Zong Kuai, courtesy name Mingke (明敭), was from Nieyang in Nanyang, and his family had resided in Jiangling for generations. His grandfather Zong Bing was summoned to serve as a prince's son during the Song Dynasty, but he declined the invitation, which earned him considerable prestige. "Zong Bing, summoned as a prince's son during the Song Dynasty, gained a high reputation." His father Zong Fan served as a military advisor in the Western Zhonglang. Zong Kuai was diligent and studious from a young age, and he was highly organized in his endeavors. At the age of twenty, he passed the imperial examination and became a scholar in Yingzhou, and later served as an attendant to the Prince of Linchuan and a cavalry officer. Prince Jingling of Qi, who was the Minister of State, once gathered a group of scholars at the Western Pavilion to admire paintings, and Zong Kuai also participated. "Prince Jingling of Qi gathered scholars at the Western Pavilion to view paintings, and Zong Kuai also participated."
During the Yongming period, the Southern Qi and Northern Wei formed a marriage alliance. The court tasked Zong Guai and Ren Fang, the Minister of the Palace Secretariat, with receiving the Northern Wei envoys together. They were both carefully chosen individuals of talent at the time. The Prince of Nanjun was the direct grandson of Emperor Wu, residing in Xizhou. He entrusted Zong Guai with managing documents due to his excellent writing skills and upright character, which earned him the Prince of Nanjun's trust and respect. Later, after the death of Crown Prince Wenhui, the Prince of Nanjun became the Crown Prince. Zong Guai continued to manage the documents. When the Crown Prince ascended the throne, his behavior was found lacking, so Zong Guai took the initiative to distance himself from him and was appointed as the magistrate of Moling County, and was subsequently promoted to the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat. Towards the end of the Longchang period, the Young Emperor was assassinated, and many of the favored old officials faced dire consequences. Only Zong Guai and Fu Zhao escaped the purge thanks to their integrity and honesty.
After Emperor Ming ascended the throne, he appointed Zong Quai as the Governor of Yingzhou. He performed excellently in his duties but later resigned to return to his hometown to care for his elderly parents. Prince Nangang served as the Governor of Jingzhou and invited him to serve as his aide. Later, when a rebellion broke out, Zong Quai was promoted to Military Advisor of the Western Army and continued to serve as an aide. At that time in the western region, only Zong Quai, along with his fellow townspeople Le Ai and Liu Tan, were trusted by the local people. Therefore, General Xiao Yingzhou had great trust in him and frequently sought his counsel. When Emperor Xiaoyan rebelled against Yongzhou, Xiao Yingzhou sent Zong Quai to report on the situation and escort military supplies, and treated him with great respect. In the early years of the Zhengxing era, Zong Quai was promoted to Deputy Imperial Secretary but later resigned due to the passing of his father. He was then appointed as Champion General and Chief of the Guard. In the first year of Tianjian, he was promoted to Chief of the Imperial Guards and Governor of Donghai, while continuing his role as a general. In the second year of Tianjian, he was summoned back to the court to serve as the Right Guard of the Crown Prince. That winter, he was further promoted to Minister of the Five Armies, participating in the selection of officials. In the third year of Tianjian, Zong Quai died at the age of forty-nine. His son Zong Yaoqing inherited his title.
Zongyue, Zongzhuai's cousin, was a well-known and respected person, praised by the people in the state, holding a higher official position than Zongzhuai. "Zongzhuai's cousin, Yue, is well-known, praised by the people in the state, superior to Zongzhuai. He served as a Lang in the Ministry of Personnel, a magistrate of Yingzhou, and a military officer of the Northern Central Army Record Office."
Liu Tan, known by his courtesy name Dede, was from Anzhong County, Nanyang, and was the seventh-generation descendant of the Qiao clan, which produced the General of the East during the Eastern Jin Dynasty. He gained recognition from his cousin Liu Qiu at a young age. In the first year of the Qi Jian era, he began serving as an attendant in the Kingdom of Nanjun, and shortly after was promoted to magistrate of Chanling County. He later rose to the position of military officer of the Southern Central Army Record Office, known for his efficiency in these roles. Later, when the King of Nankang became the Governor of Jingzhou, Liu Tan was appointed as the military officer of the Western Central Army, concurrently serving as magistrate of Changliu County. After the uprising of the righteous army, he was later promoted to an advisory military officer.
At that time, General Yang Fuguo was serving as the Governor of Xiangzhou and led his troops to Xiakou. The court deliberated on who should assume the role of interim governor of Xiangzhou. Liu Tan addressed the assembly, saying, "The people of Xiangzhou are easily agitated, and it's difficult to gain their trust. If only troops are sent, the common people will fear disruption; if civil officials are sent, there will be a lack of deterrence. To pacify the entire Xiangzhou and ensure that both the military and civilians have enough to eat and wear, no one is more suitable than I am. I have long sought to achieve distinction in the battle against the Xianling, and now is the time." Everyone accepted his suggestion. Therefore, Liu Tan was appointed Chief Historian of Fuguo and concurrently served as the Governor of Changsha, acting as the interim governor of Xiangzhou.
Upon disembarking from his carriage in Xiangzhou, Liu Tan was warmly welcomed by many due to his prior friendships. He selected capable officials and sent them to ten counties to mobilize all young men and deliver over three hundred thousand shi of grain to support the righteous army, addressing the army's supply issues.
Speaking of that time, the emperor was inept and sent An Cheng Prefect Liu Xizu to pacify the appointed prefect Fan Sengjian of Xitai. Consequently, Liu Xizu issued a proclamation to Xiangzhou, calling for everyone to rebel together. Subsequently, Shixing's Interior Minister Wang Sengcan was the first to respond. The people of Shaoling also ousted their Interior Minister, Chu Jian, while Yongyang's Zhou Hui led his troops to attack Shi'an County, all joining the rebellion with Wang Sengcan. Guiyang's Shao Nong and Deng Daojie also joined the uprising due to personal grievances.
Wang Sengcan claimed to be the General of Pacifying the West and the Inspector of Xiangzhou, and asked Yongyang's Zhou Shu to be his military adviser, then led troops to attack Jianning. Since then, various counties in Xiangzhou have risen in rebellion, with only the counties of Linxiang, Xiangyin, Liuyang, and Luo remaining relatively peaceful. The people in the province wanted to escape by boat, but Provincial Lord Tan gathered all the boats and set them ablaze, then sent General Yin Falue to resist Wang Sengcan. The two sides were at a stalemate, unable to gain the upper hand.
At this time, the military governor of Xiangzhou, Zhong Xuanshao, secretly planned to support Wang Sengcan. He gathered hundreds of soldiers and civilians, and after a discussion, they set a date to rebel against the provincial city. Provincial Lord Tan was aware of his conspiracy but feigned ignorance, delaying the trial until nightfall, intentionally leaving the city gates open to observe Zhong Xuanshao's intentions. Before Zhong Xuanshao could act, the next morning, he inquired of Tan why the city gates had not been closed. Tan engaged him in conversation for an extended period, secretly sending soldiers to search his home. While Zhong Xuanshao remained present, the soldiers had already recovered his letters and evidence. Zhong Xuanshao promptly confessed, and Tan immediately killed him, burned his letters, and did not interrogate any other participants. Everyone felt ashamed and convinced, and the province was finally stabilized.
After months of stalemate between Yin Falue and Wang Sengcan, after Jiankang City was pacified, Provincial Lord Tan returned to the province, and the rebellious bandits gradually dispersed.
During the Tianjian period, he was initially appointed to the title of Marquis of Lipu County and granted a fief consisting of three hundred households for his achievements in pacifying the chaos. Later, he was promoted to General of Pingxi and Prefect of Xinxing. In the third year of Tianjian, he was further promoted to Chief Historian of the Western Center Army and passed away at sixty-two. His son Quan succeeded him in his title.
Le Ai, styled Wei Yuan, was from Yuyang in Nanyang and was the sixth great-grandson of Le Guang, who served as the Prefect during the Jin Dynasty. His family had lived in Jiangling for generations. His uncle, the Inspector of Yongzhou, Zong Que, once set out a pile of things to test his nephews. Le Ai was still young at that time, but he only took books. Zong Que found this quality in him remarkable. He then provided Le Ai and the others with several volumes of historical texts to read and asked them to remember and discuss what they had read. Le Ai merely glanced at them and was able to recall everything, which further impressed Zong Que.
Later, when King Jianping of Song was serving as the Inspector of Jingzhou, he appointed Yue Ai as the Principal Clerk. Jianping was transferred to serve as the Inspector of Nanxu Province, and Yue Ai followed him as a military officer responsible for legal matters in the northern campaign. He was later promoted to be the magistrate of Longyang County. After his father passed away, Yue Ai resigned from his position to observe a period of mourning at home. The local people petitioned the provincial government for his return. After his father's funeral, Yue Ai resumed his position. At that time, Prince Yi of Qiyuzhang was serving as the Prefect of Wuling and greatly admired Yue Ai's achievements. Later, when Prince Yi became the Inspector of Jingzhou, he appointed Yue Ai as a cavalry officer, also serving as the Chief Clerk of the province, participating in the administration of the province. Prince Yi often asked Yue Ai about the local customs, the foundation of the city walls, the degree of danger of the mountains and rivers, etc., and Yue Ai was able to answer fluently as if he was reading from a map. Prince Yi held him in even higher regard. Some people in the province were jealous of him and falsely accused Yue Ai of having a bustling office. Prince Yi sent people to secretly investigate and found that Yue Ai was actually studying behind closed doors. After Prince Yi returned to the capital, he appointed Yue Ai as a military officer in the Grand Commandant's office overseeing penal affairs, responsible for managing documents, and later promoted him to be the magistrate of Zhijiang County. He then served as a military officer in the Grand Marshal's office before being transferred to be a scribe.
In the eighth year of Yongming, Prince Zixiang of Badong in Jingzhou rebelled. After his defeat, he set fire to the provincial government, burning down all the official documents and archives. Emperor Wu summoned Yue Ai and asked him about the situation in Jingzhou. Yue Ai answered in detail and accurately, which pleased the Emperor. He was then appointed as the Zhong of Jingzhou Province and tasked with the restoration of the provincial government. Upon returning to Jingzhou, Yue Ai repaired hundreds of government offices, completing the work shortly without increasing the burden on the people. The people of Jingzhou all said that since Wang Yue of the Jin Dynasty moved to Jingzhou, the provincial government had never been better.
Nine years after, Prince Xie Tao of Yuzhang passed away. Shen Yue resigned from his official position to attend the funeral, accompanied by his former colleagues from Jingzhou and Xiangzhou to erect a stele at Xie Tao's grave. He later rose in rank, serving as a military official and infantry officer, before requesting a transfer to guard the borders and to return to his hometown. When Prince Xiao Baorong became the Western General, he appointed Shen Yue as his military advisor. Later, when Xiao Yan rebelled, Xiao Yingzhou led Shen Yue, Zong Quai, and Liu Tan together to oversee military strategy. After the establishment of the Liang Dynasty, Shen Yue was promoted to General of the Garrison, Deputy Director of the Imperial Secretariat, and Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. He was responsible for manufacturing weapons and armor, ships and military provisions, as well as establishing court rituals. Shortly after, he was promoted to Censor of the Yellow Gate, while retaining his position as Deputy Minister. When Xiao Yan went east to establish Jianye, Shen Yue also concurrently served as the Minister of the Guards.
In the early years of Tianjian, Shen Yue was promoted to General of the Agile Cavalry and concurrently served as the Supervisor of the Imperial Household. Not long after, he was promoted to Deputy Chief Imperial Censor, concurrently serving as the Grand Master of the capital province. It is said that when Shen Yue departed from Jiangling, eight spokes of a carriage wheel mysteriously appeared on the boat, reflecting the need for the Deputy Chief Imperial Censor to manage government affairs swiftly and avoid congested routes. Later, he was indeed appointed to this role. Shen Yue was known for his integrity and strength, excelling at the Imperial Censorate. At that time, when Prince Xuanwu of Changsha was to be buried, a fire broke out in the carriage and horse department's warehouse due to grease, and some sought to blame the officials in charge. Shen Yue said, "In the past, during the Jin Dynasty, a fire in the military warehouse was believed by Zhang Hua to have been caused by the accumulation of tens of thousands of stones of grease. Now, if only ashes remain in the warehouse, it is not the officials' fault." Upon inspection of the warehouse, accumulated ashes were indeed found. People praised Shen Yue at the time for his extensive knowledge and generosity.
In the second year, Shen Yue was appointed as the governor of Guang, Jiao, and Yue provinces, Champion General, and General Who Pacifies Yue. The former governor, Xu Yuanyu, was dismissed and, on his way home, he encountered a local rebellion in Shixing, where they defeated the official Cui Muxu and looted Xu Yuanyu's belongings. Xu Yuanyu fled back to Guangzhou and asked Shen Yue for troops, claiming it was to suppress the rebels, but he actually intended to betray Shen Yue. Seeing through Xu Yuanyu's scheme, Shen Yue had him killed. Not long after, Shen Yue was promoted to General Who Conquers the Caitiffs and eventually passed away while in office.
Shen Yue's sister married Liu Qiu, a scholar from the same county, who was also well-educated and sensible. After Shen Yue became a state official, he brought his sister to live in the official residence and shared his income with her. People in the western provinces praised the siblings.
Zi Facai, styled Yuanbei, and his younger brother Facang were both well-known when they were young. When they visited the capital city, they met Shen Yue, who praised them. When Qi He became Prime Minister, he recruited Facai as an army officer, and the general Zhenjun Xie Yingzhou invited him to serve as a chief clerk. After the establishment of the Liang Dynasty, he was appointed as a Lang in the Ministry of Works. In the second year of Tianjian, Xie Ai was stationed in Lingnan, while Facai stayed in the capital and was promoted to Lang of the Ministry of Revenue. After his father passed away, he resigned from his post and returned home to fulfill his mourning duties.
After the end of the mourning period, he was appointed as a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat, and then sent to Ben Prefecture as a deputy. Upon returning to the capital, he was appointed as an official in the Ministry of Rites, and once again took on the responsibilities of an official in the Imperial Secretariat, later being promoted to Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. When Prince Jin'an was appointed to Jingzhou, he was appointed again as Deputy Historian. He was summoned back to the court to serve as Deputy Minister of Personnel, and later sent to serve as General of Zhaoyuan Command and Magistrate of Jiankang. He refused to take a salary, and when he was about to retire, he had saved nearly one hundred gold coins, which was reported to the court by local officials. Emperor Gaozu highly valued his integrity and said, "Officials like him can serve as an example for all prefectures and counties!" That very day, he was promoted to Chief of the Imperial Boats.
He was then appointed as Interior Minister of Nankang, but he believed he should not gain fame through a salary, so he declined and did not accept. Shortly after, he was later appointed as General of Yunqi and Minister of the Household. He was later appointed as Chief Historian of Xinwu and Prefect of Jiangxia. Feeling that he had been replaced, he submitted a request to return home directly. Upon returning home, he converted part of his home into a temple, devoting himself to Buddhism and seeking to transcend worldly affairs. The Crown Prince, recognizing his legal talents, had repeatedly summoned him to come east, but he passed away before he could leave, at the age of sixty-three.
Yao Cha, the Minister of Personnel during the Chen Dynasty, remarked: Xiao Yingzhou led the armies of the major states in righteous endeavors; at that time, people had yet to understand his actions. These three individuals, all important ministers of Chu, made significant contributions to planning and construction; they contributed greatly at the local level; and in their official duties, Xiao Ai also considered the needs of the people. It was only natural that they all attained high official positions!
