Zang Dun, courtesy name Xuanqing, was from Ju County, Shandong. His grandfather Zang Tao was the Left Minister of Rites of the Song Dynasty; his ancestor Zang Tan was the Left Minister of Public Works; his father Zang Weizhen was well-read and talented, appreciated by his maternal uncle, Zhou Yong of Ru'nan, from a young age. After the fall of the Song Dynasty, Zang Dun initially served as a chief military clerk, serving Emperor Qi Wu at the time. During the Qi Dynasty, he held various official positions, including Taiping Jijiu, Shangshu Officer of Military Affairs, secretary of the Prince of Jian'an and Luling, former military officer, Tongzhilang, Zhongzheng of Nanxuzhou, and magistrate of Danyang. After Emperor Qi Gao pacified the capital and established his power, he recruited Zang Dun as a Military Officer of the Biaoqi. Early in the Tianjian era, he was appointed as an Advisor to the Rear Army, Biejia of Nanxuzhou, and later entered the court as a Palace Attendant, then promoted to the position of Changshi of the Right Army of Prince Ancheng and the Minister of Finance. He was later appointed as the Governor of Xin'an, where he achieved remarkable political success and gained a good reputation. After that, he returned to the court and served as the Imperial Attendant of the Crown Prince, Minister of Agriculture, and Chief Historian of the Grand Marshal. After his mother's death, he observed a three-year period of mourning by her grave. After the mourning period, he was appointed as the Minister of Justice. He later served as the Chief Historian of Prince Ancheng and the Governor of Jiangxia, ultimately passing away while serving in office.
Zang Dun studied the Five Classics under Master Zhuge Qu of Langye from a young age, mastering the texts and commentaries. Master Zhuge Qu had dozens or even hundreds of disciples, but Zang Dun never engaged in casual interactions with his peers. Master Zhuge Qu was surprised and exclaimed, "This child will surely become a great talent to assist kings and emperors!" He initially served as a military officer, and later was promoted to be a military officer overseeing the Central Army. Zang Dun had a dignified and elegant demeanor, and every time he presented his reports at court, Emperor Qi Gao was always pleased. He later also served as a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat, appointed as a military officer in charge of the right, while continuing to hold his role as a secretary.
Zang Dun was exceptionally filial. One time, he was on night duty with his father at the Ministry of Justice, when his mother, Lady Liu, suddenly passed away at home. At that moment, Zang Dun felt a sudden, intense pain in his left ring finger, and he couldn't sleep all night. The next morning, the tragic news was confirmed. His sensitivity to such omens was truly remarkable! Before his mother's mourning period had even ended, his father passed away as well. Zang Dun observed a five-year mourning period, not leaving the house, and his appearance deteriorated to the point that his family could hardly recognize him. A villager named Wang Duan reported this to the court, and Emperor Qi was deeply moved, sending people to console him several times. After the mourning period, he was appointed as the magistrate of Danyang, and was then promoted to Gentleman of the Palace Library, while concurrently serving as a Gentleman of the Palace Writers. Later, he was promoted to Left Deputy of the Imperial Secretariat, overseeing state affairs in the prefectures and counties, while also serving as the magistrate of Kuaiji Commandery. He eventually returned to court as the Minister of Works, concurrently serving as the Colonel of Infantry, and was finally promoted to Deputy Chief of the Imperial Censorate. Zang Dun was known for his integrity and honesty, and he performed exceptionally well during his time in office at the Xiantai.
In the second month of the fifth year of Emperor Wu's reign in the Liang Dynasty, the emperor visited Tongtai Temple to preach and host a large Buddhist assembly, which drew tens of thousands of attendees. Suddenly, the elephant that had been brought as tribute by the Southern Yue kingdom went berserk in the crowd, running amok. Chaos ensued as guards and attendees fled in fear, leaving only Zang Dun and the cavalier Pei Zhili standing their ground. The emperor was greatly impressed by their composure.
Not long after, the emperor issued an imperial edict, promoting Dun to the position of Cavalier Attendant. Before he could even take office, the emperor issued another edict, stating: "Leading the six armies is not a task for anyone. The Chief Imperial Censor, newly appointed Cavalier Attendant Dun, is loyal and reliable, meticulous and careful in his work, fair and just in his official duties, diligent and earnest in his tasks. He will surely be able to manage the army well. Therefore, he shall also concurrently hold the position of General-in-Chief, while retaining his position as Cavalier Attendant." In the second year of Datong, Dun was further promoted to Commander-in-Chief. This role was a high-ranking official position responsible for the military forces nationwide. Dun was efficient and capable, skilled at handling complex matters, and kept his work organized. During the Tianjian era, Marquis Wuping Xiao Jing also held this position and had a great reputation. Now Dun succeeded him.
Five years later, Dun was reassigned and became General Renwei and Prefect of Wu County. Unfortunately, not long after, he fell ill and submitted a resignation request. The emperor appointed him as Grandee of the Palace and bestowed upon him a gold seal and purple ribbon. Seven years later, he recovered from his illness and resumed his position as Commander-in-Chief. Nine years later, Dun passed away at the age of sixty-six. On the same day, the emperor ordered mourning for him, posthumously granted him the title of Palace Attendant, and retained his position as Commander-in-Chief. He was also bestowed with a set of secret items from the Eastern Garden, a set of court attire, a piece of clothing, as well as other monetary rewards and gifts, and posthumously honored him with the title "Loyal."
His eldest son Changbo, known as Menghong, served as the Prefect of Guiyang; his second son Zhongbo served as the Prefect of Qu'a County; Dun also had a younger brother named Jue.
Zang Jue, also known as Xianqing, was famous for his strong ability to handle affairs. He initially served as an officer in the Western General's Office and as the Chief Guest Officer. Later, he also served as an official in the Imperial Secretariat, gradually advancing to the position of a regular officer and the Minister of Rites, while concurrently holding the position of Chief Guest Officer. He was later appointed as the Prefect of Jin'an. Jin'an was located between mountains and seas and was often a hotspot for fugitives. Despite the efforts of the previous two Prefects to organize arrests, the bandits continued to cause trouble. Upon Zang Jue's arrival, he vigorously promoted education and morality, causing all the criminals to flee, allowing the locals to live in peace again and trade to resume. However, his rule was strict and lacked compassion, resulting in the common people being punished for minor mistakes, earning him the nickname "Zang the Tiger." He was later recalled to the court and appointed as a military advisor to the Biaoqi prince Lu Ling, while also serving as a Chief Guest Officer. He was further promoted to the position of a Cavalry Attendant, concurrently serving as the Minister of Agriculture, while still retaining the position of Chief Guest Officer. In the eighth year of Datong, Zang Jue passed away at the age of forty-eight. During his tenure, many important matters and cases that the Secretariat and the Court of Appeals could not resolve were handed over to Zang Jue. He had keen judgment and was known for his accuracy, always able to find the truth of the matter. After Zang Jue's death, people petitioned for honest Chief Guest Officers to take over cases. Emperor Gaozu said, "Zang Jue has passed away, so this matter cannot be handled." This illustrates the emperor's high regard for him. His son, Zang Cao, was a Chief Guest Officer.
Fu Qi, also known as Jingping, was a native of Lingzhou in Beidi. His grandfather, Fu Hongren, was the Minister of the Tai Chang Temple during the Song Dynasty. His great-grandfather, Fu Yan, served as the County Magistrate of Shanyin during the Qi Dynasty and was highly skilled in governance, eventually becoming the Governor of Yizhou. His father, Fu Hui, served as the County Magistrate of Shanyin and Jiankang during the Tianjian reign of Emperor Liang Wu Di, and also had talent and reputation, eventually becoming a military advisor to Biaoqi.
Mr. Qi, originally a scholar of the Mingjing program at the Imperial Academy, later became the attendant of Prince Hong of Nankang, then was promoted to a military officer position, and also served as the Lang of the Ministry of Revenue. After his mother passed away, he resigned from his official position to observe the mourning period at home, fulfilling his filial duty as a child. After the mourning period, he fell ill and rested for a long time.
During this time, the court wanted to build an altar in the northern suburbs, initially assigning Mr. Qi to oversee the project's construction. After the project was completed, he was promoted to be the magistrate of Ruxin County. Once in office, a murder case occurred in the county, where two commoners fought and one was killed. The victim's family reported the incident to the county, and the county arrested the perpetrator, subjected him to interrogation and torture, but he refused to confess. Unable to resolve the case, the case was transferred to Ruxin County.
Upon taking office, Magistrate Qi released the suspect and politely inquired about the incident. The suspect, sensing the magistrate's leniency, quickly confessed. According to the law, the suspect should have been sentenced to death. With the winter festival approaching, Magistrate Qi allowed him to return home for a day to celebrate before coming back for trial the next day. An official named Cao Yuan disagreed, saying, "Such practices existed in ancient times, but not now!" Magistrate Qi replied, "If he escapes, I will take responsibility as the magistrate; you don't need to worry." The suspect indeed returned on time. The prefect, upon hearing this, was very surprised and quickly reported the matter to the court.
When Magistrate Qi later left Ruxin County, the people of the county came out in tears to bid him farewell, their cries echoing for several tens of miles. Upon returning to the capital, he was appointed as the Chief Justice, while also serving as an official in the Secretariat, and later promoted to be a military officer in the office of the King of Ningyuan Yueyang, while retaining his position as an official. He was later transferred to serve as the magistrate of Jiankang for official reasons. Shortly after, he became an official again and steadily climbed the ranks, becoming the Zheng of Anxi, the military officer of Zhennan, while still holding an official position.
Qi is a good-looking and well-informed individual who is especially skilled at debating. In the Datong era, we formed a marriage pact with the Wei Kingdom, and the envoys from Wei came to visit us multiple times a year. The emperor always sent Qi to negotiate with them. By the first year of Taiqing, Qi had climbed the ranks, becoming the Grand Master of the Imperial Stables and Minister of Agriculture, while still retaining his position as an attendant. He spent more than a decade in the palace dealing with sensitive affairs, and his skills were on par with those of Zhu Yi.
In the winter of that year, the Yuzhou Inspector, Marquis Zhenyang Xiao Yuanming, led troops to attack Pengcheng but was defeated and captured by the Wei Kingdom. The following year, Xiao Yuanming sent someone back, saying that the Wei Kingdom wanted to patch things up with us. The emperor called the ministers together to discuss it. General of the Left Guard Zhu Yi said, "Gao Cheng wants to keep things friendly between us, just like before. If the border is peaceful, the people can live and work in peace, which would be good for us!" Everyone agreed with Zhu Yi.
Only Qi disagreed, saying, "Gao Cheng has just achieved success and his power is strong. Why would he want to reconcile with us? This is definitely a trick of his, sending someone back on purpose to make Marquis Zhenyang think the emperor wants to replace him. Marquis Zhenyang will surely rise up. If we agree to Gao Cheng's reconciliation request, we'd be walking right into his trap. Besides, we took a beating in the Pengcheng battle last year, and Woyang has just been defeated. Making peace with them now would just make us look weak. I really think we shouldn't go along with this reconciliation!" Zhu Yi and the others stuck to their guns, and the emperor ultimately sided with Zhu Yi.
Later, envoys were sent to negotiate with Wei. Hou Jing became suspicious and repeatedly requested the recall of the envoys, but the emperor kept delaying him. In August, Hou Jing indeed rebelled. In October, he attacked the capital and demanded the execution of Zhu Yi. Three years later, Qi Sheng was appointed as the leader of the army, remaining in his position as a retainer. In February, Hou Jing submitted a petition at the palace gate, requesting the cession of four provinces in Jiangyou to him to settle his troops, and then withdraw his troops to their base. The emperor agreed. Hou Jing made a covenant in the west of the city and also requested the Prince of Xuan Cheng to send him off. Qi strongly opposed, saying that the Prince of Xuan Cheng was a legitimate descendant and should not be sent, suggesting that the Duke of Shi Cheng should be sent instead.
After making a covenant with Hou Jing, the people in the city were overjoyed, thinking that the siege could be lifted. Only Qi said to everyone, "This rebel, if he fails, seeks peace; he is ruthless and cannot be trusted. This negotiation is certainly a ploy of his!" Everyone blamed him. Later, Hou Jing indeed violated the covenant, and everyone admired Qi's foresight.
Soon, the emperor issued a decree appointing Qi as the Marquis of Nanfeng County, with a fief of five hundred households, but he firmly declined. When the palace was lost, Qi broke through the siege despite being ill, and ultimately died at home.
Yao Cha, the Minister of Personnel of the Chen Dynasty, said: "Ah, those who take action must have a plan to ensure everything goes perfectly; this statement couldn't be more accurate!" Fu Qi saw through the Qi family's false pretense of seeking peace, demonstrating his exceptional planning skills. If his advice had been heeded from the start, the disaster at Taiqing Palace might have been avoided. Reflecting on Shenzi's saying, "One correct statement can bring peace to the world," every word is invaluable! If this highlights the importance of strategic vision, it emphasizes the need for a comprehensive view and not just focusing on immediate benefits.
