Xie Ju, courtesy name Yanyang, is the younger brother of Xie Lan, who is the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat. He loved studying from a young age, was very articulate, and equally renowned as his brother Xie Lan. At the age of fourteen, Xie Ju once wrote a poem to present to Shen Yue, who held his poetry in high regard. At that time, people said, "The Wang family has Wang Jun and Wang Tai, while the Xie family has Xie Lan and Xie Ju." Wang Jun and Wang Tai were the childhood names of the Wang brothers. Xie Ju initially served as a Gentleman of the Secretariat and was later promoted to Junior Attendant to the Crown Prince, a Clerk of Light Chariots, a Deputy Director of the Secretariat, an Attendant Official of the Ministry of Works, a Junior Attendant to the Crown Prince, and a Household Manager, and was highly regarded by Crown Prince Zhaoming. When the Secretariat Supervisor Ren Fang was transferred to Xin'an County, Xie Ju also wrote a poem to bid him farewell, in which he wrote, "Who would have thought that an old and frail man would still depend on this old man?" This shows how deep his emotions were at the time. Once at a banquet in the Hualin Garden, the founding Emperor asked Xie Lan about Xie Ju's situation, to which Xie Lan replied, "Xie Ju's talent far surpasses mine; he just can't hold his liquor as well as I can." The founding Emperor was very pleased to hear this. Xie Ju was later promoted to Junior Attendant to the Crown Prince.
In the eleventh year of Tianjian, Xie Ju was promoted to the position of Court Attendant. In the fourteenth year, he was appointed as General of Ningyuan and Prefect of Yuzhang, where he governed the region with great success and was deeply loved by the people. In the eighteenth year, he returned to the court as an attendant and also served as Colonel of the Infantry. In the first year of Putong, he was appointed as General of Zhenyi and Chief Minister to Prince Linchuan. In the fourth year, he returned to the court as Left Minister of Personnel. In the same year, he was promoted to an official in charge of the Ministry of Personnel, but was soon dismissed due to official reasons. In the fifth year, he was once again appointed as Central Attendant to the Crown Prince, and also served as General of the Right Army. In the sixth year, he served as Left Minister of Personnel and Colonel of the Infantry. Shortly after, he was reassigned as Minister of Personnel and was later appointed as Court Attendant. He then served as General of Renwei and Prefect of Jinling. During his time in office in Jinling, he was honest and upright, and the people were all influenced by him, creating a peaceful environment. When he left his post, local officials and people all went to the court to request a monument be erected for him, which the Emperor approved. In the second year of Datong, he returned to the court as an attendant and Chief Secretary of the Five Armies. Before officially taking office, he was reassigned to manage the Ministry of Personnel, while still retaining his position as an attendant. Xie Ju's ancestors held official positions twice during the Song Dynasty, and Xie Ju himself served in this position three times, a remarkable achievement in history.
Xie Ju was knowledgeable, particularly adept in metaphysics and Buddhist philosophy. During his time as Prefect of Jinling, he often engaged in discussions of scriptures and doctrines with eminent monks, even attracting scholars such as He Yin from Huqiu Mountain. The atmosphere at that time was quite lively. Prior to this, the scholar Lu Guang, who came from the north, was well-versed in Confucianism and served as a Doctor of the Imperial Academy, frequently lecturing at the school, with even high-ranking officials like Xu Mian, the Supervisor, attending his lectures. Xie Ju also participated in these lectures, and several times he debated Lu Guang with articulate and logical arguments. Lu Guang greatly admired him and even recommended him using his own whisk to show his respect.
Four years later, he was promoted to the position of Imperial Attendant. Five years later, he was promoted to the position of Right Minister of the Secretariat, while still retaining the position of Imperial Attendant. In the third year of Datong, he fell ill and submitted a resignation letter, and was appointed as Right Grand Master of the Guanglu, with the court assigning him twenty trusted guards. In the same year, he was sent away to serve as General of the Cloud Command and Prefect of Wu Commandery. Previously, when He Jingrong held office in Wu Commandery, his political achievements were remarkable, and he was known as "He of Wu Commandery." After he took office, his achievements were comparable to his predecessor.
Six years later, he returned to the court as Imperial Attendant and Director of the Central Secretariat, but before he could take up the position, he was promoted to Crown Prince's Chief Steward and General of the Left, while still retaining the position of Imperial Attendant. After his father's death, he inherited his father's title and held this position throughout the Qi dynasty. He repeatedly petitioned to be reassigned to other positions, but the emperor ordered otherwise, and it was a long time before he officially assumed his duties. Nine years later, he was promoted to Supervisor of the Secretariat, while still retaining the positions of Imperial Attendant and general. Although he held the position of prime minister, he rarely participated in court affairs, often citing illness as a reason to resign. The emperor always granted his requests, personally writing prescriptions for him and giving him high-quality medicines. This was the emperor's favor towards him. In the same year, he also took on the role of Minister of Appointments. In the second year of Taiqing, he was promoted to Palace Governor with Equal Rank in Ceremony, while still retaining the positions of Imperial Attendant and general. That year, Hou Jing attacked the capital, and he died while under siege in the capital. The court posthumously appointed him as Imperial Attendant, Commander of the Imperial Guards, and Palace Governor with Equal Rank in Ceremony, while still retaining the positions of Imperial Attendant and Supervisor of the Secretariat. Unfortunately, his literary works were lost amidst the turmoil of war.
His two sons, Xi and Gu, both achieved fame at an early age. Gu, during the Taiqing era, held successive positions as the Crown Prince's Tutor, and later was sent away to serve as Prefect of Jian'an.
He Jingrong, courtesy name Guoli, was from Lujiang. His ancestor He Youzhi served as the Grand Minister of the Taichang during the Song Dynasty, and his father He Changyu served as the Minister of Personnel in the Qi Dynasty; both were well-known figures at the time. He Jingrong came from a prestigious family, and at a young age, he was chosen as the son-in-law of Princess Changcheng of Emperor Wu of Qi, holding the official title of Duke of the Imperial Guards.
During the early Tianjian era, he first served as a Secretariat Clerk and then gradually rose through the ranks, serving in various roles including Prince's Attendant, Palace Attendant in the Imperial Secretariat, Prince's Steward, Gentleman of the Palace Library, and Deputy Secretary, ultimately being promoted to the position of Zhongzhou Magistrate in Yangzhou. He was later appointed as the Governor of Jian'an, renowned for his integrity and effective governance, earning the love and respect of the people and officials. Upon returning to the capital, he was appointed as a Court Attendant and successively promoted to the Prince's Privy Councilor, Cavalier in Regular Attendance, Palace Attendant, and Left Chief Historian of the Minister of Works. In the second year of the Putong era, he served as Palace Attendant again, also overseeing the Imperial Guards, and soon held the position of Grand Supervisor in his home province. Not long after, he became the Minister of Personnel, known for his fair and strict selection of officials, with everyone praising his competence. In the fourth year of Putong, he was sent as General of Zhaoyuan and Prefect of Wu County, where he governed diligently and handled legal cases with remarkable skill, achieving outstanding governance results. Local officials and citizens petitioned the court to honor him with a monument, a request that the Emperor approved.
In the second year of Datong, he was summoned to serve as the Minister of the Central Secretariat, but before he could take office, he was appointed Minister of Personnel, concurrently serving as the General of the Right Army, and shortly thereafter was also appointed as an attendant. In the first year of Zhongdatong, he was appointed Crown Prince's Assistant Scholar. He Jingrong stood eight feet tall, with fair skin and striking features. He was dignified and steady, who paid great attention to his appearance, always dressing in bright, elaborate attire. Every time he attended court, his demeanor was remarkable, drawing attention. Three years later, he was promoted to the Minister of Personnel of the Right, participating in the selection of officials, while still serving as an attendant. At that time, Minister Xu Mian was responsible for confidential matters, but due to illness, he requested to step down, and recommended He Jingrong to take over his position, so He Jingrong received this appointment. Five years later, he was promoted to the Minister of Personnel of the Left, appointed as General of Xuanhui, and appointed a historian, while still serving as an attendant and handling confidential matters. In the first month of the third year of Datong, a fire broke out at the Zhuque Gate. Gaozu said to his courtiers, "This city gate was designed too narrow. I had planned to rebuild it, but unexpectedly faced a heavenly fire." Everyone exchanged glances, unsure how to respond. Only He Jingrong said, "This is what is meant by 'Your Majesty's will aligns with Heaven's.'" At that time, everyone thought this was a brilliant answer. Shortly thereafter, he was promoted to General of Central Authority and Governor of Danyang, while still serving as an attendant, handling confidential matters, and as a historian.
Fan Jingrong has been an official in the court for a long time. He is well-versed in past affairs, smart and capable, meticulous in handling government affairs, starts working early every morning and works late into the night. Starting from the Jin Dynasty and the Song Dynasty, those who served as prime ministers were all refined and cultured scholars. Fan Jingrong, on the other hand, worked diligently on various mundane tasks, leading many to look down on him and mock him. At that time, there was a somewhat frivolous young man named Xiao Chen, who even wrote a poem titled "Separation and Reunion" to poke fun at Fan Jingrong, but Fan Jingrong didn't care at all and was not angry.
In the eleventh year, Fan Jingrong's concubine's younger brother, Fei Huiming, became a small official in charge of the warehouse. He ended up stealing rice from the official warehouse in the middle of the night, was caught by the authorities and thrown into a military prison. At that time, Prince Yuanyu of Hedong was the general in command, and Fan Jingrong wrote a letter to Yuanyu, hoping to plead for his brother. Yuanyu directly reported the letter to the emperor. The emperor was furious and referred the case to the Southern Bureau for investigation. Chief Censor Zhang Wan accused Fan Jingrong of favoritism and injustice and recommended that he be executed. While the emperor spared his life, he dismissed him from office. In the earlier years, during the Tianjian period, there was a monk named Baozhi who once met Fan Jingrong and told him, "You will surely rise to a high position, but you will eventually fall due to some unforeseen reason." After becoming a prime minister, Fan Jingrong believed that those with the surname He would bring him misfortune, so he intentionally suppressed members of the He family to prevent them from holding official positions. In the end, he was indeed brought down by Prince Yuanyu.
Emperor Li Yuan of the Tang Dynasty gave a lecture on the "Golden Sutra of the Three Wisdoms" at Tongtai Temple. In March, Jingrong asked to sit in, and the emperor agreed. The emperor also allowed Jingrong to come to the palace to pay respects on the first and fifteenth of each month. Before long, Jingrong was promoted to the position of Jinzi Guanglu Dafu, and before officially taking up his post, he was also appointed as an attendant. Jingrong's old friends and students still flocked to him daily, hoping he would regain his former power.
Xie Yu from Kuaiji wrote a letter to advise Jingrong, saying, "The common people are buzzing with talk about how you can now come and go in the palace every day, and even the palace guards dare not scold you. This isn’t a good sign! I’m congratulating you on the surface, but I’m really worried about you. In the past, those rumors forced Duke Zhou to run around; when the envoy from Yan arrived, Zimeng refused the court's appointment. Those sages and wise men even blamed themselves for false accusations, let alone you, who still want to get close to the court? You’re now in a high position, like a fish in water and a bird in the sky, why should you care about a small fish tank or a birdcage? Because you are already standing very high!
In the past, you offered advice at court, adorned with jade and dressed in luxurious fur, walking in Wenchang Palace and running in the Wuzhang. This is already very glorious. Why don’t you recommend talents at this time and repay the emperor's favor? Now you are like silk, blamed by the court, and still want to peek into the court again; that idea is too risky! I worry you might make the same mistakes again. There are still many people visiting you now, not all of them are sincere—some might be like Guan Fu or Ren An, trying to use you to regain power. They want to take advantage of your influence, hoping you’ll be brought back into power. You should reflect on your mistakes and stop thinking about making a comeback. It’d be better to build a thatched cottage at the foot of Zhongshan and live a quiet life to protect yourself.
Just like Confucius and Zigong managed to correct their mistakes, you should talk less in public and seek redemption in books, as the saying goes, 'lose in the east, gain in the mulberry tree.' This way, the emperor will notice, and you might have a chance. I’m just a country guy hiding in a cave, not daring to entertain any improper thoughts, but I can’t stand the unreasonable scholars out there, so I’m taking a risk by writing to you, hoping you’ll understand my intentions."
In the year 544 AD, he was promoted to the position of Grand Minister to the Crown Prince, while still retaining the position of Attendant. The following year, Hou Jing attacked the capital city, and he moved from his own mansion to the imperial palace. At first, after Hou Jing's defeat at Woyang, before the news was fully verified, rumors spread that Hou Jing was planning to openly rebel, and he and his army had been annihilated, which caused great concern for the court. He quickly went to see the Crown Prince, who would later become Emperor Tai Zong, and Tai Zong said, "News has just come from north of the Huai River that Hou Jing should have escaped, not like the rumors say." He replied, "If Hou Jing is really dead, that would be a tremendous boon for the court!" Tai Zong's face changed, asking him why he said that. He explained, "Hou Jing is a treacherous rebel, and in the end will surely bring disaster to the country!" That year, Tai Zong often lectured on the books "Laozi" and "Zhuangzi" in Xuanpu, and the scholar Wu Zi lived near the Zhan Shi mansion and went to listen every day. He said to Wu Zi, "The decline of the Jin Dynasty in the past was largely due to the ancestors' pursuit of mystery, resulting in the destruction of the Central Plains by the barbarians. Now the Crown Prince is also studying these, which is probably not a good thing. Are we going to be conquered by the barbarians?" Not long after, Hou Jing's rebellion broke out, and his prediction came true. In January of the year 546 AD, he died in the chaos of war, and the court posthumously honored him with the title of General Ren Wei, while still retaining his official position. His ancestors, from He Chong, the Minister of Works during the Jin Dynasty, to He Shangzhi, the Minister of Works during the Song Dynasty, all believed in Buddhism and constructed pagodas and temples. In his generation, he donated a piece of land to the east of his home to build a temple, and many people donated money and helped with the construction, which he graciously accepted. Therefore, the temple's construction and decoration were quite magnificent, and some lighthearted folks at the time referred to it as the "Crowd-Built Temple." When he was later dismissed and moved out of the mansion, he took only his daily necessities and a change of clothes, leaving behind any extra money, for which people praised him.
His son, He Jue, held the position of secretary and died young. Yao Cha, who was the Minister of Personnel during the Chen Dynasty, said: From the Zhengshi period of the Wei Kingdom to the middle and late periods of the Jin Dynasty, the prevailing trend was all about those mysterious and unrestrained things. High-ranking officials above the level of secretary did not bother with official documents at all, leaving everything to the clerks below. In the Jiangnan region (referring to the Eastern Jin Dynasty), this situation worsened. Only Bian Yuan, despite holding an important position, still tried to manage official duties properly. As a result, Ruan Fu advised him, "You’re busy all day; don’t you get tired?" During the Song Dynasty, Wang Jinghong held a high position but never paid attention to official documents. Everyone thought he was carefree, and this trend only grew stronger. Look at officials with empty desks; they are seen as lofty, while those who take their duties seriously are seen as mundane. As a result, the court became lax, duties fell into chaos, and corrupt individuals rose to power, all for this reason! Alas! A corrupt atmosphere and moral decline, yet no one seemed to notice. During the Yongjia period (during the reign of Emperor Hui of Jin, referring to the period of the fall of Western Jin), the country was in turmoil, and the war reached the outskirts for a reason! Think about someone like He Guoli, who truly understood governance, yet was mocked as being out of touch—what a shame! To understand governance yet be mocked as vulgar—what a shame!
