Speaking of humans, they are regarded as the most intelligent beings because they understand the relationship between father and son, as well as the principles between ruler and subject, which sets them apart from animals. As the saying goes, "In life, the three fundamental relationships should be upheld." Therefore, the principles of ruler and subject, father and son, are the same. A father, a son, a ruler, and a subject each have their roles to fulfill. A ruler is like the sky; can the sky harbor grudges? Therefore, when one errs, they must accept the consequences, be loyal in times of crisis, dedicate themselves to upholding integrity, and not compromise in the face of danger. Those who hear of their deeds will be inspired; even after a thousand years, everyone aspires to be such a loyal subject. This is the reason for their glory during their lifetime, mourned after their passing, and the respect they receive from future generations.
However, some people, seeking official positions and hereditary titles, become trusted advisors to others, participate in court intrigues, hold important positions, but end up committing treacherous deeds akin to those of Zhao Gao, enjoying power and favor, and engaging in tyrannical acts like Wang Mang, becoming objects of hatred by all, even dogs would refuse to touch their leftovers after death. Even if they are crushed and their crimes are evident, beheaded and their bodies burned, their guilt clear, while punishing past wrongdoers may be necessary, it fails to impart a lasting lesson for future generations. In the past, Confucius wrote the "Spring and Autumn Annals," and the treacherous villains were afraid. Confucius aimed to make them seek fame, but instead, he exposed their misdeeds. Now, I deliberately list their crimes at the beginning, hoping that future scholars will grasp my intentions.
Yuwen Huaji, the son of General Yuwen Shu, was a cruel and ruthless individual who did not follow the laws and regulations. He loved riding good horses and carrying slingshots, parading through the streets of Chang'an, earning him the nickname "licentious young master." When Sui Yangdi was the crown prince, Yuwen Huaji often accompanied him in and out of the prince's palace. He was later promoted to the prince's attendant, but was dismissed several times due to bribery charges. However, the crown prince held him in high regard, and he was reinstated shortly after. He later married Princess Nanyang, which only fueled his arrogance and domineering nature, addressing ministers with arrogance and bullying those beneath him. He often associated with meat vendors to line his own pockets.
After Sui Yangdi ascended the throne, Yuwen Huaji was appointed as the Grand Master of Palace Attendants, making him even greedier and more shameless. During the Daye period, Sui Yangdi went to Yulin, and Yuwen Huaji and his brother violated the imperial ban by secretly doing business with the Turks. Sui Yangdi, furious, imprisoned them for several months. Eventually, he hesitated to carry out their execution when he saw Yuwen Huaji's disheveled appearance, considering Princess Nanyang's reputation, and released them, demoting Yuwen Shu to the status of a slave. After Yuwen Shu's death, Sui Yangdi remembered his merits and reinstated Yuwen Huaji as the General of the Right Guard, and appointed Yuwen Zhi as the Supervisor of Works.
Back then, Li Mi took control of Luokou, and Emperor Yang of Sui grew fearful, so he remained south of the Huai River, too afraid to return to Chang'an. A lot of Guanzhong locals were part of the emperor's elite army, and they had been away serving as soldiers for quite a while, longing for their hometowns. When they saw that the emperor had no intention of returning to Guanzhong, they plotted to rebel and head back home. Back then, General Sima Dekan was in charge of these elite forces, stationed in the East City. When he caught wind of the soldiers' plans to rebel, he wasn't sure if it was real, so he discreetly sent Prefect Yuan Wuda to check it out. Once Yuan Wuda got the scoop, he joined in on the rebellion plot.
They stirred each other up, saying, "We’ve heard that the Emperor wants to build a palace in Danyang, and it looks like he’s not coming back. None of us elite soldiers want to stick around; everyone’s been secretly talking about escaping. I want to let the Emperor know about this, but he’s got a short fuse and can’t stand hearing about soldiers running away. I’m worried I’ll get killed before I can even say anything. If we know and don’t say anything, when the truth comes out, our whole families could be wiped out. It’s a dead end either way, what do we do now?" Pei Qiantong said, "The Emperor is indeed like that; I am really worried for you." Sima Dekan said to them, "I heard that the Guanzhong region has fallen, Li Xiaochang has rebelled in Huayin, and the Emperor has captured his two brothers and is preparing to kill them all. Our families are still in Guanzhong; how can we not worry?" Pei Qiantong said, "My children are all grown up, I can’t even look after myself; I’m afraid I’ll be executed one morning with no way out." Sima Dekan said, "We all have the same worries; we should figure something out together. If these elite soldiers want to bail, we can go together." They said, "You are right; the only way to survive is this." So they plotted together and informed the Inner Historian Yuan Min, the Eagle-Rising Langjiang Meng Bing, the Symbolic Seal Lang Li Fu, Niu Fangyu, the Direct Chang Xu Hongren, Xue Liang, the City Gate Lang Tang Fengyi, the Doctor Zhang Kai, and others. They gathered every night to drink, gamble, and became close friends, talking freely. They often talked about their rebellion plan over drinks, and everyone agreed.
At that time, Li Xiaozhi was imprisoned in the palace, watched over by elite soldiers, and news from both inside and outside could still reach him, which made their betrayal plan even more pressing. There was a man named Zhao Xingshu, the son of a wealthy family, who first informed Zhi Ji. Zhi Ji's subordinate, Yang Shilan, was a nephew of the Yuwen family, and these two men together informed Zhi Ji of the situation. Zhi Ji, known for his arrogance and recklessness, was thrilled to hear this news and went with them to find Sima Dekan. They agreed to rebel together on the fifteenth day of the third month, seize the Twelve Guards' war horses, plunder the people's wealth, and then return to Guanzhong together. Zhi Ji said, "No, now is the time of the downfall of the Sui Dynasty. Heroes and brave men are rising up one after another. There are already tens of thousands of people who have rebelled. We should take advantage of this opportunity to accomplish a great cause. This is a golden opportunity to seize imperial power!" Sima Dekan agreed. Zhao Xingshu and Xue Liang requested that Hua Ji be the leader. After everything was agreed upon, they finally told Hua Ji. Hua Ji was naturally timid and cowardly, and was very afraid when he first heard the news. His face paled, and he broke into a sweat, but it took him a while to regain his composure.
On March 1, 617 AD, Dekan intended to publicly announce the uprising, but he was concerned about the people's lack of unity, so he devised a scheme to incite everyone. He said to Xu Hongren and Zhang Kai, "You two are esteemed doctors, and the state has entrusted you to handle affairs. When you speak, people will surely believe you. Go to the palace and tell those who understand the situation that the emperor has learned that the Xiangguo army is plotting a rebellion and has prepared a lot of poisoned wine, planning to poison them all at the banquet, leaving only the people from the south." Hongren and the others spread this message, and when the Xiangguo army heard this, they began discussing among themselves, making their rebellion plan even more urgent.
De Kan realized the plan had succeeded, so he spent ten days gathering his old friends and informing them of his plan. Everyone knelt down together and said, "We all listen to the general!" That night, Lord Fengyi ordered the city gates to be closed and locked all the gates with Qiantong. By midnight, De Kan assembled his army in the east city, gathering tens of thousands of people, lighting torches and signaling to those outside the city. When the emperor heard the commotion, he asked what was happening. Qiantong pretended and replied, "There is a fire in the grass shed, and the people outside the city are helping to put out the fire, so it is noisy." With no way to communicate between the city and the outside, the emperor believed it.
Meng Binghe and Zhiji gathered thousands of people outside the city, kidnapped the guard, Wu Ben Feng Pule, and split up to capture people in the alleys of Guoxia Street. By the fifth watch of the night, De Kan handed over the army to Qiantong, replacing all the guards at the city gates. Qiantong then opened the city gates himself, leading hundreds of cavalry straight to Chengxiang Palace and killed the general Dugu Sheng. Wu Ben's general Yuan Li then led his troops inside, and the guarding soldiers all fled. Qiantong led the troops into the left pavilion, ran to Yongxiang Lane, and asked, "Where is the emperor?" A palace maid came out and pointed, saying, "In the west pavilion." Qiantong went over and captured the emperor. The emperor said to Qiantong, "Aren't you my old friend? Why are you turning against me?" Qiantong said, "I am not rebelling, but the soldiers want to go home. I’m taking you back to the capital." The emperor said, "Alright, I will go with you." Qiantong then led his troops to safeguard the emperor.
Daylight broke, and Meng Bing led the army to welcome Hua Ji. Hua Ji still didn't know what had happened, too frightened to say anything. When someone came to see him, he just bowed his head and sat on the horse, muttering "my fault." Meanwhile, Shi Ji was at the princess's residence, still unaware of what had happened. Zhi Ji sent the servant Taoshu to kill him at the princess's residence, but Taoshu couldn't bring himself to do it and took Shi Ji to Zhi Ji, who eventually released him after a long time. When Hua Ji arrived at the city gate, De Kan came out to greet him, led him into the court, and appointed him as prime minister. Then, De Kan ordered the emperor to be taken to Jiangdu Gate to display to the rebel army, and then brought the emperor back to the palace. De Kan also sent Linghu Xingda to kill the emperor in the palace and arrested dozens of courtiers and imperial relatives who disagreed with him, killing them all without regard for age, leaving only Prince Hao of Qin as the emperor.
More than ten days later, De Kan took the boats of the people of Jiangdu and fled westward by water. When he reached Xianfu Palace, the officials Ma Mengcai, Zhe Chonglang, and others tried to kill Hua Ji but were killed by Hua Ji instead. Hua Ji then took control of the six palaces, adopting a lifestyle identical to that of Emperor Yang of Sui. He sat facing south in his tent every day, remaining silent when reports were made to him. In the evening, he would review the memorials and deliberate on decisions with Feng Yi, Fang Yu, Liang, Kai, and others.
Arriving in Xuzhou, the waterway became impassable, and he once again confiscated the carts and cattle from the common folk, acquiring two thousand carts to carry palace maids and treasures. The soldiers carried all the weapons and equipment on their backs. The long journey exhausted the soldiers, who started grumbling. De Kan was very disappointed and secretly said to Xing Shu, "You've put me in a tough spot. To pacify the world now, we must rely on talented individuals. Since this guy is useless, and you are by his side, things will surely fail. What should we do?" Xing Shu replied, "We have control of this situation. Getting rid of him will be a piece of cake!" So they, along with Li Ben, Yu Wen Dao Shi, Yin Zhengqing, and others, conspired to use over ten thousand troops to attack this guy and put De Kan back in charge. Hong Ren learned of this and secretly informed the guy, who then arrested De Kan and his associates and had them all killed. This guy led his troops to Dongjun, where the defending general Wang Gui opened the city gates and surrendered.
Yuan Wendo nominated King Yue Dong as emperor, and then appointed Li Mi as the Grand General to fight against Wang Shichong. Li Mi sent Xu Ji to guard the granary in Liyang. Wang Shichong crossed the Yellow River, planning to capture Liyang County and also sent troops to besiege Xu Ji. Li Mi set up camp by the Qingqi River and agreed with Xu Ji to use beacon fires to communicate. Every time Wang Shichong attacked the granary, Li Mi led troops to rescue. Wang Shichong suffered losses in several battles, and his general Yu Hongda was captured by Li Mi and handed over to King Yue Dong, who had him cooked alive.
Running out of supplies, Wang Shichong crossed the Yongji Canal and fought a decisive battle with Li Mi at Tongshan, resulting in his defeat. He then went to Jiju County to demand supplies and even sent people to Dongjun to torture the common people into giving up their food. Seeing how desperate Wang Shichong had become, Wang Gui simply surrendered the city to Li Mi. Terrified, Wang Shichong led his troops to assault several northern provinces from Jiju County. His generals Chen Zhilue and Zhang Tong'er, with over ten thousand Lingnan elite soldiers and several thousand Jiangdong elite soldiers, both defected and threw in their lot with Li Mi.
Wang Shichong had only 20,000 troops left in his hands, and he fled north to Wei County. His subordinates, including Zhang Kai, were plotting to kill him with his general Chen Bo, but the plan was exposed and they were killed by Wang Shichong. One by one, Wang Shichong's trusted aides disappeared, his forces dwindled, and his brothers had no good ideas. They spent their days feasting and reveling, even bringing in singers and dancers. After getting drunk, Wang Shichong complained to You Zhiji, saying, "I didn't know anything at first; it was all your ideas that pushed me into this position. Now I can't accomplish anything, the troops are dispersing by the day, I bear the guilt of murdering my lord, and no one in the world will accept me. Now they want to wipe out my whole family; isn't this your fault?" Saying this, he cried while holding his two sons.
You Zhiji angrily replied, "When you were winning battles, you didn't reward me at all. Now that you are losing, you want to blame me? Why don't you just kill me and surrender to King Jiande?" The brothers argued and quarreled, disregarding hierarchy. After the argument, they continued to drink, day after day. Realizing their troops were dwindling and their doom was imminent, Wang Shichong sighed and said, "Can’t I at least be emperor for a day?" So he poisoned his brother Wang Hao, declared himself emperor in Wei County, adopted the title Xu and the reign title Tian Shou, and appointed a bunch of officials. He attacked the Yuanbaozang in Weizhou, but after forty days of fighting, he faced defeat, losing over a thousand men.
Then he ran northeast to Liaocheng, wanting to recruit those bandits along the coast. At this time, he sent Shi Ji to Jibei to gather supplies. The Tang Dynasty sent Prince Huai'an to pacify Shandong and also recruit Wang Shichong. Wang Shichong refused to surrender, prompting Shentong to surround him with troops. After failing to capture him for more than ten days, the troops were withdrawn. Dou Jiande led troops to attack Wang Shichong. Previously, the bandit leader Wang Bo in Qizhou heard that Wang Shichong had a lot of treasures, so he pretended to surrender. Wang Shichong believed him and guarded the city together with Wang Bo. Consequently, Wang Bo lured Dou Jiande into the city, capturing Wang Shichong alive along with all his soldiers. Youshiji, Yuan Wuda, Meng Bing, Yang Shilan, and Xu Hongren were all captured and killed.
Then Wang Shichong was taken to Hejian in a prisoner's cart, where his crimes against the monarch were detailed. His two sons, Wang Chengji and Wang Chengzhi, were also killed, and their heads were sent to Princess Yicheng of the Turks for display in the Turkic court. Shi Ji returned to Chang'an from Jibei.
Zhi Ji, this kid has been a troublemaker since he was young, likes to fight with people, hangs out with some unsavory characters all day, engages in cockfighting, flies hawks, walks dogs, and has no sense of decorum. He was initially appointed as the Marquis of Puyang County based on his father's merits. He's truly wicked, downright evil.
His wife, Princess Changsun, was extremely jealous of him and reported all his misdeeds to his father. Although she did so discreetly, Changsun's father, Changsun Wuji, was very angry. Whenever Zhi Ji slipped up, he would inevitably face punishment. His younger brother Zhi Shi, who had married a princess, also looked down on him. Only his younger brother Zhi Hua always defended him. His father wanted to kill him several times, but Zhi Hua always saved him, so the bond between the two brothers remained strong.
Later, Zhihua and Jiujian convinced Zhijia to secretly send someone to the border to trade goods. The scheme was uncovered, and they should have been executed, but Changsun Wuji only revealed Zhijia's crimes while pleading for mercy for them. The emperor pardoned the two brothers. Before his death, Changsun Wuji also accused Zhijia of being cruel and said he would harm others sooner or later.
Later, the emperor recalled Changsun Wuji's warning and appointed Zhijia as a junior official. The rebellion that later took place in Jiangdu was orchestrated by Zhijia. Zhijia rose to the position of prime minister, was appointed Left Deputy, and commanded the Twelve Guards as a general. Eventually, Zhijia grew increasingly bold, proclaiming himself King of Qi. Consequently, Dou Jiande besieged Liaocheng, captured him, beheaded him, and executed over a dozen of his accomplices, displaying their corpses for all to see.
Sima Dekan hailed from Yong County in Fufeng, Shaanxi. His father, Yuan Qian, served as a commander during the Northern Zhou dynasty. Sima Dekan lost his father at a young age and supported himself by slaughtering pigs. Eventually, a monk named Can, who had a close relationship with Sima Dekan's mother, adopted him, teaching him to read, write, and do accounting. During the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui, Sima Dekan became a court official and gradually climbed the ranks, ultimately rising to the position of grand commander.
He accompanied Yang Su in the campaign against Prince Liang of Han, serving as a staff officer in the inner camp. Sima Dekan was known for his efficiency, eloquence, and cunning, traits that earned him Yang Su's admiration. In recognition of his achievements, he was appointed General of the Household Knights. In the third year of Daye, he was appointed Langjiang of Yingyang, took part in the campaign against Liaodong, was promoted to a senior official, and later became Langjiang of Wuben. Emperor Yang of Sui held him in high regard.
After Emperor Yang of Sui arrived in Jiangdu, Sima Dekan led ten thousand elite troops stationed in the city. In the late years of the Sui Dynasty, Sima Dekan led the elite troops in a rebellion, the details of which are recorded in "Hua Ji Shi." They captured Emperor Yang of Sui, and Sima Dekan and his associates, including Meng Bing, proclaimed Yuwen Huaji as Prime Minister. Yuwen Huaji first granted Sima Dekan the title of Duke of Wenguogong, with a fief of three thousand households, and additionally conferred upon him the title of Grand Master of Splendor, allowing him to continue to lead his original troops. Yuwen Huaji was secretly wary of him.
After a few days, Yuwen Huaji began to arrange his generals and distribute soldiers. He reassigned Sima Dekan as Minister of Rites. While it appeared to be a promotion, he actually took away his military power. Sima Dekan was very angry about this and bribed all the rewards he received to Yuwen Huaji's confidant Zhi Ji, to advocate for him. Upon arriving in Xuzhou and disembarking, Yuwen Huaji ordered Sima Dekan to stay behind. Sima Dekan conspired with Zhao Xingshu, Li Ben, Yin Zhengqing, and Yuwen's mentor to attack Yuwen Huaji, and even contacted Meng Haigong for external support.
They delayed taking action, waiting for news from their contact. Eventually, Xu Hongren and Zhang Kai caught wind of their plans and informed Yuwen Huaji. Yuwen Huaji sent his brother Yuwen Huaikai to pretend to hunt, and he arrived at Sima Dekan's rear army. Unaware that his conspiracy had been uncovered, Sima Dekan left camp to meet Yuwen Huaji, only to be captured, along with his conspirators. Yuwen Huaji reprimanded him, saying, "We have gone through life and death together, pacified the world. Now that things have succeeded, I hope we can share in the glory and riches together. Why did you still rebel?" Sima Dekan replied, "I originally wanted to kill the incompetent emperor, end his tyranny, and support you as emperor. I didn't expect you to be more tyrannical than he is. Forced by circumstances, I had no choice but to rebel." Yuwen Huaji remained silent and ordered Sima Dekan to be taken to the military camp and executed by strangulation. At the time of his death, he was thirty-nine years old.
Pei Qiantong, from Hedong, was initially favored by Yang Guang when he was still the Prince of Jin. He gradually rose in rank to become the Gate Supervisor. After Yang Guang became Emperor, he promoted his trusted followers, giving Pei Qiantong the position of Minister of Rites and later promoted him to the Gate Supervisor. He accompanied the Emperor on multiple military expeditions and eventually became a Grand Master. He conspired with Sima Dekan in a rebellion, first opened the palace gates, rode to Chengxiang Hall, killed Dugu Sheng, and captured Emperor Yang Guang in the West Pavilion. Yuwen Huaji later appointed Pei Qiantong as the Grand Minister of Splendid Happiness and Duke of Juguo. When Yuwen Huaji marched north, he left Pei Qiantong to guard Xuzhou. After Yuwen Huaji's failure, Pei Qiantong surrendered to the Tang Dynasty and was appointed Governor of Xuzhou, and later promoted to Inspector of Chenzhou and granted the title of Lord of Changshe. Not long after, he was dismissed for his involvement in the Sui Dynasty's rebellion, exiled to the Lingnan region, where he eventually died.
Wang Chong, with the courtesy name Xingman, was originally from the Western Territories. His grandfather, Zhi Tui (original text retained here), moved to Xinfeng to live. After Zhi Tui's death, his grandmother, who was young and widowed, had an affair with Wang Can, a Yitong official, and gave birth to Wang Chong. Wang Can later married Wang Chong's mother as a concubine. After Wang Chong's father passed away, Wang Chong followed his mother to marry Wang Can. Wang Can loved him very much, allowing him to take the Wang surname, and he held official positions as the Changshi of Huaizhou and Bianzhou. Wang Chong was a fierce-looking figure, known for his ruthlessness and cunning. Though he had read extensively, particularly enjoying military strategy, he never readily disclosed these talents to others. During the Kaihuang period, he served as a Left Yiwuwei, was later ennobled as a Yitong, and appointed as Assistant Minister of War. He was very good at writing memorials and was also knowledgeable in law, but he was skilled in wordplay, constantly devising various schemes. If someone countered him, he could speak eloquently, defend himself, and argue convincingly; even though everyone recognized his faults, no one could outmatch him. Everyone praised his eloquence and debating skills. During this period, Emperor Yang Guang frequently visited Jiangdu. Wang Chong was good at observing words and expressions, flattering, and pleasing the emperor. Every time he presented memorials to the emperor, Yang Guang was very pleased. He also served as the supervisor of the Jiangdu Palace, tasked with constructing palaces and gardens, and secretly presented rare treasures from various places to please the emperor, thus his rapport with Yang Guang deepened. In the year 612 AD, the Sui Dynasty was already in chaos. Yang Su appeared very respectful to the emperor, but behind the scenes, he cultivated connections with numerous powerful individuals, buying people's hearts. The people of the Jianghuai region were known for their toughness, and coupled with rampant bandits at that time, many people committed crimes and ended up in prison waiting to be punished. However, Yang Su abused his power to release them all, to win the people's favor while settling personal scores.
Later, Yang Xuangan rebelled, and Zhu Xie and Guan Chong in Jiangnan also rose up in response, calling themselves generals with more than a hundred thousand soldiers under their command! The emperor sent Tu Wanxu and Yu Julo to suppress them, but they were unsuccessful. Yang Su recruited over ten thousand soldiers from Jiangdu and won several battles. After each victory, he credited his subordinates for the success and distributed all the war trophies to the soldiers, taking nothing for himself. This led everyone to willingly fight for him, and the number of soldiers under his command grew.
In 614 AD, there was a bandit leader named Meng Rang in Qijun, who led an army of over ten thousand in raids from Changbai Mountain to Xuyi. Yang Su led his troops to resist, deliberately appearing weak, setting up five camps at Duliangshan, confronting Meng Rang without engaging in battle. When Meng Rang let his guard down, Yang Su suddenly launched a fierce attack, defeating Meng Rang and completely annihilating his army, with Meng Rang escaping with only a handful of cavalry. In this battle, ten thousand bandits were killed, and all the livestock, military supplies, and other goods were seized by Yang Su. Seeing Yang Su's talent as a general, the emperor began sending him to eliminate small groups of bandits, and wherever Yang Su went, he successfully wiped them out. However, he was quite hypocritical, putting on a kind front while being skilled at self-promotion. For the sake of reputation, he was willing to endure hardships.
In 615 AD, the Turks laid siege to the emperor at Yanmen Pass, and Yang Su sent all the people from Jiangdu to support. In the military camp, he looked disheveled and cried bitterly, never taking off his armor and sleeping on the ground. When the emperor heard about this, he came to believe that Yang Su was very loyal and trusted him even more.
Twelve years later, he was promoted to the position of local governor in Jiangdu. At that time, there was a man named Yanci who pretended to be humble but had actually been a bandit for several years, commanding over 100,000 troops, stationed in the area of Douzi. He led his troops to attack and killed Yanci, which frightened the other bandits into submission. He then went on to defeat Lu Mingyue in Nanyang, decapitating tens of thousands and capturing countless prisoners. Upon returning to Jiangdu, the emperor was very pleased and personally rewarded him with a toast.
Knowing that the emperor liked beautiful women, he pointed out that there were many beautiful girls in the Jianghuai region and volunteered to help enrich the imperial harem, although these girls had little chance of entering the palace. The emperor was even more delighted upon hearing this and secretly allowed him to select those who were beautiful and met the standards, using funds from the national treasury and tribute gifts that were originally meant for the capital. The amount of money spent was countless, with the accounts simply noted "for imperial use," without specifying the exact sum. If the emperor took a liking to a particular woman, he would reward him generously; even if the emperor was not interested, he still received some gifts. Later, he had these women sent to the capital by boat, but bandits created trouble along the way, making the journey very arduous for the escorts. Several boats even sank in the Huai River and Sishui, resulting in the drowning of everyone on board. Some attempted to expose this incident, but he successfully suppressed it and quickly dispatched more people to ensure the women reached their destination. From then on, his relationship with the emperor grew even closer.
Later, Li Mi captured Xingluo Granary, and the army was at the gates of the Eastern Capital. The court's army was defeated several times. The Grand Minister of Ceremonies, Pei Renji, surrendered to Li Mi at Wulao without warning. The emperor was very angry and ordered the troops to attack Li Mi. The emperor even appointed Pei Renji as a general to resist Li Mi at Luokou. They fought hundreds of battles, with both sides experiencing victories and defeats. Later, he led his troops across the Luo River and approached Xingluo Granary. He engaged in battle with Li Mi but was ultimately defeated, and over ten thousand soldiers drowned. At that time, it was freezing cold with heavy snow. After the soldiers crossed the river, their clothes were soaked, and tens of thousands died of freezing on the way. By the time they reached Heyang, only a few thousand soldiers were left. He locked himself in prison to plead for forgiveness. Prince Dong sent someone to grant him a pardon and summoned him back to the capital. He regrouped the scattered soldiers, gathered more than 10,000 people, and stationed in Hanjia City, where they did not dare to venture out again.
Yuwen Huaji assassinated the emperor in Jiangdu, and Dou Jiande, along with Yuan Wendu, General Huangfu Wuyi, and Right Minister Lu Chu, supported Yang Dong as emperor. Yang Dong appointed Dou Jiande as the Minister of Personnel Affairs and also as the Duke of Zhengguo. Later, Yang Dong listened to the advice of Yuan Wendu and Lu Chu, appointed Li Mi as Grand Commandant and Minister of the Court, and Li Mi pledged his loyalty to Yang Dong. He then led troops to resist Yuwen Huaji in Liyang and sent messengers to announce their victory. Everyone was happy, but Dou Jiande remarked to his fellow generals, "Yuan Wendu and his group are just civil officials who only know how to write and calculate. In this situation, they’re bound to be captured by Li Mi. Besides, our army has faced off against Li Mi, taking the lives of many of his kin. If we surrender to him now, we’ll be in for a rough time!" He said this to provoke everyone.
Yuan Wendu knew about the plot and was terrified. He conferred with Lu Chu and others, planning to ambush and kill Dou Jiande when he entered the palace. They had already set a date, but General Duan Da informed Dou Jiande about the plan, reporting that his son-in-law Zhang Zhi had informed him. That night, Dou Jiande surrounded the imperial palace with his troops, while General Fei Yao and Tian Shidu fought against Dou Jiande's army outside the East Sun Gate. Fei Yao's army was defeated, and Dou Jiande breached the city gates and stormed inside, while Huangfu Wuyi made a solitary escape on horseback. Dou Jiande captured Lu Chu and killed him. The palace gates were still shut, so Dou Jiande had someone knock on the door to notify Yang Dong, stating, "Yuan Wendu and others want to hand the emperor over to Li Mi. Duan Da found out and told me. I am not rebelling; I am killing those who rebel!" Hearing the commotion, Yuan Wendu hurried into the palace and escorted Yang Dong to the Qianyang Hall, guarding him with his men. He also ordered the generals to resist on the city walls, but they were ultimately defeated. Yuan Wendu was also captured and killed. Yang Dong then ordered the city gate to be opened to allow Dou Jiande entry. Dou Jiande replaced the guards with his own men before presenting himself to Yang Dong. He knelt and wept, exclaiming, "Yuan Wendu and others are too outrageous, wanting to kill each other. The situation is urgent, so I had to do this. I would never betray the court!" Yang Dong swore an oath with him. Later, Dou Jiande dispatched Wei Jie and others to persuade Yang Dong to appoint him as the Left Chancellor. He also arranged an official position for his brother Dou Yun and took up residence in the imperial palace. After a while, Li Mi defeated Wang Shichong's army and returned in triumph. However, his elite soldiers and cavalry suffered heavy losses, and the soldiers were exhausted. Wang Shichong wanted to attack Li Mi while he was weak, but he feared that his troops were not united, so he feigned a dream about Duke Zhou.
He constructed a shrine by the Luo River and sent shamans everywhere, proclaiming that Zhou Gong had appeared to him in a dream, urging him to quickly attack Li Mi so that he could gain significant military achievements; otherwise, the army would be infected with plague and die. There were many people from Chu in Wang Shichong's army, and the people of Chu have long held superstitions about spirits and apparitions, so Wang Shichong used this method to mislead them. When the soldiers heard this, they all requested to go to battle. Wang Shichong selected elite soldiers, totaling over 20,000 troops, with more than a thousand warhorses, and moved the camp to the south of the Luo River. Li Mi's army was stationed on the mountain north of Yanshi.
At that time, Li Mi had just won the Battle of Huaji, had grown somewhat complacent, and did not regard Wang Shichong as a serious threat, so he did not set up defenses. Wang Shichong took advantage of the night and sent over two hundred cavalry to sneak into the northern mountain, hiding in the valley, ordering the soldiers to feed the horses well, and to eat and drink their fill. When it was quiet at night, they crossed the Luo River, and the troops galloped, arriving near Li Mi's camp just before dawn. Li Mi sent troops to meet them, but before they could set up a formation, the two armies clashed. Wang Shichong's ambush troops rushed down from the mountain, swiftly seized the northern heights, held the high ground, and fiercely attacked Li Mi's camp. Li Mi's camp was thrown into disarray; no one was able to mount a defense, and Wang Shichong's army rushed into the camp and ignited it. Li Mi's army was thrown into panic and disarray, scattering, and generals Zhang Tong'er and Chen Zhilue both surrendered. Wang Shichong successfully seized Yanshi.
At first, Wang Shichong's brother Wang Wei and son Wang Xuan followed Wang Shichong to Dongjun and were later captured by Li Mi and imprisoned in the city. Now, Wang Shichong has saved them all. He also captured Bing Yuanzhen, Li Mi's Chief of Staff, his wife, the mother of Sima Zhengqianxiang, and the children of other generals. Wang Shichong treated them kindly and even allowed them to secretly summon their fathers and brothers to surrender. Wang Shichong's army reached Luokou, where Bing Yuanzhen, Zheng Qianxiang, and others opened the city gates and surrendered. Li Mi escaped with just a handful of riders, and Wang Shichong took in all of his troops. From the East Sea to the area south of the Yangtze River, many surrendered to him. Wang Shichong also had Wei Jie persuade Dong (referring to Liang Dong), appointing him as the Grand Commandant and setting up officials for him, using the Ministry of Personnel Affairs as his residence. Shortly after, Wang Shichong proclaimed himself King of Zheng. He sent General Gao Lue to attack Shou'an, but failed and withdrew his troops. He then led his army to besiege Guzhou, but retreated three days later. The following year, he declared himself Prime Minister, participating in the Nine Gifts ceremony and receiving its offerings, and stopped paying homage to Liang Dong.
There was a Taoist priest named Huan Fasi who claimed he could interpret prophetic texts. He had a close relationship with Wang Shichong. Fasi took out a book called "Confucius' Closed Room Record," which depicted a man using a stick to herd sheep. Fasi said, "'Yang' sounds like the Sui Dynasty, 'Gan' plus 'Yi' is the character 'Wang,' with Wang behind the sheep. This means the Prime Minister will take the place of the Sui Dynasty as emperor!" He then presented two articles from Zhuangzi, "Human World" and "De Chong Fu." Fasi explained, "The first one mentions 'world,' and the second one mentions 'fulfillment,' isn't that your name, Prime Minister? This indicates that you will be embraced by the people and become the emperor according to divine will!" Wang Shichong was thrilled and exclaimed, "This is destiny!" He immediately bowed to Fasi twice in gratitude and appointed him as a Grand Councillor.
Wang Shichong also captured various kinds of birds, wrote characters on silk, and tied them around the birds' necks, declaring it was a sign from heaven, and then released these birds. Some people shot these birds and offered them to Wang Shichong, who granted these individuals official titles. Later, Wang Shichong placed Emperor Yang Tong of Sui under house arrest in another palace, declared himself emperor, took the reign title of "Kaiming," and named his state "Zheng." The Tang dynasty sent Prince Qin, Li Shimin, to lead a large army to besiege him. Wang Shichong launched several counterattacks but was defeated each time, and one by one, the surrounding cities surrendered. Wang Shichong found himself cornered and sent someone to seek help from Dou Jiande. Dou Jiande led an elite army to rescue him. When the Tang forces arrived at Wulao, they were defeated by Prince Qin, and Dou Jiande was captured and delivered to Wang Shichong's stronghold. Wang Shichong tried to break through the encirclement to escape, but none of his subordinates responded, and he knew there was nowhere to flee, so he surrendered. When he arrived in Chang'an, he was executed by his rival, Dugu Xiude.
Duan Da, from Wuwei Guzang, was the son of the governor of Shuozhou in the Zhou dynasty. Duan Da was just three years old at the time of the Zhou dynasty and inherited the title of Duke of Xiangyuan. When he grew up, he stood eight feet tall, sporting an impressive beard, and was exceptionally skilled in archery while mounted.
The founder of the dynasty became the Chancellor and appointed him as the Grand Commander, leading his trusted army and often accompanying him. After the founder became emperor, Duan Da was appointed as the Left Guard, and was later gradually promoted to General of Chariots and Cavalry, also serving as an army officer for the Prince of Jin. When Gao Zhihui, Li Ji, and others rebelled, Duan Da led ten thousand troops to pacify Dingfang and Chuzhou. The emperor rewarded him with a thousand bolts of silk fabric and promoted him to Yitong (Ceremonial Officer). He also defeated Wang Wenjin and others in Xuanzhou, earning him the title of Kaifu, along with fifty slaves and four thousand bolts of silk fabric. During the Reign of Renshou, he was the Vice Commander of the Left Guard of the Crown Prince. In the early years of Daye, due to his past service in the imperial palace, he was appointed as the General of the Left Yiwu. He participated in the war against the Tuyuhun and was appointed as a Grand Master of Jin.
The emperor launched a campaign in Liaodong, and the common people were conscripted for labor and suffered greatly. People from Pingyuan like Qi Xiaode, and people from Qinghe like Zhang Jincheng, gathered many people to become bandits, capturing cities, with local officials unable to resist. The emperor sent Duan Da to fight them, but he was defeated several times by Zhang Jincheng and suffered heavy losses. The bandits mocked him, calling him "Old Lady Duan." Later, he employed the strategy of Yang Shanhui, the county magistrate of Shu County, to fight the bandits again and achieved victory. Upon returning to the capital, he was dismissed from his position due to official business.
The following year, the emperor once again campaigned in Liaodong, leaving Duan Da to guard Zhuojun. Not long after, he was appointed as the General of the Left Yiwu. Gao Yang's Wei Dao'er gathered over a hundred thousand people, calling themselves "Lishan Fei," and looted and pillaged the Yan and Zhao regions. Duan Da, along with Guo Xuan, led the defending troops of Zhuojun to defeat him. At that time, there were many bandits, and the battles were intense, but Duan Da missed the chance for a decisive victory. He only cautiously defended, hoarded food and supplies, and rarely achieved military success, which led people at the time to label him as timid and risk-averse.
In the twelfth year of Daye, the emperor traveled to Jiangdu Palace, leaving Duan Da and Grand Chancellor Yuan Wendu to defend the Eastern Capital. Li Mi occupied Luokou, sent troops to attack Luoyang, and Duan Da, along with Pang Yu and Huo Ju, led the Forbidden Army out of the city to confront them. He earned notable merit and was promoted to General of the Left Valiant Guard. After Wang Chong was defeated, Li Mi advanced to occupy Beimang and reached Shangchun Gate. Duan Da, Left Secretary Guo Wenyi, and Minister Wei Jin led the troops to resist. Duan Da saw the enemy and fled without deploying his formation, giving Li Mi the opportunity to seize the army, resulting in a major defeat and the death of Wei Jin in battle. From then on, Li Mi's power grew stronger.
Following the emperor's death in Jiangdu, Duan Da, Yuan Wendu, and others enthroned Prince Yang Dong as emperor. Duan Da was appointed as Palace Supervisor, concurrently serving as Chancellor, and was granted the title of Duke of Chen. Yuan Wendu and others planned to assassinate Wang Shichong, but Duan Da secretly informed Wang Shichong and helped him. When the plot was exposed, Prince Yang Dong handed Yuan Wendu over to Wang Shichong, who was very grateful to Duan Da and held him in high regard. After defeating Li Mi, Duan Da and others persuaded Prince Yang Dong to bestow the Nine Ranks upon Wang Shichong, hinting at his abdication. After Wang Shichong proclaimed himself emperor, he appointed Duan Da as the Minister of Works. After pacifying the Eastern Capital, Duan Da was executed for his involvement in this matter, and his wife and children had their property confiscated.
According to historians: Those who were originally mediocre in talent, because of the emperor's favor, received benefits for generations; while those of lesser talent, such as Wang Chong, because they caught a good opportunity, were promoted and treated even better than the old ministers. When the country declined, they did not serve loyally, but instead exploited the situation for personal gain, plotting to seize power. They led the lawless to become the root of chaos, utterly undermining the foundation of the country, even tearing official garments and smashing court caps. Some led troops to rebel, while others secretly poisoned people. Their crimes are countless, heinous and abhorrent, unacceptable to both heaven and earth, angering both humans and gods.
Therefore, those ferocious and ruthless bandits were executed one after another; those despicable and vile miscreants were also eliminated one after another. This not only offers solace to the loyal and righteous, but also imparts a profound lesson for posterity. Alas, should not those in service take this as a cautionary tale? Isn't it a warning they should heed?
