Sun Teng, courtesy name Long Que, hailed from Shi'an in Xianyang. His grandfather Sun Tong held the position of Minister of the Palace Secretariat during the regime of the Juqu clan. After the fall of the Juqu clan, Sun Tong defected to the Wei dynasty and established his home in the north.
Later on, Sun Teng became successful, and the Wei dynasty posthumously bestowed a whole bunch of official titles upon his grandfather Sun Tong! Specifically: Grand Commandant, Palace Attendant, Commander of military affairs in the provinces of Yong, Hua, Qi, and Bin, General of the Valiant Cavalry, Minister of Works, Left Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Writing, and Inspector of Yongzhou. Additionally, the Wei dynasty posthumously honored Sun Teng's father, Sun Ji, with the titles of Grand Commandant, Palace Attendant, Commander of military affairs in the provinces of Ji, Ding, Cang, Ying, and Yin, Grand Commandant, Prefect of the Masters of Writing, and Inspector of Jizhou. Wow, three generations of the family, truly impressive!
Speaking of Gao Huan, he had a straightforward personality from a young age, and he had a sharp insight into official affairs. During the Zhengguang era of Wei, the north was in chaos, and he went through hardships and dangers to reach Xiurong. When Er Zhu Rong rebelled, he followed Er Zhu Rong to Luoyang and was directly appointed as an Attendant to the Cavalry Commandant. Not long after, he became the Chief Clerk of the Commander-in-Chief's Office under the founder (Gao Huan) and accompanied the founder on an eastern expedition to Xinggao.
When the army reached Qicheng, a soldier named Fuyi Zhen secretly plotted a rebellion, intending to assassinate their commander. Gao Huan's Chief Clerk, Gao Teng, found out about this and quickly informed the founder. Before long, the plot was exposed, and thanks to the founder's foresight, they were captured immediately. Later, the founder became the Inspector of Jinzhou, and Gao Teng became his Chief Clerk, and was also appointed as Rear General, receiving the title of Count of Shi'an County.
Gaozu set out from Jinyang, traveled to Fukou, and arrived at Xiangyuan, where Er Zhu Zhao pursued him with his troops. Gaozu and Er Zhu Zhao hosted a banquet by the river, and the two swore brotherhood before returning to their camps. The next morning, Er Zhu Zhao invited Gaozu again. Gaozu intended to placate him and was about to go over, but Gao Teng suddenly seized his clothing and stopped him. Er Zhu Zhao, enraged, yelled at him from across the river and then returned to Jinyang. Only then did Gaozu continue his eastward advance.
When Gao Huan raised his army in Xindu, Gao Teng remained steadfastly loyal and frequently contributed to major plans. Gao Teng felt that the court was cut off from them, and orders could not be conveyed down; without a leader to take charge, the subordinate generals would surely scatter. Therefore, he earnestly urged Gaozu. Gaozu heeded his advice and subsequently supported the restoration of the rightful ruler. Gao Teng was appointed as a palace aide and soon promoted to the position of envoy with authority over six provinces and as the grand commander of the northern campaign, with his official rank rising higher.
When Gaozu attacked Ye City, he initially left Duan Rong to defend Xindu, then sent Duan Rong to guard Zhongshan, allowing Gao Teng to remain in charge of Xindu. After Ye City was captured, Gao Teng was appointed as the governor of Xiangzhou and was also conferred the title of Duke of Xianyang, with lands and a population totaling 1,300 households. He later returned to the court as a palace aide. At that time, the daughter of Wang Yu, the Duke of Wei, Princess Pingyuan, was widowed, and Gao Teng wanted to marry her, but the princess declined. The palace aide Feng Longzhi had no wife, and the princess wanted to marry him. Gao Teng, jealous of Feng Longzhi, stirred up trouble between them. When Gaozu heard about this, he dismissed Gao Teng from his post and assigned him to a remote post, but shortly thereafter, he recalled him.
Gao Huan regarded Zhang Teng as a confidant, allowing him to stay at his home and jointly oversee confidential matters alongside Hus Chuns. Later, Hus Chuns became disloyal and engaged in disorderly conduct. Zhang Teng was deeply fearful and concerned about being implicated, so he secretly fled to Jinyang with a dozen cavalrymen. Gao Huan went to punish Hus Chuns, leaving Zhang Teng in Bingzhou to handle political affairs. He was later appointed as the Governor of Jizhou, responsible for overseeing the administrative affairs of eight states, including Cangzhou, Yingzhou, Youzhou, and Anzhou, and was also appointed as the governor of Jizhou and Xiangzhou. During the Tianping period, he was transferred to the court as the Left Supervisor of the Ministry of Personnel, involved in both internal and external affairs of the court, and also served as the Minister of Works and Prefect of the Ministry of Personnel. At that time, Western Wei sent troops to attack Nanyuanzhou, and the court ordered Zhang Teng to serve as the head of the Southern Division and lead the army to resist. Zhang Teng was timid and lacked military competence, ultimately returning in defeat. He was later appointed as the Minister of Works.
During the north's turmoil, he lost a daughter. Later, when he became a high official, he sent people to search everywhere, but never found her, suspecting that she had been sold as a slave. After becoming the Minister of Works, as long as a slave claimed to be from a respectable family, he did not verify their claims and simply set them free. He released over a thousand people in the hope of finding his daughter. Upon learning of this, Gao Huan was furious and dismissed him from his post as Minister of Works. During the Wuding period, he was dispatched to Qingzhou to count the households that had fled and was later appointed as the Grand Guardian.
Once upon a time, Cui Xiaofen from Boling adopted a girl from a poor family whose surname was Jia as his foster daughter. After Cui Xiaofen died, his wife remarried Zheng Boyou and took Jia to the Zheng family. Jia was beautiful, so Zhang Teng took her as a concubine. After Zhang Teng's wife, Yuan, died, since Jia had already borne him a child, he elevated Jia to the status of his wife and petitioned the court to grant her the title of Danyang County Lady, intending to posthumously confer Yuan's title upon his daughter. This was not the only instance of his actions violating etiquette and indulging his desires.
At first, Gao Teng flattered Emperor Gaozu, enduring various hardships. He was diligent, respectful, and cautious, earning Gaozu's deep trust. Later, Gaozu sent him to the Wei Dynasty, treating him as a confidant. Thus, Gao Teng became arrogant and complacent, doing as he pleased, accepting bribes, and lacking restraint. He rose to power and wealth, hoarding gold and silver at home, secretly treating them as his own; he mingled with unscrupulous characters, solely focused on amassing wealth. In Ye City, he was known alongside Gao Yue, Gao Longzhi, and Sima Ziru as the "Four Nobles," all of whom acted recklessly, with Gao Teng being especially notorious. Emperor Gaozu criticized and reprimanded him multiple times, but he remained unrepentant, leading to widespread dissatisfaction and mockery among officials and the public. In April of the sixth year of Wuding, Gao Teng died at the age of sixty-eight. After his death, he was posthumously granted the titles of Imperial Commissioner, Commander of Military Affairs for five provinces including Jiding, Governor of Jizhou, Grand Tutor, Minister of the Interior, and given the posthumous name "Wen." In the early years of Tianbao, due to Gao Teng's assistance to Gaozu in establishing the dynasty, the court issued a decree for sacrifices at his tomb. By the years of Huangjian, Gao Teng was honored in the temple of Gaozu. His son Gao Fengzhen inherited his title. Gao Fengzhen was mediocre and foolish, dying while serving as Minister of the Interior during the Wuping era.
Gao Longzhi, courtesy name Yanxing, originally surnamed Xu, is believed to have ancestral roots in Gaoping, Jinxiang. His father, Xu Gan, was the governor of Baishui County in the Wei state and was adopted by his maternal uncle from the Gao family, thus changing his surname to Gao. After Gao Longzhi became successful, the Wei dynasty posthumously granted him the titles of Grand Minister and Governor of Yongzhou. Later, Gao Longzhi participated in some important schemes, and Emperor Gaozu recognized him as a sworn brother, even stating that he was from the Bohai region.
This man named Longzhi was quite tall, measuring a full eight feet, and he had a handsome beard, clearly a person of ambition. At that time, Wang Yue of Runan in the Wei state became the governor of Sizhou and invited him to serve as an official in the Ministry of Revenue. Later, when Emperor Gaozu raised his army, Longzhi was directly promoted to the position of Assistant Attendant of the Cavalry and followed Xing Tai Yu Hui to fight against Yang Kan. Yu Hui thought highly of him and promoted him to the position of Minister of Internal Affairs, and later he was elevated to the position of Imperial Censor.
He had a particularly close relationship with Emperor Gaozu; when Emperor Gaozu went to Jinzhou, he took Longzhi along to serve as the Chief of Governance and let him manage affairs in Pingyang County. When Emperor Gaozu raised his army in Shandong, Longzhi accompanied him and was appointed as the Right Vice Chancellor of the Grand Council. During the initial period of the revival of the Wei dynasty, he became the Lieutenant of the Imperial Censorate and also oversaw the palace's dining and living conditions. When Emperor Gaozu pacified Ye City, Longzhi went along and managed affairs in Xiangzhou. Later, he followed Emperor Gaozu to defeat several northern ethnic minorities, and during the Taichang era, he was granted the title of General of the Cavalry, equivalent to the rank of three ministers, which was quite a high official position. However, he had a conflict with Emperor Wen of the Western Wei over a drinking dispute, and in a fit of anger, Emperor Wen removed him from his position. Emperor Gaozu felt that Longzhi did not handle interpersonal relationships well enough, so he was sent away, first serving as the Grand Chancellor of the Northern Route, and later becoming the Governor of Bingzhou, where he was also made Duke of Pingyuan, with a fief comprising 1,700 households.
Long Zhi is quite a character. He took the initiative to reduce his land holdings by 700 households, claiming his official position was too high and he wanted to be demoted four levels to give his official position to his brother Long Teng. The emperor was touched by his actions, not only agreeing to his request but also issuing a special decree appointing Long Teng as the governor of Cangzhou. Later, when Gaozu went to fight against Husi Chun, he called Long Zhi back and appointed him as the Minister of the Grand Secretariat. When Grand Marshal Prince of Qinghe, Nian, began to hold court, Long Zhi was appointed as the Imperial Attendant and Minister of the Right, with his official rank continuing to rise. However, he was later criticized by Gaozu for wasting considerable manpower and resources on constructing pagodas.
During the Tianping period, after Ding's mother passed away, the court quickly appointed Ding Xiaocheng as the governor of Bingzhou, and he was later promoted to Minister of the Right. At that time, when land was distributed to the common people, wealthy officials clamored for fertile land, while the poor people could only get barren land. Ding Xiaocheng suggested to Emperor Gaozu to redistribute the land to ensure fairness. He also served as the Grand General of Camp Construction, overseeing nearly all construction projects in the capital. He expanded the South City, with the city wall expanding to a perimeter of twenty-five li. Because the Zhang River was too close to the imperial city, he constructed a long embankment to prevent flooding. He also dug canals, diverted the Zhang River around the city walls, built water mills, and benefited the people.
Since the reign of Emperor Xiaochang of Wei, the realm was in turmoil. Governors and prefects in various regions also served as commanders, even in the absence of military conflicts, and they must still be equipped with a large number of deputies and subordinates, resulting in significant local disorder. Ding Xiaocheng petitioned to eliminate these unnecessary official positions in all places except for border fortresses with actual military tasks. At that time, many officials in the court exploited their positions as eunuchs to obtain luxury goods. Ding Xiaocheng voluntarily resigned from his position as a palace attendant and proposed to abolish all fake eunuch attire, and the emperor concurred. Due to the busy state affairs at the time, there were numerous instances of official impersonation. Ding Xiaocheng requested a thorough investigation, revealing over fifty thousand such individuals. However, due to protests from lower-ranking officials, Ding Xiaocheng halted the investigation to avoid complications. Later, he was appointed as the supervisor of the imperial household affairs and was elevated to the rank of Duke.
During the Wuding era, he was appointed as the Grand Envoy of Hebei. Upon his return, he was granted the title of General Leading the Army, Director of the Imperial Secretariat, and was soon also appointed as a palace attendant. He was later sent on a mission to Qingzhou to handle affairs. Upon his return, he was appointed as the Grand Preceptor of the Crown Prince, concurrently serving as the Left Supervisor of the Imperial Secretariat, Minister of Personnel, and eventually promoted to Grand Preceptor. During the reign of Emperor Sizong, the social climate was quite virtuous, but Ding Xiaocheng was found to have accepted bribes, resulting in a stern rebuke from Emperor Sizong in the Secretariat. Following the abdication of Northern Qi, Ding Xiaocheng was granted the title of king. Later, he served as the Director of the Imperial Secretariat, concurrently serving as the Chief Minister of the State, and the supervisor of national history. Ding Xiaocheng was notably shrewd, but he often made unauthorized changes to the court's ceremonies, court performances, and clothing regulations, deviating from tradition, which drew criticism from many. He erected three mud figures at the archery range to convey a sense of ferocity. Emperor Xianzu once went to Dongshan to shoot arrows, and upon witnessing this, he said to Ding Xiaocheng, "The archery range should have statues of fierce beasts to adhere to ancient rites; why erect human figures? Shooting at people all day, I do not condone this." Ding Xiaocheng had no response.
At the beginning, King Sejong appointed Cui Xian, Cui Jishu, and others to important positions. After King Sejong's death, Emperor Xiaowen wanted to harm them but failed. Since Cui Long had more seniority, Emperor Xiaowen allowed him to participate in political affairs. However, Cui Jishu and others, who had past grievances with Cui Long, falsely accused him, claiming, "Every time Cui Long encounters a litigation case, he always shows great sympathy, trying to make himself appear as if he doesn't deliberately decide cases." Emperor Xiaowen believed that since Cui Long had taken on such an important responsibility and was aware of the grievances, he should address them in a timely manner and shouldn't shirk responsibility while putting on airs. This was not the behavior expected of a minister.
In the fifth year of the Tianbao era, the court abolished the Ministry of Personnel. Once, while drinking with Yuan Chang, Cui Long got drunk and said to him, "What's there to be afraid of today!" Someone secretly reported this to the emperor. Furthermore, before the emperor ascended the throne, Cui Long often treated him with disdain. Later, when the emperor wanted to accept the abdication from the Wei state, the ministers all said the timing was not yet ripe, and Cui Long was among those opposing it. The emperor kept this in mind.
As a result, the emperor flew into a rage and ordered strong men to beat Cui Long more than a hundred times. After releasing him, Cui Long, feeling thirsty and wanting to drink water, was stopped by someone. After saying this, he drank water. Later, while accompanying the emperor on a journey, Cui Long died en route at the age of sixty-one. The court posthumously conferred upon him several titles, including General of Jiding, Grand General, Minister of War, Grand Protector, Governor of Jizhou, and King of Yangxia, but ultimately did not bestow upon him a posthumous title.
Cui Longzhi, although not well-educated, greatly admired elegant things and held prominent figures and gentry in high regard. His sister became a nun, and he served her as he would his mother, always placing emphasis on education for his sons. This earned him widespread praise. In his later years, Emperor Xiaowen became suspicious and held a grudge against Cui Longzhi, executing his son Deshu and over ten others, and disposing of their bodies in the Zhang River. He even dug up Cui Longzhi's grave and exhumed the body, which, after many years in the ground, still looked unchanged. He then dismembered Cui Longzhi's corpse and also threw it into the Zhang River, resulting in the extinction of Cui Longzhi's lineage. Only in the Qianming years did the court permit Cui Longzhi's nephew, Cui Ziyuan, to inherit the title of King of Yangxia and return Cui Longzhi's property.
At first, Cui Longzhi was trusted by Emperor Gaozu, but he was treacherous and ruthless; anyone who offended him would surely face retaliation. Sima Xiaofen, who had a failed marriage negotiation, Minister of Finance Ren Ji, who clashed with him over construction projects, and Yingzhou Governor Yuan Yan, who failed to get his help, were all victims of his schemes and ultimately executed. In the end, Cui Longzhi's family was completely exterminated, and it was said that this was divine retribution.
Sima Ziru, styled Zunya, was a native of Wen County in Hanoi. His ancestry can be traced back eight generations to Sima Mo, who was a Minister of Works during the Jin Dynasty and the King of Nanyang. Sima Mo's son, Sima Bao, fled to Liangzhou during the turmoil of the Jin Dynasty and settled there. When the Wei Dynasty pacified Guzang, their family moved to Yunzhong, as mentioned in his autobiography. His father, Sima Xinglong, served as the governor of Luyang during the Wei Dynasty.
Sima Ziru was clever and articulate from a young age. He enjoyed mingling with heroes and had a close relationship with Gaozu (referring to Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei, Yuan Hong). During the Xiaochang years, when the northern states and prefectures had all fallen, Sima Ziru fled south with his family to Sizhou Prefecture, where he was valued by Er Zhu Rong and given the position of an officer in the central army. When Er Zhu Rong planned to attack Luoyang, he appointed Sima Ziru as Sima, with the authority of a seal, and acting General of Pingnan, allowing him to lead the vanguard. Upon reaching Gaodu, Er Zhu Rong believed that Jianxing had a strategically important location likely to be contested, posing a danger to the rear, so he made Sima Ziru the governor of Jianxing and the local commander. During the Yong'an years, he was granted the title of Count of Pingyao, with an estate of three hundred households, and was also appointed as a Deputy Minister in the Grand Chancellor's office. Er Zhu Rong valued Sima Ziru for his intelligence, capability, and eloquence in political affairs, and frequently sent him to the court on official business, where his contributions were appreciated by the emperor, and he was also received by Emperor Xiaozhuang (referring to Emperor Xiaozhuang of Northern Wei, Yuan Ziyou).
When Ge Rong rebelled, the situation in Xiangzhou was perilous, and Er Zhu Rong secretly sent Sima Ziru into Ye City to help strengthen the defenses. After Ge Rong was defeated, Sima Ziru was promoted to marquis. After Yuan Hao invaded Luoyang, the people were panicking, and because Sima Ziru had once defended Ye City and held great prestige there, Yuan Hao sent him to Xiangzhou to handle governmental affairs. After Yuan Hao's defeat, Sima Ziru was summoned by the court to serve as Grand Minister of the Golden Purple and Guanglu.
After Er Zhu Rong was killed, Er Zhu Zi Ru learned of the incident and rushed from the palace to Er Zhu Rong's home, taking along Er Zhu Rong's wife and Er Zhu Shi Long to escape the capital. Er Zhu Shi Long wanted to head north, but Er Zhu Zi Ru said, "In critical moments, we must be adaptable. Military strategy is all about 'deception in warfare.' Right now, the people are in a panic, just watching who seems strong. At this point, we can't show weakness. If we must run north, we might run into trouble. It would be smarter to split our forces to secure the river bridge and then return to attack the capital unexpectedly; this could throw the enemy off balance. Even if things don't go as planned, it will show that we still have strength, showing everyone that they should fear our power." So Er Zhu Shi Long changed direction and approached the capital.
Emperor Wei Xiao Wu was proclaimed emperor and appointed Er Zhu Zi Ru as the Right Minister. The former deposed emperor was reinstated as Palace Attendant, General of Cavalry, and granted the title of Duke of Yangping, with a fief of 1,700 families. Er Zhu Zi Ru stubbornly refused the position of Palace Attendant. When Gao Huan raised an army in Xindu, Er Zhu Shi Long and the others suspected Er Zhu Zi Ru because of his past connection with Gao Huan, and they sent him to Nangi Prefecture as governor. Er Zhu Zi Ru felt deeply wronged and cried as he defended himself, but he still couldn't escape dismissal.
After Gao Huan invaded and took Luoyang, Er Zhu Zi Ru sent someone to congratulate him and reminded him of their old friendship. Not long after, he was called back to the capital and appointed as Minister of the Grand Council, serving alongside Gao Huan every day and taking part in military and state affairs. During the Tianping era, he was appointed as Left Minister and worked alongside Palace Attendant Gao Yue, Palace Attendant Sun Teng, and Right Minister Gao Longzhi to handle state affairs, gaining Gao Huan's immense trust. When Gao Huan was stationed in Jinyang, Er Zhu Zi Ru often visited him. Gao Huan treated him exceptionally well, and they frequently shared meals from morning till night. When Er Zhu Zi Ru was ready to leave, Gao Huan and Empress Wu Ming would always send him off with plenty of gifts, which became a common routine.
This guy was born generous and relied on his good relationship with the emperor in the past. He handled petty bureaucratic matters as he pleased, brazenly accepting bribes without a hint of fear. During the Xihe era, he became the governor of the Northern Circuit, responsible for inspecting various states. From governors to county magistrates and regular officials, promotions and demotions were all at his discretion. When he got to Dingzhou, he had the magistrate of Shenze County killed; when he got to Jizhou, he had the magistrate of Dongguang County killed. Both of these magistrates were executed for dragging their feet. If anyone slightly displeased him, he'd have them dragged out with a knife to their throat. The locals and officials were scared stiff and didn’t know what to do. Later, he was promoted to Minister of Personnel.
This guy did not participate in the uprising at first, but because he was an old subordinate of the former emperor, he was heavily favored and became increasingly greedy. Later, when Emperor Shizong began to rule, he grew somewhat wary of him. Not long after, he was reported for taking bribes by Inspector General Cui Xian and was expelled from the Ministry of Personnel. The emperor ordered his major crimes pardoned, but stripped him of his official rank. Soon after, he was appointed as the governor of Jizhou again. This guy was quite capable; after turning his reputation around, he caught a lot of criminals, which had the officials scared of him. Later, he was promoted to governor of Bingzhou. The emperor gave him back his official rank and also made him Baron of Yewang County, with a fief that included two hundred households.
After the emperor of the Qi dynasty ascended the throne, he rewarded a man who had contributed to assisting the new emperor by granting him the title of Duke of Xuchang. Later, he also made him the Grand Commandant. This man had a humorous personality, was unconcerned with trivial matters, and spoke in a coarse and vulgar manner, making him unpopular with those of good judgment. However, he was very filial to his sister and loving towards his brother's children, which earned him the respect of contemporary scholars, who praised him for it. But this man was inherently dishonest and could not treat matters fairly. During the reign of Emperor Shizong, the Censor Cui Xian and the Palace Attendant Cui Jishu were both heavily relied upon. After Emperor Shizong died, Cui Xian and the others went to Jinyang. This man then went to the new emperor to badmouth Cui Xian and his associates, even persuading the emperor to kill them. Later, while crossing a pass on horseback, he was reported. The new emperor summoned him and gave him a stern reprimand, saying, "Cui Xian and Cui Jishu served my late emperor; what great crime have they committed that you want me to kill them?" As a result, he was dismissed. After a long time, because he was a former subordinate of the late emperor, he was appointed as Grand Commandant. Shortly thereafter, he fell ill and died at the age of sixty-four. After his death, he was posthumously awarded the titles of Envoy with Authority and Commander of Military Affairs for the Five Provinces of Jidong, along with a thousand pieces of tribute, and was given the posthumous name of Wenming.
Alas, Zixiao Nan's child has no successor! He was the daughter of Emperor Gaozu, married to a royal, and came from a prestigious family. He rose through the ranks, serving as a secretary in the Central Secretariat, a Palace Attendant, and a Junior Minister of Rites. Later, he was appointed governor of Beiyuzhou, stationed at Wulao. Zixiao Nan was well-read and had great demeanor, but he was not very honest; he had been impeached by the censors while in office in the province. Moreover, he had a strained relationship with the princess, and she often reported him. Fearing punishment, he colluded with the neighboring country's enemies and fled west.
His son Ziru inherited his father's title, but unfortunately died young and was posthumously granted the title of Administrator of Yuezhou. Ziru's son Shiyun was superficial and impulsive, lacking any genuine skill. He relied on his father's previous achievements to climb the ranks, eventually becoming a General of the Imperial Guard and Governor of Yingzhou. He had no true capabilities, relying entirely on his father's influence to hold official positions in various states and counties, leveraging his uncle's influence to extort the people and engaging in various corrupt practices. As he faced the threat of imminent investigation, he was extremely afraid and happened to encounter the rebellion of Hou Jing, so he simply defected to Hou Jing. His brother, who was still in Ye City at the time, also immediately sided with Hou Jing, without a thought for family loyalty. Later, when the generals besieged Hou Jing in Yingchuan, Shiyun addressed the commanders from the city with arrogance and disrespect. Emperor Shizong, considering his father Ziru's past relationship, commuted his brother's death sentence to exile in the northern frontier. After Hou Jing's defeat at Guoyang, Shiyun betrayed him once more and was ultimately executed by Hou Jing.
Yingzhi, the younger brother of Shiyun, styled Zhongqing, had a passion for learning from a young age and was also handsome. During the Tianping era, his uncle Ziru was very favored, and Yingzhi began his career as a Shangshulang, and later advanced to Zhongshushe Ren and Huangmenlang. Ziru received the title of Duke of Xuchang and even transferred it to Yingzhi. Yingzhi's family was well-off, and he also accumulated a significant amount of wealth. He had good relationships with notable figures like Wang Yuanjing and Xing Zicai. However, he was proud and aloof, looking down on others, and did not achieve much progress until the Tianbao and Shizong eras. During the Qianming era, Wang Xi put in a good word for him to Emperor Suzong, and he was appointed Deputy Minister of the Imperial Guard. In the Heqing era, he became a Guanglu Dafu. Later, he suffered from a chronic illness that left him bedridden for several years. By the Wuping era, he could not attend court and was appointed to the position of Yitong Sansi while confined to his home. He particularly enjoyed reading the "Taixuanjing" and had even annotated Yang Xiong's "Shudu Fu." He often expressed a desire to associate with someone like Yang Ziyun. The year the Qi dynasty fell, he passed away due to illness at the age of seventy-one.
Speaking of Sun Ying's disciple, Sun Rui, he was appointed Chief Historian of Dingzhou during the Tianbao era of the Northern Qi and was later promoted to a Langzhong in the Ministry of Personnel. He was known for his integrity, diligence, frugality, and simplicity. He later rose to the position of Left Chief Historian of the Situ and concurrently served as the Qing of the Tingwei, earning a reputation for his integrity. During the Qianming era of the Northern Qi, he was appointed Deputy Chief of the Censorate, upholding the law impartially and not hesitating to offer criticism, earning high regard from the court. Later, due to illness, he resigned from his official position but was granted the title of Minister of the Department of Ancestral Worship after his death. After his death, he was posthumously awarded the title of Governor of Yingzhou and given the posthumous name Wenjie.
Sun Rui's younger brother, Sun Youzhi, was known for his integrity and high moral character, having held significant official positions early in his career. He passed away while serving as the Prefect of Meizhou during the Kaihuang period of the Sui Dynasty. Sun Rui's wife was Ling Xuan's sister, and when Ling Xuan gained favor with Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Jian, Sun Rui was posthumously granted the title of Prefect of Huaizhou, and several of his sons also held important positions. Among Sun Ying's other sons, Sun You served as the Deputy Minister of the Yellow Gate during the Wuping period of the Northern Qi; Sun Hui rose to the position of Minister of Finance; and Sun Xian became a regular attendant. However, the most commendable among them was Sun You, who served as the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs during the Kaihuang period of the Sui Dynasty and later died while serving as the governor of Suizhou.
Historical records comment: Emperor Gaozu Yang Jian established his hegemony by seizing the strategically important Jin Yang. He managed the army, trained soldiers, and exercised authority over court affairs, showing great concern for the affairs of the capital. In contrast, Sun Teng and others failed to uphold integrity and a commitment to governing the country, but instead, they greedily enriched themselves. This stands in stark contrast to Xiao He and Xun Yu, who effectively managed Guanzhong and Xuchang, respectively! Fortunately, Emperor Taizong Yang Guang later took over the regency, rebuked the arrogant officials, and appointed Cui Xian to rigorously reform the bureaucracy. Otherwise, the upright officials would have long since been unable to tolerate the situation. Although Sun Teng had sincere intentions to assist, this is still commendable. Yang Jian valued Sun Teng and assigned him the task of constructing Ye City, promoting talented and virtuous officials at an early stage, assigning them important responsibilities and elevating their status. This did not violate the court's order. However, Sun Ziruo, due to his close personal relationship with Emperor Gaozu in his youth, leveraged this favor and personal ties to attain a high position without merit. Sun Ying taught his children to uphold righteousness, and his family upheld strong moral values, while Sun Youzhi was also known for his integrity.
Praise states: Hong and San, the support of Xu; Xiao and Cao, the wings of assistance.
The rise of Qi Yun, Sun and Gao Chen's strength.
Endless greed for wealth, many are ashamed of their official duties.
Sima's wit and humor, cunning words and flattering looks.
