Jiang Mi, whose courtesy name was Linghe, hailed from Kaocheng in Jiyang. His grandfather, Jiang Bingzhi, served as the Magistrate of Linhai and was an upright official during the Song Dynasty. His father, Jiang Hui, held positions as a Lang of the Ministry of Works and the Magistrate of Wuxian County, but was later murdered by Taichu (referring to the powerful figure Huan Wen of the Eastern Jin Dynasty). Jiang Mi was implicated in court affairs and was imprisoned until Emperor Xiaowu pacified the capital.
Afterwards, he first served as a court official, then as a military aide, and later became the Magistrate of Huxian County, where he excelled and was highly regarded for his competence. When Emperor Ming of Song (Liu Yu) served as the Inspector of Nanyu Province, Jiang Mi was very loyal to him and thus received the emperor's appreciation. After Emperor Ming ascended to the throne, he promoted Jiang Mi to the position of Cavalry General. His brother, Jiang Meng, was not very attractive, and the emperor often called him in and teased him, making light of his looks. Later, Jiang Mi was promoted to Official of the Ministry of Revenue, and shortly after, he was promoted to Right Minister and also served as an official in the Ministry of Comparison.
In the fourth year of the Taishi era, the fifteenth daughter of Prince Yigong of Jiangxia died at nineteen, just shy of adulthood. The officials discussed that the funeral should adhere to adult rites, and the princes should observe a period of mourning. The Left Minister Sun Xiong repeatedly submitted memorials stating, "The 'Book of Rites' states that girls undergo the coming-of-age ceremony at the age of fifteen, with Zheng Xuan clarifying that this applies only to engaged girls. Unengaged girls undergo the ceremony at the age of twenty. Shici also mentioned that a girl who dies at nineteen is still considered to have died young. The officials have disregarded the classics without justification." Scholars, the Grand Preceptor, and other officials requested to exempt Jiang Mi from responsibility. As a result, Jiang Mi was punished with fifty strokes and a deduction of a hundred days' salary. Jiang Mi then submitted a memorial stating, "Sun Xiong did not thoroughly investigate the matter beforehand and mixed up various opinions, resulting in incorrect conclusions. Based on past precedents, Sun Xiong should also be penalized." Sun Xiong also requested to be exempted from responsibility. The emperor issued a decree: "Approved as memorialized."
Later, Jiang Mi was sent to serve as the Chief Historian of the Champion General at the court of King Jingsu of Jianping, then served as the Governor of Changsha, and managed the affairs of Xiangzhou. He was very strict in his official duties. A monk named Zundao had a good relationship with Jiang Mi and followed him to Changsha. He was imprisoned for a minor infraction. Monk Zundao tore his robe to trade for food, but after consuming it all, he ultimately starved to death. This incident was reported to the emperor, and Jiang Mi was summoned back to the capital. Later, after the death of Emperor Song Ming, Jiang Mi was pardoned during a general amnesty. Afterwards, he became a senior official position and then a General of the Right Army.
When Lao Zhu was serving as an official in Nanyanzhou, he was first appointed as the Chief Military Officer of the Garrison, then as the Administrator of Guangling, and later transferred to the capital to serve as a General of the Guerrilla. He was skilled at reading the political climate and was very adept at networking, typical of worldly individuals. Towards the end of the Yuanhui era, both the upper and lower levels of the court favored King Jingsu, so Jiang Mi quickly curried favor with him. As a result, Jingsu's rebellion failed, and Jiang Mi almost suffered the same fate, but luckily escaped unscathed.
Later, when King Cangwu deposed the Empress, everyone was in a state of uncertainty, unsure of what to do. Only Jiang Mi stood firmly by Lao Zhu's side and continued to serve as his Left Deputy Secretary. In the inaugural year of Shengming, he was promoted again and became the Minister of the Yellow Gate, while still retaining his duties as Deputy Secretary. When the rebellion of Shen You was quelled, everyone was discussing granting more power to Lao Zhu, a suggestion made by Jiang Mi. After the incident with Shen You was resolved, Jiang Mi was promoted to the position of Minister of Personnel, and Lao Zhu began to place increasing value on him. Later, he was promoted to the position of Grand Counselor and also served as a Military Advisor. When Qitai was established, he was appointed as the General of the Right Guard. In the inaugural year of Jianyuan, he was promoted to the position of Palace Attendant.
Then he was transferred again, becoming the Chief of Staff for the Pingxi of the Linchuan King, Champion General, Chief of Changsha, and also served as the Administrator of Xiangzhou. He was first sent to guard the local area, and later Prince Yiyi of Biaoqi Yuzhang took over Xiangzhou, and Jiang Mi became his Chief of Staff and continued to hold the positions of General, Chief, and Governor. The emperor also appointed him as the Earl of Yongxin County, with a fief of four hundred households. Three years later, he was promoted to Left Minister of Civil Affairs. When the princes went out of the palace to conduct business, they needed civil and military officials to lead them, and Lao Zhu always handed this responsibility to Jiang Mi. Later, the emperor issued an edict: "Jiang Mi comes from a humble background and should not be compared with those high-ranking officials and nobles, but he is indeed talented and deserves to be promoted, so let him take charge of the Ministry of Personnel!" This man, named Mi, was skilled at writing and very efficient in his duties. When the founding emperor passed away, Mi claimed he was ill and did not attend court; many people suspected that he was dissatisfied because the founding emperor did not entrust him with the orphan before his death. Later, when the emperor ascended the throne, Mi's official position remained unchanged, making him even more unhappy. At that time, when the emperor was also ill, Mi went to see Prince Yiyi and secretly asked him, "The emperor's illness seems serious, and the crown prince lacks capability; what do you intend to do?" When the emperor found out about this, he sent Mi to serve as the General of Expedition against the Lu, the Chief of Zhenbei, and the Prefect of South Donghai. Before he even assumed office, the emperor ordered the Imperial Censor Shen Chong to accuse him of numerous past offenses:
"When he was young, he was frivolous and restless. As he grew older, he learned to flatter and curry favor, making friends without loyalty and doing things only for personal gain. Relying on his family background, he quickly climbed to a high position, beginning to flatter his superiors and accept bribes everywhere, amassing a mountain of crimes that sparked public outrage in the court. He had close ties with Shen You, knowing that Shen You was strong and would definitely succeed in the future, so he tried to please him. He also had close ties with Liu Jingsu's family, which had great power, so he tried to ingratiate himself in hopes of securing a high position. Because the legal system was relatively lax at the time, he was able to keep his official position. Emperor Taizu worked hard to prepare for a great future and, considering his previous contributions, forgave him, granting him many favors and allowing him to sit alongside the other heroes and generals. His previous insignificant contributions were just a matter of writing a few words, but the rewards were as high as mountains, and his official position grew higher and higher. But his frivolous and adventurous nature became more obvious as his status rose; his greedy and selfish nature, even if wealthy, could not be satisfied. When he was an official in Hunan, he relatively harshly cracked down on bandits; but later, after becoming an official responsible for selecting candidates, he began to openly take bribes. Every meal and drink with others involved taking bribes; private banquets also involved taking bribes. If someone deserved a promotion, he took credit for it; if someone was due for a demotion, he claimed it was the emperor's decision. He believed he could trade official positions without anyone catching on, deceiving the emperor and covering up rumors."
When the late emperor fell seriously ill, people everywhere were deeply concerned. However, Mi pretended to be ill, staying home without a care in the world. It wasn't until over ten days after the emperor's death that he finally went to the palace to check the will and figure out what the emperor meant. As a court official, he should have supported the new emperor, but instead, he didn't get promoted and started spreading rumors, criticizing the court, slandering the royal family, defaming loyal ministers, and attacking senior officials. Appointments for those feudal lords have always followed certain rules, with meritorious officials and nobles traditionally serving as local leaders. Yet, he made baseless comments and stirred up trouble. He even dared to slander the empress, ignoring the consequences, attacking the royal family with his sharp-tongued remarks. It was said that he broke his oath and acted out of line, yet he looked up to the sky and sighed, drawing circles in the dirt, hoping for misfortune to vent his frustrations. His rebellious crimes were clear, as was his thirst for revenge. They called for him to be stripped of his official position, have his title and land confiscated, and be thrown into a dungeon for harsh punishment. The emperor ordered Mi's execution; he was fifty-two years old at the time.
There was a man named Zijie who served as the magistrate of Wuxian during the Jianwu era. However, the locals had the skull of a dead person set up by the roadside as a landmark, which was downright terrifying! Zijie was furious about this and immediately resigned.
Let's talk about Xun Boyu, whose courtesy name was Nongzhang, who was from Guangling. His grandfather Xun Yong served as the Governor of Nanqiao, and his father Xun Chanzhi served as an official. When Xun Boyu was young, he served as a soldier under Liu Yuanjing and later became the Ritual Official of Nan Xuzhou and the Military Advisor to Prince Xun of Jin'an. During the Taishi period, when Prince Xun rebelled, Xun Boyu's friend Sun Chong was a rebel leader, and Xun Boyu was forced to join him, which led to his appointment as the Marquis of Xinting. After the truth was revealed, Xun Boyu returned to Jiankang and made a living by fortune-telling. Prince Sima Jing of Jianping heard of his reputation and wanted to hire him, but he refused.
Later, when Sima Yan was stationed in Huaiyin, Xun Boyu sought refuge with him and became the Chief Criminal Officer of Sima Yan. At that time, Sima Yan was suspected by Emperor Ming and later transferred to the capital to serve as a Yellow Gate Attendant, and he was anxious. Xun Boyu advised Sima Yan to send dozens of cavalry to the enemy's territory to mark the territory, so that the enemy's cavalry would patrol the border, allowing Sima Yan to prove his innocence to the court. However, Sima Yan was still afraid, so he asked Xun Boyu to consult divination to see whether he should stay or leave. Xun Boyu's divination indicated that travel was inadvisable, and indeed Emperor Ming issued a decree for Sima Yan to return to his original position, thereby earning greater trust. After Sima Yan returned to the capital, he appointed Xun Boyu as an Imperial Messenger and also asked him to help manage household affairs. Later, after returning from Guangxing, when Sima Yan wanted to build a new residence, he sent people to dig up trees at the large mansion. Xun Boyu objected and hurried to inform Sima Yan. Sima Yan said, "You did the right thing!" Consequently, Xun Boyu was promoted and went on to serve as Military Advisor for Sima Yan's Pinnan Prefecture and Prince Jinxi. Later, when Sima Yan was stationed in Nanyanzhou, Xun Boyu was promoted to the Military Advisor of the Upper Garrison and also served as the Magistrate of Guangling County. He was later promoted to the Supervisor of the Imperial Guards, but he declined the position.
At the beginning, when Taizu was still in Huainan, Boyu feigned a return to Guangling. At night, he had a dream where he climbed the south tower of Guangling City, and two children in green clothes told Boyu, "The grass is ominous; the Son of Heaven is chasing each other." Boyu looked down and saw grass growing on the heads of all the people below the city walls.
In the seventh year of Taishi, Boyu had another dream where he saw Taizu on a boat at the north shore of Guangling. He saw wings tucked under Taizu's arms that were not spread out. Boyu asked when they would spread out, and Taizu said, "In three more years." Boyu felt like he could chant spells in the dream, so he spat towards Taizu and chanted a spell six times. Six dragons appeared; Taizu's wings spread out and then retracted. In the second year of Yuanhui, Taizu captured Guiyang and his reputation grew. Five years later, he pacified Cangwu. Taizu told Boyu, "The dream you had back then has now come to pass."
In the early years of Shengming, Boyu continued to serve as Taizu's military officer and was promoted to infantry colonel, but he did not take up the position. He also served as the Prefect of Jiyang while still holding the title of military officer. After Taizu's empire was established, Boyu remained loyal and devoted himself to serving at Taizu's side. He was later promoted to General of the Vanguard. He was transferred to the Ministry of War with Taizu, continuing as a military officer while still holding the titles of general and prefect. In the first year of Jianyuan, he was titled as the Marquis of Nanfeng County with an estate of four hundred households. He was later promoted to General of the State, serving as the Marshal of the Conquering of the Barbarians under the Prince of Wuling, while continuing to hold the prefect's position. He was then transferred to be the Marshal of the Crown Prince of Ancheng, and later promoted to the Minister of War and Counselor of the Prince of Yuzhang, while continuing to hold the prefect's position.
When the Crown Prince (Emperor Shizu) was in the Eastern Palace, he made decisions independently and handled affairs rather chaotically. He relied heavily on his close aide, Zhang Jingzhen, allowing him to manage the Eastern Palace's daily necessities, with all rewards and gifts sourced from the imperial palace. When Zhang Jingzhen was fasting at Nanjian Temple, he wore the emperor's purple leather trousers and garments, and everything else he used was likewise the emperor's. At the Leyou Plain banquet, all the musicians were dressed in the emperor's clothes. He also entrusted silk and satin to merchant ships from Kunlun for trade, and dispatched escorts to accompany them to the port in the southern state.
When Emperor Shizu returned from worshipping the imperial tomb, Zhang Jingzhen wore white clothes, rode on a gorgeously decorated boat, sat on a luxurious couch, and onlookers began to suspect he was the Crown Prince. Everyone inside and outside the palace was terrified, and no one dared to speak. Xun Boyu (Boyue) told his family, "The Crown Prince's actions were unknown to the ministers in the palace; how can we hide this just to save face for the officials? If I don't report it, who else dares to report it?" So, after Emperor Shizu returned from worshipping the imperial tomb, Xun Boyu secretly informed the Emperor about this matter. The Emperor was furious and launched an immediate investigation into the Eastern Palace.
When Emperor Shizu returned to Fangshan, it was getting dark, and the boat was preparing to dock. Prince Yuzhang rode a fast horse carriage from the Eastern Palace to meet him and informed Emperor Shizu about the Emperor's anger. Emperor Shizu returned to the palace at night, and the Emperor had closed the palace gates, waiting for him, and it was not until nearly midnight that Emperor Shizu finally entered the palace.
The next day, the emperor sent Prince Wen Hui and Prince Wen Xi to read the imperial edict, informing Emperor Shizu of Zhang Jingzhen's crimes. It was reported that it was the prince's order to arrest and execute Zhang Jingzhen. Emperor Shizu was filled with both fear and worry, feigning illness for over a month. The emperor's anger still did not subside. During the day, while he was resting in the Sun Palace, Wang Jingzhe went straight in and knelt down to report to the emperor, saying, "Your time as emperor is short, the prince is being blamed for no reason, everyone is very afraid, hoping you can clarify things at the East Palace." Taizu then went to the East Palace, gathering the princes and others below to Xuanpu Garden for a banquet, only returning after getting drunk.
The emperor held Xun Boyu's loyalty in high regard, trusting him more and entrusting many military and state matters to Xun Boyu. People at the time said, "Ten imperial edicts, five orders, are not as good as a word from Xun Boyu." Emperor Shizu harbored a grudge against Xun Boyu. When the emperor was dying, he pointed at Xun Boyu and said to his son, "This person has been very loyal to me. After I die, people may speak ill of him, do not believe them. Let him serve in the East Palace to attend to Baize for a long time, and later let him take office in Nanyanzhou."
When Xun Boyu's father passed away, the court first appointed him as the Champion General and the Prefect of Nanpuyang. However, before he could take office, he was reappointed as a Yellow Gate Attendant, with the same rank as before. Later, Emperor Shizu appointed him as the Grand Commandant under Prince Yuzhang, while still holding onto the prefect position. Not long after, he was promoted to Cavalier Attendant, with the prefect position remaining unchanged. Boyu felt anxious and fearful, unsure of what to do. When the emperor heard about this, he worried he had a close relationship with Yuan Chongzu and was concerned they might collude and rebel, so he comforted him specially, and Boyu finally felt relieved. As a result, in the first year of Yongming, Yuan Chongzu was killed, and Boyu was executed as well.
He died at the age of fifty. Years earlier, there was a skilled Feng Shui master who specialized in graveyards. When he observed the terrain of Boyu's ancestral grave, he said to Boyu's father, "In the future, a significant figure will arise from this land, but it will not last long." Boyu later heard about this and said, "Hearing the truth in the morning makes dying at night worthwhile!"
The historian commented, "Even when Boyu grew old, he did not serve the Crown Prince; he was upholding the legacy of loyalty and righteousness. To serve the monarch wholeheartedly, the key is to maintain a firm stance and avoid a divided heart. Even in the relationship between father and son, there should be clear distinctions, let alone showing bias towards one side. If one allows oneself to be manipulated by others, the consequences could be dire! Consider the fates of Jiang Yan and Xun Shu; despite their different methods, both met tragic ends. It's incredibly challenging to apply ancient wisdom to modern society!"
Praise: A calm mouth avoids disaster; Xun's words ring urgent. In a different era, they both faced the same fate.
