Chang Sun Lan, courtesy name Xiu Yin, was a native of Luoyang, Henan. His grandfather, Chang Sun Zhi, was the Grand Preceptor of the Wei Kingdom and was also granted the ceremonial Yellow Battle-axe, being titled Prince Wenxuan of Shangdang; his father, Chang Sun Shaoyuan, was a Lesser Noble of the Zhou Dynasty, titled Duke of Shangdang. Chang Sun Lan had a cheerful personality, was dignified, had some knowledge of history and literature, and was especially proficient in musical theory and tuning. During the reign of Emperor Da Tong of Northern Wei, he started serving as a trusted advisor in the Eastern Palace. By the time of Emperor Ming of Northern Zhou, he had become the Grand Commandant. When Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou was still in the vassal state, he shared a close relationship with Chang Sun Lan. After Emperor Wu ascended the throne, he especially favored Chang Sun Lan, directly promoting him to General of the Chariots and Cavalry. Whenever officials submitted memorials, Emperor Wu always had Chang Sun Lan review them first. Chang Sun Lan was eloquent, with a loud and powerful voice, and when he read the memorials, all officials would look at him, and Emperor Wu would always praise him. Chang Sun Lan's original name was Chang Sun Shan, but Emperor Wu said, "I entrust you to review all important state matters first," and bestowed upon him the name "Lan." Later, Chang Sun Lan was involved in the downfall of Yuwen Hu, and for his contributions, he was titled Duke of Xueguo. He later served as Minister of Public Works. After helping to pacify the Qi Kingdom, he was promoted to Duke of Xueguo. His second son, Chang Sun Kuan, was granted the title Duke of Guanguo.
During the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui, Changsun Lan was promoted to the positions of Upper Pillar Minister and Grand Minister, and shortly after served as the governor of Tongzhou and Jingzhou. When Emperor Wen of Sui was Prime Minister, Changsun Lan was transferred to be the governor of Yizhou. In the second year of Kaihuang, Emperor Wen of Sui wanted to send troops to Jiangnan and summoned Changsun Lan to serve as the Marshal of the Southeastern Expedition, leading eight generals to march from Shouyang, advancing by land and water. When the army reached the bank of the Yangtze River, the people of the Chen dynasty were very afraid. Coincidentally, Emperor Xuan of Chen passed away, and Changsun Lan wanted to take advantage of the situation to destroy the Chen dynasty, but the military advisor Gao Jiong believed it was not right to take advantage of someone's crisis, so the troops were ordered to return. Emperor Wen of Sui often gathered Changsun Lan, Prince Ande Yang Xiong, Upper Pillar Minister Yuan Xie, Li Chong, Left Supervisor Gao Jiong, Right Guard General Yu Qingze, Governor of Wuzhou He Ruobi, and others to dine together, saying, "During the Zhou dynasty, even though I worked hard, I was always suspected and felt cold in my heart. If even officials are like this, what can I rely on? I consider you like a son. I intend to enjoy my later years alongside you; as long as you don’t commit treason, I won’t pursue other matters. I know you are loyal and trustworthy, so I entrust you to the Crown Prince. You should visit him frequently to gradually get closer. The position of Upper Pillar Minister actually belongs to you; you should understand my meaning." This was how Emperor Wen of Sui favored Changsun Lan. He also arranged for his daughter to marry Prince Yang Xiu of Shu. Later, Changsun Lan resigned from his position due to his mother's passing. Over a year later, he was reinstated. Shortly after, he was transferred to be the governor of Jingzhou, where he achieved success in various roles. In the end, he passed away while in that position. His son, Changsun Hong, later became the governor of Songzhou, Shunzhou, Linzhou, the Minister of Agriculture, and the Prefect of Beiping.
Chizhi Zhongguang, the great-grandson of Wang Zhizhi, the Lord Wen Xuan of Shangdang, was a descendant of his grandfather Yu, who held the position of Grand Minister in the Wei Kingdom and Inspector of Jizhou; and his father Si, who served as the Minister of Works and the Inspector of Xiong and Jiangzhou, and also held the title of Marquis of Pingyuan. Chizhi was smart and good-looking from a young age, well-read, and skilled in martial arts.
At the beginning of the Jiande period, Emperor Wu had a particular admiration for Daoist thought and metaphysics, and liked to appoint those knowledgeable in the classics and adept at debate as scholars in the Tongdao Institute. Chizhi was selected and studied together with many outstanding individuals, expanding his horizons. In the second year of Jiande, he was appointed as the County Magistrate of Cangcheng in Yongzhou, and later transferred to be the Magistrate of Zhoupai County. His performance in these two positions was excellent, which led to his promotion as the County Governor of Xiaojun. He later returned to the court and became a Senior Imperial Officer.
After Gaozu became Prime Minister, he promoted Chizhi to Deputy Chief Clerk in the Prime Minister's Office, bestowing upon him the title of Viscount of Yangping and a fief of two hundred households. He was later promoted to a junior official. In the year of Wang Qian's rebellion, Chizhi accompanied Wang Changshu, the General Manager of Xinzhou, upriver to quell the rebellion. Chizhi commanded the vanguard, defeated one of Wang Qian's armies, brought peace to five states, including Chuzhou and Hezhou, and captured the pretender Yuan Zhen. In recognition of his outstanding achievements, he was appointed Minister of Works.
After the founding emperor ascended the throne, Chi led his subordinates to enter the imperial palace first. That day, he was appointed as an official of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and was also granted the title of Grand Commandant of the Right Division. Shortly after, he also took on the role of Right Scholar of the Eastern Palace, frequently entering and leaving the palace, earning the trust and favor of the emperor. He was praised by the founding emperor for his meticulous attention to detail. Later, he was appointed as the Left Chief Military Advisor and was sent on a mission to the thirty-six provinces of the Southeastern Road to adjust the county setup and inspect local customs and practices. Upon his return, he was appointed as an attendant to the Crown Prince, granted the title of Counselor of State, and also took on the role of the magistrate of Chang'an County. He and Liang Pi, the magistrate of Daxing County, were both considered competent officials. However, Liang Pi was known for his severity, while Chi was known for his generosity and kindness; their governing styles and local atmospheres were different.
Next, Chi served as the Right Supervisor of Changping and later transferred to be the Governor of Yongzhou, with the title of Marquis of Raoliang County. He was then promoted to the Junior Minister of Rites. Several years later, he was promoted to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and was granted the title of Grand Commandant of the Right Division once again. He was then appointed as the Grand Inspector of the twenty-eight provinces of Henan Road, and during his inspection, he was appointed as the Deputy Minister of Personnel. In the first year of Daye, he was promoted to the Chief Justice, once again serving as the Grand Inspector of the Southwest Road to inspect local customs. He was later promoted to the Minister of Finance.
When the Tuyuhun invaded Zhangye, the court ordered Chi to lead five thousand elite soldiers to confront the enemy, defeating them and pursuing them all the way to Qinghai before returning. For his achievements in this battle, he was granted the title of Grand Master of Silver and Happiness. In the sixth year of Daye, the emperor went to Jiangdu Palace, leaving Chi as the acting governor of the Eastern Capital, and also appointing him as the General of the Left Guard. That same year, Chi died at the age of sixty-two and was posthumously granted the title "Jing." His son Anshi served as a court official.
Ji Cheng, courtesy name Cheng, was bright and quick-witted, with a bit of book knowledge. He was especially skilled in archery and horseback riding, with agility surpassing ordinary people. During the Zhou Dynasty, which advocated for military might, noble youths showed off their skills to one another, but no one could match him in horseback archery competitions. At the age of eighteen, he became a senior officer in the Imperial Guards. Not well-known at first, it was only after Emperor Gaozu (Yang Jian) saw him that he was astonished and praised him, saying, "Changsun Cheng's martial arts are outstanding. You can learn many clever strategies just by talking to him. Isn't he destined to be a famous general?"
During the reign of Emperor Xuan, the Turkic Khaganate sought a marriage alliance with the Zhou Dynasty, wanting to marry the daughter of the King of Zhao. Both the Zhou Dynasty and the Turkic Khaganate bragged and carefully selected brave and skilled individuals as envoys. Therefore, Changsun Cheng was sent to assist the Duke of Runan, Yuwen Shenqing, in escorting the princess to the Turkic camp. Previous envoys sent by the Zhou Dynasty were mostly disrespected by the Turkic Khaganate, but they held a special fondness for Changsun Cheng, often hunted with him and even kept him around for a whole year. Once, two eagles were fighting over a piece of meat in the air, and the Khaganate gave Changsun Cheng two arrows, saying, "Go shoot them down." Changsun Cheng immediately bent his bow, ran over, and shot both eagles with one arrow while they were distracted. The Khaganate was thrilled and ordered his princes, nobles, and confidants to be close to Changsun Cheng, hoping he would teach them how to shoot. The Khaganate's brother, the Chuluhou Tuli She, was especially popular with the troops but feared by the Khaganate. Therefore, he secretly formed an alliance with Changsun Cheng. When Changsun Cheng and Tuli She hunted together, they secretly observed the Turkic terrain and the strengths and weaknesses of various tribes, getting a good sense of them.
At that time, Gaozu (Yang Jian) was serving as the Chancellor, and Changsun Cheng reported these situations to Gaozu. Gaozu was very happy and promoted him to be the Carriage Attendant Officer. In the year 605 AD, the first year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty, Yang Su said to Emperor Wen of Sui, "Our Zhou Dynasty and the Turks are like relatives; now that you have become the emperor of Sui but cannot control them, how will you show your face to Khagan Qaghan in the future?" Therefore, Yang Su and Gao Baoning together seized Linyu Town and teamed up with various tribes to plan a southern invasion. Emperor Wen of Sui, who had just taken the throne, was quite alarmed by this, so he ramped up the construction of the Great Wall, stationed troops on the northern border, appointed Yin Shou to defend Youzhou and Yu Qing to defend Bingzhou, with tens of thousands of troops stationed to fend off any Turk invasions.
Yang Su had long known the uncles and nephews She Tu, Diao Jue, A Bo, and Tu Li, each controlling a different territory and all called khans. They distrusted each other internally but pretended to get along on the surface. While it is difficult to conquer them through force, sowing discord among them is much easier. So Yang Su wrote to Emperor Wen of Sui, saying, "I have heard that when chaos reaches its peak, peace is bound to follow. Heaven will give people a sign, and the sage will accomplish this great task. Your Majesty ascended the throne after a hundred rulers, at a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity. Although the Central Plains are stable, the border areas are still restless. It is not yet the right time to raise troops for war. If we leave them unchecked, they will inevitably harass us again. Therefore, we should secretly devise a strategy to gradually weaken them. If the strategy fails, the people will be uneasy. If the strategy succeeds, it will benefit generations to come. Success or failure hinges on this one move. I hope Your Majesty will consider it carefully. In the late Zhou Dynasty, I served as an envoy and was very familiar with the situation of the Xiongnu. Diao Jue's military strength is stronger than She Tu's, but their status is lower. They appear to depend on each other, but there are already cracks within. If we can incite their emotions, they will certainly turn on one another. Then there's Chu Luo Hou, She Tu's brother, who is both cunning and weak, yet well-liked by the people. She Tu fears him, and Chu Luo Hou is always uneasy. A Bo is indecisive, stuck in the middle, and fearful of She Tu's manipulation, only allying with the strong without a firm stance. We should make distant friends and close attacks, create divisions among the strong and unite the weak, send envoys to contact Diao Jue, and persuade A Bo. This way, She Tu will return to defend the right wing. Then we should win over Chu Luo Hou and unite the Xi and Xi tribes. This will lead them to distrust one another and sow internal discord, and in a decade or so, we can seize the opportunity to strike and eliminate them in one decisive blow."
Emperor Wen of Sui was very pleased after reading the memorial report, so he summoned Yang Su. Yang Su explained the situation in detail at the time, and drew the mountains and rivers on the table with his hands, depicting the truth and falsehood of the Turks as if he had seen it with his own eyes. Emperor Wen of Sui was very surprised and adopted his suggestion. Therefore, Emperor Wen of Sui sent the Grand Minister of Ceremonies Yuan Hui to set out from Yiwu Road to visit the Turks, presenting them with a wolf head flag (a type of military flag) as a sign of great respect, with great courtesy. The Turks sent envoys to meet Emperor Wen of Sui and brought the envoy from Shetou's tribe. The divisive strategy was successfully implemented, and indeed they became suspicious of each other, causing a rift. Emperor Wen of Sui appointed Yang Su as the General of Chariots and Cavalry, allowing him to set out from Yellow Dragon Road with gifts to reward the Xi, Xi, and Khitan tribes, and letting them serve as guides, finally arriving at Chulouhou's place, where Yang Su engaged in a meaningful discussion with Chulouhou, successfully convincing him to join the Sui Dynasty. The next year, Shetou set out from Lanzhou with four hundred thousand cavalry, arriving at Zhoupan, defeating the army of Da Xi Changru, and intended to continue south. Zhanjue refused to follow him and left with his troops. At this time, Yang Cheng informed Shetou's men that the Tiele had rebelled and were planning to attack their camp. Shetou was frightened and quickly withdrew his troops from the border.
After a few months, the Turks launched a large-scale invasion, and the Sui Dynasty sent out eight marshals to resist. When Abo arrived in Liangzhou, he fought a battle with Dou Rongding, the enemy commander-in-chief, who was defeated and forced to retreat repeatedly. At that time, Yang Sheng was a deputy general. He said to Abo, "Every time Shetu comes to fight, he wins big victories. You, Abo, have just arrived and already suffered a defeat. This is a disgrace for your people. Don't you feel ashamed? Besides, Shetu and Abo have similar military strength, but Shetu keeps winning battles and earning respect, while you, Abo, keep losing battles and bringing shame to the country. Shetu will definitely use this opportunity to shift the blame onto you and achieve his goal of eliminating Beiya. Think about it: can you still hold your ground?" Abo sent envoys to see Yang Sheng, who said to the envoys, "Datu has now allied with the Sui Dynasty, but Shetu cannot control them. Why doesn't the Khan align himself with the Emperor and unite with Datu, so they can become stronger? This is the best strategy! Do you want to lead a defeated army, bear the guilt, surrender to Shetu, and endure his humiliation?" Abo took the advice and remained at the border, sending people to enter the court with Yang Sheng.
At that time, Shetu's and Wei Wang's armies met and fought at Baidao. Shetu was defeated and fled to Qi. Hearing that Abo had second thoughts, he launched a surprise attack on Beiya, captured everyone, and even killed Abo's mother. Having nowhere else to turn, Abo ran to Chuijie and requested an army of over 100,000 to join forces against Shetu, reclaiming their lost territory and gathering tens of thousands of scattered troops to continue fighting Shetu. Abo achieved a series of victories, and his power grew. Shetu sent envoys to pay tribute, and the Turkic princess willingly changed her surname, requesting to be recognized as a princess of the Sui Dynasty, which Emperor Wen of Sui accepted.
In the fourth year, Emperor Wen of Sui sent Yang Cheng to assist Yu Qingze in presenting tribute to the Turks, giving the princess the surname Yang and conferred upon her the title of Princess Dayi. When Yu Qingze received the imperial edict, he refused to rise and express his gratitude, but Yang Cheng said, "Both the Turks and the Sui Dynasty are great nations, both are ruled by emperors. If the Khan does not get up to thank, how dare he disobey the imperial edict? Moreover, the Khan's daughter has become a princess of the Sui Dynasty. You are now a son-in-law of the great Sui; how can you be so rude and disrespectful to your father-in-law?" Yu Qingze smiled and said to his ministers, "Since I have to pay respects to my father-in-law, I will do it!" So he got up to thank the imperial edict. After Yang Cheng returned to the court, he was appreciated by the emperor and was appointed as the Yitong Sanqi and the Left Guard Cavalry General.
Seven years ago, Yu Qingze died, and the emperor sent Cheng with the imperial token to confer the title of Moho Khan to Chuluohou and his son Yonglu as Yehu Khan. When Chuluohou submitted a memorial when Cheng came to the court, he stated, "Apo has already been destroyed by the heavens. Now, the remaining five or six thousand cavalry are hiding in the valleys, waiting for the emperor's orders. We can capture them and bring them before the emperor." So the emperor summoned civil and military officials to discuss this matter.
Yuan Xie of Le'an County said, "Let’s just go and eliminate them; kill the chicken to scare the monkey, as a warning to others!" Li Chong of Wuyang County said, "I think we should capture them alive and execute them publicly, killing one to warn a hundred, so that the people can witness it!" The emperor asked Cheng, "What do you think?" Cheng replied, "If the Turks are indeed fickle and unpredictable, then we must certainly apply strict measures to govern them. But now they are fighting among themselves, and Apo's wrongdoing is not intentionally against our country. They are already very poor, so it may not be wise to capture and execute them at this time. It would be better to allow the two brothers to live." The emperor said, "Okay."
Eight years later, Chuluohou passed away, and the emperor sent Cheng to offer his condolences, bringing treasures from the Kingdom of Chen as gifts for Yonglu.
Thirteen years ago, the exiled Yang Qin made his way to the Turks. He tricked the Turks into believing that Liu Chang, the Prince of Pengcheng from our Great Sui Dynasty, was conspiring with the Yuwen clan's princess to rebel, and claimed to be Liu Chang's secret envoy. King Yonglu of the Turks believed him and stopped paying tribute altogether. Our court then sent Yang Cheng to the Turks as an envoy to investigate the situation discreetly. As a result, Princess Yuwen met with Yang Cheng, was extremely arrogant and disrespectful, and conspired with her Turk lover, An Suiga, to mislead King Yonglu. After returning to the capital, Yang Cheng reported everything to the emperor.
The emperor once again sent Yang Cheng to the Turks to demand Yang Qin. King Yonglu was reluctant to hand over Yang Qin and cleverly argued, "I don't have anyone by that name here!" Yang Cheng then bribed the Turk officials and nobles, discovered Yang Qin's hiding place, secretly captured him at night, and brought him before King Yonglu, exposing the princess's affair, which embarrassed the entire Turkic community. King Yonglu arrested An Suiga and the others, handing them over to Yang Cheng for return to the Great Sui Dynasty. The emperor was delighted and promoted Yang Cheng to a high office, sending him to handle Princess Yuwen. King Yonglu later proposed a marriage alliance with the Great Sui Dynasty. The court officials were all inclined to accept.
But Yang Sheng also reported to the emperor, saying, "Your Majesty, I see that Yonglu Wang is untrustworthy and capricious. He is only aligned with us, the Sui Dynasty, due to his conflicts with Dujue. Marrying the princess to him now will only embolden him, and Dujue and Ranggan will definitely be attacked by him. When he becomes stronger and rebels again, we will have a hard time dealing with him. Moreover, Ranggan is the son of Lord Luo, and our two countries have been friendly for generations. I have previously met Ranggan and sought a marriage alliance. It is better to marry the princess to him, allowing him to migrate south; his forces are few and weak, making him easier to manage. This way, we can use him to restrain Yonglu Wang and defend the border." The emperor said, "Good!" So he sent someone to appease Ranggan and promised to marry the princess to him.
In the seventeenth year, Ranggan sent five hundred cavalry to accompany Yang Sheng to meet the princess. The Sui Dynasty married a royal princess named Anyi to him. Yang Sheng persuaded Ranggan to lead his people to migrate south and settle in the old town of Dunjin. Yonglu Wang was furious and came to plunder several times. Ranggan was always able to anticipate Yonglu Wang's movements and report to the court in time, so he was always prepared.
In the nineteenth year, Ranggan and Sheng rebelled; they made weapons and wanted to attack Datong City. The emperor dispatched six generals to command the troops, and the Han King to lead the army, to march out of the pass to suppress them. Ranggan was filled with dread, and he allied with Datou, together ambushing Sheng and engaging in a fierce battle at the foot of the Great Wall. Ultimately, Ranggan faced defeat; his brothers, sons, and nephews were all killed, and the tribe scattered and fled. Ranggan and Sheng fled south with only five cavalrymen under the cover of night; by daybreak, they had already covered over a hundred miles and gathered a few hundred cavalrymen. They discussed, "Now that we have been defeated, we can only surrender and return to the court. Will the Sui emperor show us mercy? Although Dujue has come to attack us, we have no grievances with him. If we go to seek refuge with him, he will definitely accept us."
Sheng knew that Rangan had ulterior motives, so he secretly sent people to set up an ambush in a remote border town and ordered them to quickly light the beacon fires. When Rangan saw all four beacon fires lit, he asked Sheng, "Why are the beacon fires on the city walls also lit?" Sheng deceived him, saying, "The city is high and far, so we can definitely see the enemy coming from afar. It is our country's rule that if there are few enemies, we light two beacon fires; if there are many, we light three; if they are numerous and approaching, we light four to signal their closeness." Rangan was very scared and told his subordinates, "The pursuers are getting closer, let's retreat to the city!" Upon arriving at the border town, Sheng left Rangan's officials in charge of the army and hurried back to the capital with Rangan on fast horses. The emperor was very pleased and promoted Sheng to the position of General of the Left Xunwei, appointing him as the escort for the envoy to the Turks.
Sheng sent defectors to gather intelligence on Yonglu's situation and learned that disasters were happening in Yonglu's military camp one after another. At night, they saw a red rainbow light illuminating hundreds of miles, a celestial dog falling from the sky, three days of blood rain, and meteors falling in the military camp, sounding like thunder. Yonglu was so scared every night that he couldn't sleep, saying that the Sui army was coming. The defectors reported these situations to Sheng, who then requested to march against the Turks. Dusu and others also defected to Rangan, with more than ten thousand men and women surrendering overall, and Sheng settled them. From then on, the Turks expressed friendship and submission to the Sui Dynasty. Later, the emperor appointed Rangan as the Khan of Yili Zhendouqi and granted him the opportunity to practice archery at Wuan Palace.
The emperor selected twelve skilled archers and divided them into two teams to compete. Qiren said, "I was able to see the emperor today thanks to Grand Ambassador Changsun's efforts. I am willing to join his team for the archery contest." The emperor agreed. The emperor gave Sheng six arrows, and Sheng struck all the deer, leading Qiren's team to victory. At that moment, a group of birds flew by, and the emperor said, "Your archery skills are excellent; help me shoot them down." Sheng shot ten arrows in unison, hitting all the birds, which fell from the sky, arrows still embedded in them. On that day, all the officials received rewards, with Sheng receiving the largest reward. Afterwards, the emperor sent Sheng to lead fifty thousand people to build Dali City in Shuozhou, permitting the Ranggan people to live there. After Princess Anyi passed away, Sheng was ordered to escort Princess Yicheng and married her. Sheng then submitted a memorial saying, "There are many people from the Ranggan tribe who have surrendered. Although they live inside the Great Wall, they are still harassed by the Yonglu. It is difficult for them to travel back and forth, making it difficult for them to establish a stable life. I respectfully request their relocation to Wuyuan, with the Yellow River as a barrier, between Xiacheng and Shengzhou, four hundred miles north and south, digging a horizontal moat for them to live in, allowing them to graze freely and be free from harassment, so that they can settle down." The emperor agreed to his request.
Twenty years later, the Tuyuhun tribe fell into chaos, with their leaders killed by their own subordinates. Li Sheng then submitted a memorial saying, "Our army is now advancing into their territory, winning many battles. The enemy has internal conflicts; their leaders have been killed. Now is an opportune moment for them to surrender; I am confident they will comply." The emperor agreed, and indeed they all surrendered.
Da Tou, another leader of the Tuyuhun tribe, was afraid, so he gathered a large army. The emperor ordered Li Sheng to lead these defeated soldiers, appointing him as the Grand Marshal of the Qin Chuan campaign, and sent him to attack Prince Guang of Jin, another power of the Tuyuhun tribe. Da Tou confronted Prince Guang, and Li Sheng suggested, "The Turks love to drink spring water; it is very easy to poison the water." So they used various drugs to poison the upstream water source. After Da Tou's people and livestock drank it, many died. Da Tou was very panicked and said, "Heaven has poisoned the water; they want to destroy us!" So he fled at night. Li Sheng pursued them, beheading over a thousand, capturing more than a hundred people, and seizing thousands of livestock. Prince Guang was overjoyed, invited Li Sheng into the palace, and hosted a grand banquet to celebrate their victory. At that time, some Turkic officials came to surrender and also attended the banquet. They said the Turks were very afraid of General Changsun; when they mistook the sound for thunder, and when they saw him riding, they thought it was lightning. Prince Guang laughed and said, "General, when you get angry, you are as powerful as thunder and lightning; you are really amazing!" After the war, Li Sheng was appointed as the Upper Left Commandant and then sent back to Dali City to pacify the newly surrendered populace.
In the first year of Renshou, Li Sheng reported, "I climbed the city tower at night and saw a red mist to the north of the desert, stretching for more than a hundred miles, descending from the sky like rain. I carefully consulted military texts; this phenomenon is known as 'blood rain.' A country that experiences such a phenomenon is destined to perish. If we want to eliminate the Xiongnu, now is the time!" The emperor then appointed Yang Su as the marshal and Li Sheng as the envoy for surrender, leading the army in a northern campaign.
In the second year, the army arrived at Beihai and encountered the bandit leader Sili Sijin and his followers who were leading their troops in resistance. Li Cheng and General Liang Mo together defeated them, pursued them for over sixty miles, and many enemies surrendered. Li Cheng then ordered his men to send envoys to persuade the Iron Le and other tribes in the north to surrender. In the third year, over ten tribes, including Iron Le, Sijie, Fuli Ju, Hun, Husa, Aba, and Pugu, all betrayed Datou and requested to surrender. Datou's forces were utterly defeated and fled to Tuyuhun. Li Cheng resettled these surrendered tribes in Qikou. After the matter was completed, he went to the palace to meet the emperor, but unexpectedly, the emperor had passed away. Thus, he chose to keep this matter secret and did not announce it publicly. Emperor Yang summoned Yang Su to the imperial palace and assigned him to oversee the palace guards' duties, promoting him to the rank of Left General that very day. Later, when Yang Liang rebelled, the emperor ordered him to retain his original position as the governor of Xiangzhou, leading troops to Shandong to quell the rebellion alongside Li Xiong and others. Yang Su declined, saying, "My son is currently in the rebels' territory. Being suddenly assigned to this position makes me genuinely uneasy." The emperor said, "I have always known of your loyalty. Xiangzhou is of strategic importance; it was once the capital of the Qi state. The local populace is impulsive and easily stirred up. We need you to suppress them. You are thinking of the country; you cannot abandon your duty because of your son's actions, that's why I've appointed you; please don't decline." He was then dispatched to pacify Xiangzhou. After Yang Liang's defeat, Yang Su was recalled and promoted to Military Guard General.
In the third year of the Daye era, Emperor Yang of Sui went to Yulin to display his military prowess, with a vast army passing through the territory of the Turks and heading straight to Zhuojun. Worried that the Turks might panic, he first sent Yang Su to explain the emperor's intentions and purpose. After hearing Yang Su's explanation, the Turkic leader, Ranggan, summoned the leaders of his various tribes, including dozens from the Xi, Xian, and Shiwei tribes. Seeing the overgrown grass in Ranggan's encampment, Yang Su suggested that Ranggan personally clean it up to set an example for the other tribes and demonstrate his authority. Pointing at the grass in front of the tent, Yang Su said, "This grass smells very fragrant." Ranggan quickly smelled it and said, "It doesn't smell fragrant at all!" Yang Su said, "When the emperor travels, all vassals must personally clean and clear the roads to show the highest respect. Now, your camp is overgrown with grass, which you refer to as fragrant grass." Ranggan then understood and said, "I was mistaken. My people are all bestowed upon me by the emperor, and I dare not refuse to serve the emperor. It's just that the people on the border don't understand the rules, thanks to the general's benevolence and guidance. The general's favor is my fortune." He then drew his sword and personally cleared the grass, and his nobles and people from various tribes followed suit. From Yulin in the north to his camp, and extending east to Jixian, a distance of three thousand li and one hundred steps wide, the entire nation mobilized to clear the imperial road. Upon learning of Yang Su's strategy, the emperor held him in even higher regard. Later, he was appointed Prefect of Huaiyang, but before he could assume office, he was appointed Right Valiant Guard General.
Five years later, Changsun Cheng died at the age of fifty-eight. The emperor was extremely saddened and regretful, bestowing many honors upon him. Later, the Turks surrounded Yanmen Pass, and the emperor sighed, lamenting, "If only Changsun Cheng were still here, the Xiongnu wouldn't be so bold!" Changsun Cheng was highly strategic and driven. He was especially filial, and his grief over his mother's death took such a toll on him that he grew frail, earning the admiration of the court ministers. During the Zhenguan period, he was posthumously honored with the titles of Sikong, Shangzhuguo, and Duke of Qi, with the posthumous title 'Xian'. His youngest son, Changsun Wuji, inherited his titles.
His eldest son, Changsun Xingbu, also inherited his father's intelligence and strategic thinking. He initially worked in Prince Li Liang of Han's warehouse, who was quite fond of him. Later, when Li Liang rebelled in Bingzhou and led his army south to resist the imperial army, he left Changsun Xingbu to defend the city. Changsun Xingbu, along with Dou Lu Yu and others, mounted a defense against Li Liang from within the city, but the city was overrun, and he fell in battle. Changsun Cheng's second son, Changsun Hengan, was appointed to the position of Eagle Rising Langjiang in recognition of his brother's achievements.
The historical records say: The Changsun family originated from Daiyin and later settled in Luoyang, the capital, becoming prominent for generations, like ancestral treasures passed down through generations, vowing to defend the nation's lands. The accomplishments of the eight feudal lords of the Han Dynasty pale in comparison to those of the Changsun family; even the seven generations of the Zhang family cannot match the brilliance of the Changsun family. Changsun Lan was known for his eloquence and talent from a young age; both brothers held positions in the Ministry of Rites and commanded armies, one became a duke and the other a marquis, excelling in both civil and military affairs. Changsun Cheng was brave and skilled in battle, with great strategic insight, capable of adapting his tactics to confront the barbarians. The enemy forces were utterly defeated, falling to their knees in surrender, and the borderlands fell silent, free from the sound of arrows. The Chanyu knelt before him on Wei Bridge, pledging his allegiance. His benevolence benefited the border regions, his accomplishments were remarkable, and he retained his title and salary. Isn't that only to be expected?
