Liu Jilian, whose courtesy name was Huixu, hailed from Pengcheng. His father Liu Sikao was a distant relative of the founder of the Song Dynasty and was quite prominent during that period, attaining the high rank of Jinsi Guanglu Dafu. Liu Jilian himself gained a good reputation, having served as an honest official from a young age. After Qi Gaodi usurped the throne and executed all the relatives of the Song Dynasty royal family, Liu Jilian came close to being implicated himself. Fortunately, the Grand Preceptor Chu Yuan had a good relationship with Liu Jilian and managed to save him from death. During the Jianyuan era, Liu Jilian was appointed as the Left Minister of Personnel. In the early years of the Yongming reign, he was sent to Jiangxia as the Interior Minister and later promoted to Interior Minister of Pingnan Changsha, Champion Registrar, and Governor of Guangling, where he oversaw the affairs of the provinces and prefectures simultaneously. He later returned to the court as a Yellow Gate Attendant Censor and was further promoted to the Central Preceptor of the Crown Prince. During the Jianwu period, he was dispatched to serve under the General Who Pacifies the West, Xiao Yaoxin, as the Chief Clerk, and later became the Governor of Nanjun. At that time, the sons of Emperor Ming were still young, so the court relied on the brothers Xiao Yaoxin internally, and on Emperor Ming's brother Liu Xuan and brother-in-law Jiang Ji externally. Xiao Yaoxin wielded significant power while stationed in Jiangling; upon his arrival in the province, he gathered guests and amassed wealth, which displeased Emperor Ming. Liu Jilian's nephew Langye Wang Hui served as a Consultative Officer under Xiao Yaoxin, was good-looking and eloquent, and was treated very well by Xiao Yaoxin. However, Langye Wang Hui was arrogant and disrespectful, even going so far as to publicly humiliate Liu Jilian in the presence of Xiao Yaoxin. This infuriated Liu Jilian, who discreetly reported Xiao Yaoxin's misconduct to Emperor Ming. Emperor Ming believed him and demoted Xiao Yaoxin to the post of Inspector of Yongzhou. Emperor Ming held Liu Jilian in high regard and, four years later, appointed him as the Auxiliary General and Governor of Yizhou, assigning him the task of supervising Xiao Yaoxin. Liu Jilian's father had previously served as the Governor of Yizhou during the Song Dynasty, notorious for his greed and stinginess, with little to show in terms of political achievements. Despite this, the people of Yizhou still regarded Liu Jilian favorably because of their respect for his father.
After Liu Jilian took office in Yizhou, he first visited and comforted the local elderly, reassuring the old and new residents. He also visited the officials who had served under his father before, and those people were moved to tears. He also appointed Gong Qie from Suining as the registrar of the prefecture. Gong Qie is the grandson of Gong Ying, and their family has been knowledgeable and prestigious for generations, so Liu Jilian invited him.
In the first year of Yongyuan, the newly appointed Emperor Dong Hun had just taken office. He sent Jilian to be the Right Guard General, but Jilian was delayed on his journey and couldn't arrive. Jilian heard that Emperor Dong Hun was indulgent and chaotic in the capital, which led him to become increasingly arrogant. He was already renowned for his literary talent, and with a jealous and narrow-minded personality, he grew even more tyrannical, cruel, and vicious, causing the local people to start complaining.
In September of that year, Jilian used military exercises as a pretext to gather five thousand soldiers, claiming it was for training but actually sending the soldiers led by Zhongbing Canjun Song Mai to launch a surprise attack on Zhongshui. Li Tuo from Rang County anticipated this and prepared defenses, resulting in Song Mai being defeated and retreating, causing many places in the state and counties to rebel. In the same month, Zhao Xubo from Xincheng killed the Five City Prefect and drove away the Shiping Prefect. In October, Le Bao from Jinyuan and Li Nandang killed their prefects, with Bao claiming to be the Governor of Southern Qinzhou and Nandang claiming to be the Governor of Yizhou. In December, Jilian sent Canjun Cui Maozu to lead two thousand soldiers to suppress them, with just three days' worth of supplies. It happened to be an unusually cold winter that year, and the rebel soldiers gathered together, felling trees to barricade the roads. The officials and soldiers were cold and hungry, resulting in the deaths of about one-seventeenth of their forces.
In the first month of the second year, the people of Xincheng expelled the Governor of Suining, Qiao Xiyuan. In the third month, the people of Baxi, led by Yong Daoxi, approached Baxi County with more than ten thousand rebel troops, self-styled as the General of the West, calling himself "Jianyi." Lu Xiulie, the Governor of Baxi, and Li Ying, the magistrate of Fu County, defended the city. Ji Lian sent Army Advisor Li Fengbo with five thousand troops to rescue them. After Li Fengbo arrived, he, along with the local garrison, defeated Yong Daoxi and killed him in the market of Fu County. Li Fengbo then led his troops alone to chase down the remaining rebels in the eastern part of Baxi County. Li Ying advised him, "The soldiers are tired, the leaders are proud; taking risks in times of victory is not a good idea. It's better to take a break and think of another way." Li Fengbo did not listen, led all his forces into the mountains, suffered a crushing defeat, and retreated back to the province. In June, Cheng Yanqi of Jiangyang rebelled and killed Governor He Fazang. Lu Xiulie, fearing for his own safety, fled to Badong to seek refuge with the Prime Minister of Badong, Xiao Huixun. In October, Zhao Xubai of Baxi rebelled again with twenty thousand troops marching out of Guanghan, riding in a ceremonial carriage, wrapping blue stones in colorful silk, fooling the common people by claiming, "Heaven has given me the jade seal; I want to be the king of Shu." Many ignorant people followed him. Ji Lian personally led the suppression, sending his Chief Clerk Zhao Yuechang to scout ahead. His forces were defeated, so Ji Lian sent Li Fengbo from the direction of Fu County to suppress them. Li Fengbo's army set out from Chanting, joined the main force in the city, attacked Zhao Xubai's camp, and secured a resounding victory.
There was once a man from Kuaiji named Shi Wen'an, whose courtesy earned him the courtesy name Shouxiu. He preferred a life of seclusion in the countryside and was exceptionally humble. Eventually, he succeeded Ji Lian as the Left Minister of Personnel, was later appointed as the Interior Minister of Jiangxia, and once again took over from Ji Lian as the Deputy Minister of Justice. He had a good relationship with Ji Lian. His son, Shi Zhongyuan, also known as Qinhui, heard about the uprising of the righteous army and led the people from his village to join in. In the early years of the Tianjian era, Shi Zhongyuan was appointed Assistant Governor of Yingzhou and accompanied Gaozu in restoring peace to the capital.
The following spring, Gaozu sent Shi Ziyuan, Ji Lian's younger brother, along with Ji Lian's two sons to the Shu region to convey his orders and express condolences. Upon receiving the order, Ji Lian hurriedly packed his belongings. Gaozu appointed Deng Yuanqi, a general from the Western Command, as the Governor of Yizhou, who hailed from Nanjun. Previously, when Ji Lian served as an official in Nanjun, he did not have a good relationship with Deng Yuanqi. One clerk, Zhu Daochen, who had served as the registrar in Ji Lian's household, was known to be a scoundrel. He committed a crime, and Ji Lian wanted to kill him, but Zhu Daochen managed to escape. At this time, Zhu Daochen said to Deng Yuanqi, "Yizhou has been in turmoil for quite some time, and both public and private warehouses must have incurred significant losses. The former Governor of Yizhou, Liu Yizhou, emptied the warehouses before leaving. How could he possibly send people to deliver goods from such a distance? Let me first check and meet them along the way; otherwise, managing the provisions for such a long journey will be difficult." Deng Yuanqi agreed.
After Zhu Daochen arrived in Yizhou, he spoke very rudely and wandered through government offices and people's homes, snatching up any valuable items he saw. If he couldn't take it, he'd say, "In the future, all these things will be mine, why bother being so stingy?" The people in the Yizhou military office were terrified, fearing that once Deng Yuanqi came to power, he would surely kill Ji Lian and drag them down with him. So they all told Ji Lian about this. Ji Lian found some truth in Zhu Daochen's words; he also resented not treating Deng Yuanqi well before, which only fueled his anger. A Sima named Zhu Shilue advised Ji Lian to take an official post in Baxi County, leaving his three sons as hostages. Ji Lian agreed. After a while, Ji Lian called his advisors together, forged a decree from Empress Qi Xuande, and gathered troops for a rebellion, capturing Zhu Daochen and executing him. Then he sent word to Zhu Shilue and summoned Li Ying. Both Li Ying and Zhu Shilue turned a deaf ear to him. When the messenger came back, Deng Yuanqi marched his troops to Baxi to await Ji Lian, and Ji Lian ended up executing all three of Zhu Shilue's sons. In June 502 AD, Yuanqi arrived in Baxi, and Ji Lian sent his general Li Fengbo and others to resist. The two sides clashed, with each experiencing victories and defeats, and after a prolonged battle, Li Fengbo was ultimately defeated and retreated to Chengdu. Ji Lian then forced the common people out, shut the city gates, and prepared for a siege. Yuanqi slowly advanced, encircling Chengdu. That winter, some military officials in Chengdu, including Jiang Xizhi, plotted to surrender, but their plan failed, and Ji Lian had them executed. The land of Shu had been ravaged by turmoil for two years, with the city's food supplies completely depleted. One liter of rice cost three thousand coins and was impossible to find, as people starved to death one after another. Those without family or friends were hunted down and eaten. Ji Lian himself had been living on porridge for months, starving and destitute, with no way to escape.
In the first month of the second year, Gaozu sent the chief secretary Zhao Jingyue to read the edict and persuade Jilian to surrender. Jilian stripped off his clothes to beg for forgiveness. Yuanqi moved Jilian outside the city, quickly went to see him and treated him with courtesy. Jilian said gratefully, "If I had known this, why did I do that in the first place!" Yuanqi killed Li Fengbo and other generals, then sent Jilian back to the capital. When Jilian was about to leave, everyone ignored him, except Gong Qie who accompanied him for a distance.
At first, Yuanqi worried that things wouldn’t go as planned, as he had nothing to reward the soldiers with, so he promised official positions to the soldiers who came to his side. Therefore, nearly two thousand people accepted positions like "Biejia" and "Zhizhong." After Jilian arrived in the capital, he went to the palace to thank Gaozu. Jilian entered through the East Yech Gate, bowing deeply every few steps until he reached Gaozu. Gaozu smiled and said, "You wanted to follow in Liu Bei's footsteps, but you didn’t even manage to catch up with Gongsun Shu. Don't you have a strategist like Zhuge Liang by your side?" Jilian bowed again in thanks. Later, he was granted amnesty and returned to commoner status. In the fourth year of the first month, when Jilian was leaving through Jianyang Gate, he was killed by a man from Shu named Lin Daogong. While in Shu, Jilian had killed Lin Daogong's father, and Lin Daogong had been waiting for this moment to take his revenge.
Chen Bozhi hailed from Jiyin Suiling. He had been very strong since he was a child. When he was about thirteen or fourteen, he liked to wear an otter fur hat and carry a dagger around his waist, waiting for the neighbor's rice to ripen so he could sneak in and steal it. Once, when the landowner spotted him, he shouted, "Hey, kid! Don’t move!" Chen Bozhi replied to the landowner, "You have so much rice in your house, what’s the big deal if you lose a bushel?" When the landowner attempted to catch him, Chen Bozhi charged forward with a knife, threatening to stab him, demanding, "What do you want me to do?" The landowner was so scared that he ran away, and Chen Bozhi casually carried the rice back home.
After growing up, he often engaged in robbery and theft in the Zhongli area. Once, he went to check someone else's boat, and the people on the boat attacked him, cutting off his left ear. Later, he followed the general Wang Guang from the same hometown. Wang Guang admired his bravery and often allowed him to sleep under his bed at night. He took him into battle every time.
Prince Jing of Anlu in the Qi Kingdom served as the Administrator of Nanyanzhou and brought a sizable force for his protection. Emperor Ming sent Wang Guang to attack Prince Jing. Upon arriving in Ouyang, he sent Chen Bozhi to scout the area. When the city gates opened, he went in alone and killed Prince Jing. After that, he achieved numerous military victories and was promoted to Champion General and Marshal of the Cavalry, granted the title of Count of Yufu County with a fief of five hundred households.
When the rebel army rose up, Emperor Donghun Xiaobaojuan appointed Xiao Bozhi as the acting general, commander of the advance forces, and governor of Yuzhou, retaining his previous rank. Not long after, Xiao Bozhi was transferred to be the governor of Jiangzhou, defending Xunyang against the rebel forces. After the capture of Yingcheng, Liu Yu, the founder of the Liu Song dynasty, obtained the chief of staff, Su Longzhi, from Xiao Bozhi and sent him to convince Xiao Bozhi to surrender. Xiao Bozhi was then appointed as the General of the East Command and the governor of Jiangzhou.
Although Xiao Bozhi accepted the appointment, he was still hesitant and feigned, "The army doesn't need to rush into an attack just yet." Liu Yu said to the generals, "Xiao Bozhi's response indicates that he has not completely surrendered in his heart. Since he is still hesitating, we should quickly pressure him!" So the army gradually advanced towards Xunyang, and Xiao Bozhi retreated to defend Nanhu. Eventually, he fully surrendered. Liu Yu promoted him to General of the South, and they headed south together. Xiao Bozhi set up camp at Limen and later advanced to Ximing Gate. Before Jiankang fell, every time there were defectors, Xiao Bozhi would call them over to whisper. Liu Yu worried he might have a change of heart, so he quietly said to Xiao Bozhi, "It is said that the people in the city are very angry at your surrender to Jiangzhou and want to send assassins to kill you. You must be careful!" Xiao Bozhi did not believe it at the time.
Later, the general Zheng Bolun of Donghun Hou surrendered, and Liu Yu asked him to see Xiao Bozhi. He said to him, "The people in the city hate you to the core and want to deceive you by promising you a title. If you rebel again, they will cut off your limbs alive; if you do not rebel, they will send assassins to kill you. You must be very careful!" Xiao Bozhi became fearful, and from that point on, he had no more second thoughts, fought bravely, and earned numerous military accolades. After the fall of Jiankang City, Xiao Bozhi was promoted to General of the South, appointed as the Duke of Fengcheng County with a fief of two thousand households, and then sent back to Jiangzhou to guard.
Unfortunately, Xiao Bozhi was illiterate, and when he returned to Jiangzhou, he could only respond in a loud voice to documents and legal matters. When handling matters, all were communicated through aides, and then decided by superiors.
Lao Chen (Chen Bozhi) was well-acquainted with Deng Shan from Yuzhang and Dai Yongzhong from Yongxing. Previously, Deng Shan had helped Lao Chen's son, Ying'er, avoid a disaster, and Lao Chen was very grateful to him. Later, Lao Chen became a state official and promoted Deng Shan to deputy and Dai Yongzhong to aide-de-camp.
Speaking of it, Chu Nie from Henan struggled to get by in the capital. In the late Qi dynasty, he became a minor official in Xicao, a minor department, in Yangzhou. When trouble hit, he'd hide out in the homes of ordinary folks. At that time, many people, even those who didn’t do well before, could really make a name for themselves in troubled times, but not Chu Nie. After the founding emperor took the throne, Chu Nie kept bothering Minister Fan Yun, hoping to find a good job, but Fan Yun didn't think much of him and kept turning him down. Chu Nie got increasingly frustrated and vented to his acquaintances, saying, "After the start of the Jianwu era, those who were previously unknown in the countryside have now become high officials. What did I do to deserve this? Now that the world has just been pacified, famine is everywhere, and who knows when things will go sideways again? Chen Bozhi commands a strong army in Jiangzhou. He's no loyal minister and definitely has his own agenda. Moreover, the planet Venus is hanging around the Southern Dipper, isn't all this happening because of me? If I go to him for help now, if things go south, I can always head to Wei. How could it be worse than in Henan?" So he wrote a letter to Chen Bozhi, which was passed on by Wang Simu, one of Chen Bozhi's guys. Chen Bozhi really liked him and they became quite close.
Later, Chen Bozhi's fellow villager Zhu Longfu also joined the Changliu Army. These two guys took advantage of Chen Bozhi's cluelessness, got up to all sorts of trouble, and took over all of Chen Bozhi's power. They had total control over the punishments.
The son of Bo, Huya, was the General of the Imperial Guard at that time. Emperor Gaozu personally handed the decree inscribed with the dragon seal to Huya, who then handed it over to Bo. Gaozu also sent the Deputy of Jiangzhou, Deng Shan, but Bo did not accept. Bo replied to Gaozu, saying, "The dragon seal represents elite soldiers and strong generals. Deng Shan has indeed made contributions. Let him take on the role of magistrate sent by the court." Deng Shan kept telling Bo, "The court's treasury is empty, there are no weapons or equipment, the granary is empty of rice, and people are starving in the east. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity we can't afford to miss!" Wei, Yongzhong, and others also backed this view. Bo said to Deng Shan, "If we fail to persuade Duan Qiqing now, we'll rise up together!"
The Emperor ordered Deng Shan to be transferred to another place. Bozhi then summoned the officials of the prefectures and counties and said, "Following the orders of Prince Qi Jian'an, I have led one hundred thousand volunteer soldiers from north of the river to Liuhe. I have been sent to Jiangzhou to quickly gather supplies, and I must send them without delay. I am grateful for the favor of Emperor Ming and vow to repay it with my life. Let's start preparing now!" Then he had Wei forge a letter from Xiao Baoyin and showed it to his subordinates. They set up an altar in front of the hall to worship the heavens, sacrificed animals, and swore an oath by drinking blood. Bozhi drank the oath wine first, and the officials below the Chief Historian followed suit. Wei said to Bozhi, "Now we are going to do great things; we should win the people's support. Cheng Yuanchong is unreliable; Wang Guan, the Governor of Linchuan, is the grandson of Monk Qian, known for his good character. We can summon him to be the Chief Historian to replace Cheng Yuanchong." Bozhi agreed. He also appointed Wei as the Prefect of Xunyang and promoted him to the General for Suppressing Rebels; Yongzhong as the Assistant Righteous General; Long Fu as the Inspector of Yuzhou, leading five hundred men to guard Dalei. The commander of Dalei is Shen Huixiu, and the military officer is Li Yanbo. He also sent the locals Sun Lin and Li Jing to accept Long Fu's command, with Sun Lin going to Xuzhou and Li Jing going to Yingzhou. The Prefect of Yuzhang, Zheng Bolun, also led the county soldiers to resist. Cheng Yuanchong, for neglecting his duties, gathered hundreds of people at home, intending to coordinate inside and outside. Bozhi's signatories, Lv Xiaotong and Dai Yuanze, also participated. Bozhi spent his mornings watching performances and napped in the afternoons, while his guards also took it easy. Cheng Yuanchong exploited Bozhi's complacency and entered from the north gate, heading straight to the hall. Bozhi heard the shouting and personally led people out. Cheng Yuanchong was no match and fled to Mount Lu.
At first, Yuanchong led his troops to find Zhang Xiaoji in Yang, and Zhang Xiaoji followed him. They were ultimately defeated. Bozhi couldn't catch up with Zhang Xiaoji, but instead captured Zhang Xiaoji's mother, Lang Shi, and killed her by pouring hot wax down her throat. Then Bozhi sent a messenger back to the capital to inform his brothers, Huya and the others. They escaped to Xuyi, where local men Xu An, Zhuang Xingshao, and Zhang Xianming attempted to intercept them but were instead killed. Gaozu dispatched Wang Mao to confront Bozhi.
When Bozhi heard that Wang Mao was coming, he said to his men: "Wang Guan refuses to obey my orders, and Zheng Bolun also refuses to surrender. Are we really going to be caught empty-handed? Now, let's take down Yuzhang first, open up the road to the south, recruit more troops and transport additional supplies, and then sweep north to attack those hungry and tired troops, so we can ensure victory." So, Bozhi left the local people Tang Gai to guard the city, and he led his troops to attack Yuzhang. Zheng Bolun, the Prefect of Yuzhang, put up a strong defense, and Bozhi was unable to breach the city. When Wang Mao's vanguard arrived, Bozhi was attacked from the front and back, and was defeated. He secretly escaped across the river to the north, taking his son Huya and Chuzhi with him to seek refuge in Wei. Wei appointed Bozhi as envoy, cavalier attendant, commander of military affairs in Huainan, general pacifying the south, grand master of splendid happiness, and marquis of Qujiang County.
In the fourth year of Tianjian, the court ordered the Grand Commandant, Prince Linchuan Hong, to lead an army north for an offensive. Hong discreetly penned a letter to Bozhi via his secretary, Qiu Chi:
General Chen, I hope all is well with you; that's truly great! Your bravery is unmatched among all the armies, a talent that is rare in the world. You should give up small ambitions like a sparrow and instead soar high like a swan. In the past, you seized opportunities to change your fate, met a wise ruler, established merit, founded a family and country, rode in magnificent chariots, and led armies for thousands of miles—what a sight to behold! But how did you suddenly become a fleeing captive, trembling at the sound of arrows and kneeling in a tent—how pitiful!
Upon careful reflection, the reason you left the court to join the enemy is simply that you failed to reflect on yourself, listened to rumors, and became ensnared in present difficulties, which led to where you are now. The court is now granting amnesty, rewarding merit, not holding past mistakes against anyone, bringing together those with genuine intentions, and pacifying all unrest. You know this already, so I won't go on about it. Zhu Wei killed his friend, Zhang Xiu killed his own son, and the emperors of the Han dynasty did not doubt them; the ruler of Wei treated them as before. Besides, your mistakes aren't as bad as theirs, and your accomplishments are much greater!
Ah, to find your way back after going astray, as the ancients have said; to turn back is the shore, this principle has been taught by our ancestors. The emperor is merciful; there's still a chance to make things right, like a leaking ship that can still be repaired. General, your home is safe, the high tower still stands, your beloved is still there, living a good life—what are you really thinking? Now, the court's heroes and generals are all in their places; some are advising in court, while others are guarding the borders, all pledging to pass on their legacy to future generations. But you, General, have to humbly seek survival, running to foreign lands—isn't that a shame?
Murong Chao, who was so powerful, was eventually escorted to the East Market to face execution; Yao Hong, who was so prestigious, was eventually bound and sent to Chang'an for surrender. Therefore, it can be said that this world is indeed quite fair and is intolerant of outsiders. How can the old land of the Han Dynasty accommodate these mixed-bloods? The northern barbarians invaded the Central Plains, causing calamity to the country and the people for so many years. They bear heavy sins and should have been destroyed long ago. Moreover, they also kill each other internally, with discord among the tribes, leaders suspecting each other. They should be captured one by one, beheaded, and displayed in the market for all to see. But General, why do you seem like a fish in a boiling pot, or a swallow on a speeding chariot? Isn't that strange?
In late spring of March, the greenery in Jiangnan is flourishing, flowers bloom on trees, and birds fly around in a frenzy. Seeing the flag of the motherland, recalling the past years, playing the zither on the city tower, how can anyone not feel sorrow? Lian Po missed the soldiers of Zhao, Wu Qi wept for the soldiers of Xihe; these are all natural feelings! General, why are you so heartless? Think of a good solution soon; taking care of yourself is what's most important!
Later, Bozhi surrendered with eight thousand troops to Shouyang, but was killed by the Wei people. After surrendering, Bozhi was appointed as the Chief Commissioner, Commander of the Military Affairs of Xiyu Prefecture, General Who Pacifies the North, Governor of Xiyu Prefecture, Marquis of Yongxin County, with a fief of a thousand households. Before taking office, he was promoted to be a Court Attendant, General of Agile Cavalry, and later became a Grand Master of the Palace. Many years later, he passed away at home. His sons remained in Wei.
Chu Jian was in Wei, and the Wei officials wanted to promote him. During the Wei Yuanhui Festival, Chu Jian jokingly wrote a poem: "Wearing a cage crown on my head, wearing red clothes on my pants, I don't know if it's now or in the past." The Wei officials were furious and demoted him to the Prefect of Shiping. One day, while out hunting, he fell from his horse and died.
The historian remarked that Liu Jilian, although he was adept at managing the minutiae when he was a minor official, ultimately failed to safeguard himself. It's truly a shame; that's just the way it goes in chaotic times. Chen Bozhi, although he is of despicable character, had the opportunity to pursue his ambitions as a gentleman. However, those treacherous officials slandered him and pushed him out. How could such a situation endure?
