizu that was quite disrespectful, which angered the Emperor. So, Emperor Shizu summoned An Du and said calmly, "The Crown Prince is coming soon; we need to find someone else to assist him. I am getting old." An Du replied, "Since ancient times, has any emperor ever been replaced? I am but a dullard; I cannot follow your command." So, he requested to personally welcome Xiao Chang. Xiao Chang passed away shortly after arriving in Hanzhong. Due to his accomplishments, An Du was promoted to Duke of Qingyuan, with a fiefdom of four thousand households. From then on, his reputation grew immensely, and no one in the court could compare.
An Du's father, Wen Han, once served as the Governor of Shixing and died in office. Emperor Shizu summoned An Du back to the capital to pay his respects for his father. Shortly after, An Du resumed his original position, and his father was posthumously honored as Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary and Grand Master of Golden Purple, while his mother was bestowed the title of Lady of Qingyuan. The court also dispatched someone to escort An Du's mother back to the capital, but An Du's mother insisted on remaining in the countryside. The Emperor then issued an edict to rename Rucheng County in Guiyang as Luyang County, merging Shixing County and Anyuan County in Hengzhou to create Donghengzhou, and appointing An Du's younger brother An Xiao as the governor. An Du's third son, aged nine, was appointed as the Governor of Shixing by the Emperor and permitted to serve his mother in the countryside. That year, An Du was once again titled Duke of Guiyang.
After Wang Lin's defeat, the Zhou army occupied Bashu and Xiangdi. Andu was ordered to march west to suppress the rebellion. Later, Liu Yi occupied Dongyang, and Andu was then ordered to march east to confront Liu Yi. Liu Yi originally thought that the imperial forces would advance upstream from the Qiantang River, but Andu led his troops from Zhuji in Kuaiji, taking a detour through Yongkang. Liu Yi was terrified and quickly fled to Taozhiling, hiding in the valley and constructing barricades at the valley entrance to resist the imperial army.
Andu employed a strategy of coordinated city assaults against Liu Yi, personally charging into battle. He was struck by an arrow, blood streaming down to his ankles. But Andu remained composed in his chariot, commanding the army without changing his expression. He quickly built a dam using the terrain of the valley. In the summer of the third year of Tianjia, with heavy rainfall, the river surged. Andu led a fleet into the dam, confronting Liu Yi's city with tower ships, then using the force of the ships to demolish Liu Yi's towers and fortifications. Liu Yi fled to Jin'an with his second son, a loyal minister, while Andu captured his wife and children, seized all his troops, armor, and weapons, and then returned in triumph.
For this military achievement, Andu was appointed as an imperial attendant, the general of the North, with his fief expanded to include five thousand households, and he remained in his original garrison. That year, local officials and citizens jointly petitioned the court to erect a monument in honor of Andu, celebrating his achievements, and the court approved their request.
After Wang Lin's death, Andu's contributions grew, and he believed he had made significant contributions to securing the nation, slowly becoming increasingly proud and arrogant. He often summoned civil and military officials to gatherings, sometimes competing in archery and horse riding, sometimes having them write poetry and essays, and then rewarding them based on the quality. Civil officials included Chu Ji, Ma Shu, Yin Kong, Zhang Zhengjian, Xu Boyang, Liu Shan, and Zusundeng; military generals included Xiao Moha, Pei Zilie, and others, all becoming his guests. At times, the number of guests in his mansion sometimes exceeded a thousand.
Most of his subordinates did not abide by the law. If they were questioned or punished, they would flee back to Andu's mansion. Emperor Shizu was strict and astute, and he was very dissatisfied with Andu's behavior. Yet, Andu showed no remorse and only grew more arrogant. Whenever he wrote a memorial, after stamping it with his seal, if he still had more to say, he would break the seal again to add, "Furthermore, I report on a certain matter." When he drank too much at court banquets, he would sprawl with his legs apart. Once, at a banquet on Leyou Plain, he asked the Emperor, "How does this compare to when you were the Prince of Linyi?" The Emperor ignored him. Andu repeated the question several more times before the Emperor replied, "Although it is fate, it is indeed your merit." After the banquet, Andu requested to borrow tents, vessels, and decorations from the palace to bring his concubines for a gathering. Although Shizu consented, he felt quite displeased. The next day, Andu took the Emperor's seat, while his guests occupied the ministers' places, toasting and celebrating him.
Earlier, the Chongyun Hall caught fire, and Andu led armored soldiers into the palace. The Emperor loathed this incident and from then on kept a close watch on him. Later, when Zhou Di rebelled, the court officials believed Andu should be dispatched to quell the rebellion. However, the Emperor sent Wu Mingche instead and ordered the imperial censors to investigate Andu's subordinates multiple times, confiscating those who had fled or rebelled. Andu grew more and more anxious. In the winter of the third year, Andu sent his aide Zhou Hongshi to meet with the palace official Cai Jingli to gather intelligence. Cai Jingli noted Zhou Hongshi's words and reported them to the Emperor, suggesting Andu's rebellious intentions. Concerned that Andu was becoming uncontrollable, the following spring, the Emperor demoted him to Commander of Military Affairs in Jiangwu, Grand General of the Southern Campaign, and Inspector of Jiangzhou.
Andu returned to Jiankang from Jingkou, where his army entered Shitou City. The Emperor Shizu invited Andu to a banquet at Jiade Hall and summoned Andu's subordinates to the court at the Ministry of Personnel, seizing the opportunity to arrest Andu and imprison him in the west wing of Jiade Hall. His subordinates were also arrested, their horses and weapons confiscated, and they were later released. The Emperor then presented Cai Jingli’s memorial to the courtiers.
The imperial edict reads: "The Han Dynasty favored its meritorious subjects, leading to the rebellions of Han Xin and Peng Yue; the Jin Dynasty relied on frontier generals, resulting in Du Yu and Wang Dun rising in arms. If power is entrusted to Pang Meng, he will develop ambitions; if power is handed over to Huo Guang and Huo Yu, they will secretly plot conspiracies. A review of past dynasties shows that rebellions have always followed a similar pattern. Throughout history, sharing hardships can easily lead to collusion. Hou Andu originally had no grand plans or good morals, but he happened to live in prosperous times, participated in the country's construction, and rose from obscurity to a high position. I promoted him and entrusted him with heavy responsibilities. He held great power, was accorded great respect, and enjoyed high prestige. However, he became arrogant, considered himself superior to others, surrounded himself with outlaws, behaved frivolously and deceitfully, lacked shame, and showed no respect for the court. He was overbearing, greedy, and lawless, exploiting the areas he governed. He was stationed in Xuzhou and Huainan, bordering the Kingdom of Qi, where he sold prohibited items, traded with the common people, killed and buried bodies at will, poisoned water sources and land, showed no respect for the dead, and ignored the law. Because of his early contributions to the founding of the country and his involvement in the construction of palaces, I continued to tolerate him and showed him even greater care, preventing officials from impeaching him, and hoping he would reform. I was open and sincere with him, even hosting banquets for him in the palace, and relaxing the vigilance of the elite Yulin Army. I never doubted him, even letting him stay in the palace. However, he did not repent, becoming more arrogant and recruiting civil and military officials to conspire. On the 11th of December last year, I received a memorial from the Palace Attendant Cai Jingli, stating that Hou Andu had sent his subordinate Zhou Hongshi to stay at Cai Jingli's house on the 10th of last month to inquire about the situation in the palace, detailing his rebellious plans. I still endured and treated him as before. I transferred him from the north to the south, but he only made his conspiracy more apparent. Now he wants to use his original station to do evil. If such actions can be overlooked, then what cannot be tolerated? Fortunately, thanks to divine protection and the loyalty of my attendants, his conspiracy was exposed, and his crimes were clear. After a thorough review of historical records and prompt enforcement of the law, only his accomplices will be pursued, and the rest will not be investigated." The next day, Andu was executed in the Western Province at the age of 44. A decree was then issued, pardoning his wife, children, and relatives, entombing him with the honors befitting a scholar, and covering all funeral expenses borne by the court.
At the beginning, Emperor Gaozu was in the capital city, feasting with his generals. Du Sengming, Zhou Wenyu, and Hou Andu all came to celebrate his birthday, each boasting about their own accomplishments. Emperor Gaozu said, "You are all good generals, but each of you has flaws. Du, while your ambitions are grand, your understanding is lacking. You are overly familiar with your subordinates and excessively arrogant towards your superiors, only concerned with showcasing your accomplishments while failing to recognize your own shortcomings. Zhou, you befriend people indiscriminately and trust others too much, often finding yourself in peril due to your lack of caution. Hou, you are quick-tempered, lacking patience, frivolous, and reckless. These traits are not conducive to your self-preservation." As a result, the fates of these generals turned out just as Emperor Gaozu had predicted.
Hou Andu's eldest son, Hou Dun, became a Chamberlain at the age of twelve. In the second year of Tianjia, he fell off his horse and died. He was bestowed the title of Prince of Guiyangguo posthumously. In the third year of Taijian, Emperor Gaozu posthumously appointed Hou Andu as the Marquis of Chenji County, with a fief of five hundred households, which was to be inherited by his son, Hou Dan.
Hou Andu's younger brother, Hou Xiao, accompanied him on many expeditions and achieved great success. He rose to the rank of Chamberlain, General of Mingwei, and Governor of Donghengzhou, and was appointed as the Marquis of Huaihua County with a fief of five hundred households. He passed away at the age of forty-one in the third year of Tianjia.
Historians noted that Du Sengming and Zhou Wenyu achieved significant accomplishments, benefiting from the prosperous times. They were comparable to other prominent figures of their time. In contrast, Hou Andu's character was at odds with the prevailing culture of the era. His power exceeded that of his predecessors, resulting in his arrogance and lack of restraint. If he hadn't engaged in rebellion, how could he have faced such a demise? Just like how Emperor Han Gaozu killed Han Xin and Emperor Song Wudi killed Liu Yu, there were justifiable reasons for their actions!
