Cui Hongdu, courtesy name Moheyen, was from Anping, Boling in Hebei. His grandfather, Cui Kai, was the Minister of Works in the Wei Kingdom, and his father, Cui Shuo, served as the Governor of Fuzhou during the Zhou Dynasty. Cui Hongdu was born with remarkable strength, towering height, and a thick beard and eyebrows, along with a stern demeanor. At the age of seventeen, he caught the attention of the influential Zhou minister, Yuwen Hu, who made him his trusted aide. He rapidly climbed the ranks, ultimately becoming the Grand Commander.
During that time, Yuwen Hu's son, Yewen Xun, was made the Inspector of Puzhou and brought Cui Hongdu along. Once, when they were climbing a tower and reached the top floor, which stood about four to five zhang high, looking down, Yewen Xun exclaimed, "This is so scary!" Cui Hongdu responded, "What’s so scary about it?" and then he leaped down effortlessly and landed unharmed. Yewen Xun was amazed by his agility. Later, due to his military achievements, Cui Hongdu was granted the title of Equal of the Heir Apparent. He followed Emperor Wu of Zhou to defeat the Northern Qi, received promotions and titles, ultimately becoming the Marquis of Shangkaifu and Count of Yexian, and was rewarded with three thousand bolts of cloth, three thousand shi of grain, one hundred slaves, and countless livestock. He then followed the Duke of Runan, Yewen Shenju, to defeat Lu Changqi and achieved victory in Fanyang.
After Emperor Xuan of Zhou ascended the throne, Cui Hongdu joined Duke Wei Xiaokuan in quelling a rebellion in Huainan. They arrived at Feikou with Yuwen Xin and Helou Zigang, where the Chen Dynasty general Pan Chen led a few thousand soldiers to resist them, establishing a formation on the opposite bank. Yuwen Xin sent Cui Hongdu to persuade surrender, explaining the pros and cons, and Pan Chen fled by night. They later attacked Shouyang, where the Chen Dynasty defender Wu Wenli surrendered, and Cui Hongdu achieved significant success. For these military achievements, he was promoted to Grand General, inheriting his father's title as the Count of Anping County. Later, when Wei Jiao rebelled, the court named Cui Hongdu as the Commander of the Expedition, and he joined Wei Xiaokuan in suppressing the rebellion. Cui Hongdu recruited hundreds of valiant warriors from Chang'an to form an unstoppable elite force.
Cui Hongdu's sister married the son of Wei Jiong. When Ye City was breached, Wei Jiong was cornered and climbed up a tall building. Cui Hongdu pursued him to the rooftop. Wei Jiong bent his bow to shoot him, but Cui Hongdu took off his helmet and said, "Do you recognize me? Today we serve different masters and cannot let personal feelings interfere. For the sake of our kinship, I advise you to lay down your weapon and prevent the soldiers from harming the people. Given the circumstances, you should plan for yourself sooner rather than later. What are you waiting for?" Wei Jiong threw his bow on the ground, cursed the Grand Chancellor, and then committed suicide. Cui Hongdu told his brother Cui Hongsheng, "Go and fetch Wei Jiong's head." Cui Hongsheng then beheaded Wei Jiong. As a result, Cui Hongdu was promoted to the rank of Grand Commandant. At that time, most military commanders were ennobled as Dukes, but because Cui Hongdu did not kill Wei Jiong promptly and even let out some harsh words, he was demoted by one rank and ennobled as Duke of Wuxiang.
In the early years of the Kaihuang era, the Turks invaded, and Cui Hongdu, as a military commander, was stationed in Yuanzhou to resist the invasion. After the enemy retreated, Cui Hongdu moved to Lingwu, then returned after a month and was appointed as the Inspector of Huazhou. He also married his sister to Prince Qin Xiao. Shortly after, he was promoted to General of Xiangzhou. Cui Hongdu had always held a prominent position and was very strict with his subordinates, often resorting to harsh punishments. Officials and commoners both respected and feared him, who felt fear at the mere mention of his name. Wherever he went, his orders were strictly enforced, and thieves disappeared. Prince Liang Xiaocong came to court to see the Emperor, who appointed Cui Hongdu as the General Manager of Jiangling, stationed in Jingzhou. Before Cui Hongdu could assume his post, Yan Yong, Xiaocong's uncle, led a local rebellion, and Cui Hongdu was unable to catch up. The people of the Chen dynasty feared Cui Hongdu and dared not set foot in Jingzhou. In the war to suppress the Chen dynasty, Cui Hongdu, as a military commander, followed Prince Qin Xiao from Xiangyang. After the fall of the Chen dynasty, he was rewarded with five thousand rolls of fine cloth.
Gao Zhihui and others rebelled, and Cui Hongdu was reappointed as the commander-in-chief, marching out of Quanmen under the command of Yang Su. Cui Hongdu and Yang Su held equivalent official positions, but Cui Hongdu was older than Yang Su. Yang Su always kept him in a subordinate role, which left Cui Hongdu feeling resentful. Although Yang Su dismissed many of his suggestions, he still showed him a degree of tolerance. After the rebellion was suppressed, Cui Hongdu was appointed as the military governor of Yuanzhou, continued to serve as the commander-in-chief, defended against the Turks, and returned safely. The emperor held him in high regard and married Cui Hongdu's brother Cui Hongsheng's daughter to the Prince of Henan. During the Ren Shou period, Cui Hongdu served as the Minister of the Imperial Household. With two princesses in his family, he felt his status was elevated, so he frequently advised his subordinates, "Be honest and generous; do not deceive." Everyone said, "Yes."
Once, while eating soft-shelled turtle with seven or eight attendants, he asked each of them, "Is the soft-shelled turtle good?" The attendants were very scared and all said, "It's delicious." Cui Hongdu shouted, "How dare you lie to me? You haven't even tasted it—how would you know if it's delicious?" Then he gave each of them eighty strokes. All the officials and craftsmen who witnessed this were so frightened they broke out in a sweat. At that time, there was a very strict person named Qu Tugai, who held the rank of Wuhou Biaoqi, and a saying became popular in Chang'an: "I would rather drink three liters of vinegar than see Cui Hongdu; I would rather eat three liters of wormwood than meet Qu Tugai." Cui Hongdu managed his household with the same strictness he applied in his official duties, and his children and grandchildren's hair turned gray. He would scold and punish them at the slightest provocation, and the household was very orderly and well-organized, gaining quite a reputation at that time. Not long after, the Queen of Qin was executed for her mistakes, and the Princess of Henan was also deposed. Cui Hongdu, filled with grief and anger, requested to retire, and his brothers moved away from him as well. He grew increasingly frustrated.
Emperor Yang of Sui ascended the throne, and the Prince of Henan was made the Crown Prince. Emperor Yang wanted to reinstate Lady Cui as his consort, so he sent envoys to the Cui family to deliver the decree. When the envoys arrived at the home of Cui Hongsheng, he was unaware of this. Upon their return, Emperor Yang asked, "What did Cui Hongsheng say?" The envoys responded, "Cui Hongsheng claimed to be ill and unable to get up." Emperor Yang fell silent, and the matter was dropped. Cui Hongsheng, consumed by sorrow and grief, soon passed away.
Hongsheng, styled Shangke, was a senior official equivalent to a high-ranking officer during the Zhou Dynasty. Later, during Wei Jiong's rebellion in Xiangzhou, he led troops with his brother Hongdu, achieved great success, and was appointed as a Senior Official, which further elevated his status. Shortly after, he was promoted to Kaifu, titled as the Marquis of Huangtai County, with a fief of eight hundred households, a true local magnate!
After the founding emperor ascended the throne, Hongsheng's title was elevated to Duke, and he was appointed as the General of Cavalry, a position of great prestige. He served as a palace guard for over a decade, and due to his veteran status, he was appointed as the Governor of Cizhou, a significant local position. After a few years, he was further promoted to the Governor of Zhengzhou, expanding his jurisdiction. Due to his close ties with the imperial family, his status improved, and he was directly promoted to the Governor of Xiangzhou, gaining even more power. Unfortunately, his fortunes took a turn for the worse when the Princess of Henan committed an offense and was deposed, leading to Hongsheng's dismissal from office. Truly, misfortune struck his family!
When Emperor Yang took the throne, Hongsheng returned to office, serving successively as the Governor of Jizhou and the Prefect of Xindu, eventually rising to the rank of Golden Purple Radiance Grand Master. He was later transferred to serve as the Prefect of Zhuo County, and he was promoted at a remarkable speed. During the war in Liaodong, he was appointed as the Acting General of the Left Guard, responsible for attacking Pyongyang. However, he faced defeat alongside Yu Wenshu and others, and returned in shame. Shortly after, he fell ill and passed away at the age of sixty. Alas, that's life!
Yuan Hongsi, from Luoyang, Henan, was the grandson of the King of Yuyang of the Wei Dynasty and the son of the Duke of Yuyang in the Zhou Dynasty. At a young age, he inherited his title and became a Left Guard at the age of eighteen. In the ninth year of the Kaihuang era, he fought alongside the Prince of Jin to pacify the Chen Dynasty and was rewarded with the title of Shang Yitong for his achievements.
In the fourteenth year, he was appointed Chief Steward of Guanzhou. During his tenure in Guanzhou, he was particularly strict, which caused resentment among his subordinates. In the twentieth year, he was transferred to Youzhou to serve as Chief Steward. At that time, Yan Rong was the Chief Steward of Youzhou and often mistreated Hongsi, even imprisoning him with the intent to kill him. After Yan Rong was executed, Hongsi took over and ruled with even greater severity. When interrogating prisoners, he would often pour vinegar into their nostrils or insert objects into their genitals, ensuring they confessed without concealing the truth.
As the Renshou era was coming to a close, he was appointed Chief Carpenter, tasked with constructing the palaces in the Eastern Capital. In the early years of the Daye era, Emperor Yang of Sui secretly plotted to attack Liaodong and sent Hongsi to oversee shipbuilding at Donglai Harbor. Laborers from various provinces faced severe beatings and torture, forced by officials to stand in water day and night without rest, with many suffering from infestations and dying. After the Liaodong campaign, he was granted the title of Jinziguanglu Dalang.
In the second year, the emperor launched another campaign against Liaodong, just as the Khitan invaded Longyou. The emperor sent Hongsi to attack them. Later, Xuangang rebelled and advanced toward the eastern capital. Hongsi stationed his troops at Anding. Someone accused Hongsi of conspiring to support Xuangang. Prince Yang You dispatched someone to arrest him and bring him to the emperor's location. Although no evidence of rebellion was found, he should have been released. Nevertheless, the emperor remained suspicious, so he dismissed Hongsi from his position and exiled him to Rinan. Hongsi died on the way at the age of forty-nine, leaving behind a son named Renguan.
Wang Wentong hailed from Yingyang County in Jingzhao Prefecture. He was intelligent and capable. During the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui, he was appointed as Yitong for his military accomplishments and soon became the Sima of Guizhou. After Emperor Yang of Sui ascended to the throne, he was summoned to be the Guanglu Shaqing, but after offending the emperor, he was demoted to the county magistrate of Hengshan.
In Hengshan County, there was a particularly arrogant and overbearing individual who frequently criticized his superiors. Previous county magistrates could not handle him. Upon taking office, Wang Wentong learned about this individual and reprimanded him harshly. He then had workers bring wood and cut it into large stakes, burying them in the courtyard and leaving only about a foot exposed, surrounded by four smaller stakes. He forced the individual to the ground, facing the large stake, tied his limbs to the small stakes, and then brutally beat his back with a stick, causing the man's back to become severely lacerated. The county residents were terrified, and the officials were too afraid to even breathe.
Later, Emperor Yang of Sui led an expedition to Liaodong and ordered Wang Wentong to inspect the various counties in Hebei. Wang Wentong saw the monks who were eating a vegetarian diet and reciting scriptures, and he thought they were evil spirits, so he arrested them all and imprisoned them. In Hejian County, he gathered the officials of various counties, and those who arrived even slightly late were beaten to death on the spot. He also regarded the hundreds of monks and elders who gathered together to discuss scriptures or participate in Buddhist activities as people who misled the public and ordered them all killed. He stripped the monks and nuns bare for inspection, and thousands were killed for having improper relationships. The cries of men, women, and children echoed throughout the county, and other counties were equally terrified and reported the incident immediately.
Emperor Yang of Sui was furious when he heard about it, and he sent an envoy, Da Xishanyi, to arrest Wang Wentong and had him killed in Hejian County to quell the people's anger. Wang Wentong's enemies dug up his coffin, cut off his flesh, and consumed it all quickly.
Historical records say: effective governance doesn't rely on elaborate strategies; good governance isn't about harsh laws. Therefore, although both leniency and strictness are applied, with clear rewards and punishments, being able to make the people obedient without resorting to severe punishment is what wise rulers of the past valued. People like Wang Wentong, during the reigns of Emperor Wen and Emperor Yang of Sui, at that time there were no particularly vicious and cunning people; they lacked moral understanding and were cruel at heart, treating people like wood and stones, disregarding human life, worse than how one treats grass and dogs. They committed numerous atrocities, rarely restraining themselves, so some ended up in prison, and some died of sorrow and indignation. All upright people believed this was the cycle of divine justice! Alas! For the scholars and officials in later generations, even if they cannot attain the nobility and honor of Zigao, must they wait until their mothers' graves are tended and only be able to offer sacrifices after their own death?
