Li Derao, from Bairen County of Zhaojun, was a descendant of Li Che, the Right Chancellor of the Ministry of Personnel of the Wei Dynasty, and Li Chun, who served as the Prefect of Jiezhou during the reign of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty. Li Derao was intelligent, eager to learn, and kind-hearted, and he was highly respected by his family. In his youth, he became a junior official in the Imperial Academy, handling official documents. He later rose to become an Imperial Censor, upholding the law with integrity, even daring to correct the mistakes of high-ranking officials and their relatives. In the third year of the Daye reign of Emperor Yang of Sui, he was promoted to the position of Attendant of the Capital, frequently traveling to different regions to right wrongs, commend those who are filial to their parents, and honor those who loved their siblings. Although his official position was not very high, his noble character earned him the respect of his contemporaries, and he associated with famous scholars of the time. He was especially filial to his parents; when they were ill, he would go without food for a whole day and not change his clothes for ten days to half a month. During the mourning period after their deaths, he did not drink water for five days and vomited several liters of blood in grief. On the day of the burial, during a heavy snowstorm in the middle of winter, he walked over forty miles barefoot in mourning clothes, crying until he almost fainted. Over a thousand people attended the funeral, and everyone was moved to tears. Afterwards, miraculous dew fell from the trees in his family's courtyard, and a pair of doves nested beneath the eaves of his house.
When the imperial envoy Yang Da was inspecting Hebei, he visited Li Derao's home to offer condolences. He renamed the village where Li Derao lived to Filial Piety Village and the neighborhood was renamed Heshun Lane. Later, Li Derao was appointed as the county magistrate of Jinhe, but before he even took office, a band of bandits appeared, led by Ge Qian, Sun Xuanya, and over ten other bandit leaders, gathering in the Bohai region. The court ordered them to surrender, but Ge Qian and the others were too afraid to surrender. They heard that Li Derao was upright and trustworthy, so they petitioned the court, stating, "If Li Derao is sent, we will surrender together." The emperor then sent Li Derao to persuade those bandits to surrender. Upon arriving in Guan County, he found other bandits storming the county town. Unfortunately, Li Derao was killed.
His brother Li Dezhao was renowned for his integrity and dependability. Toward the end of the Sui Dynasty, he served as a judicial officer in Lishi County, and the governor, Yang Zichong, held him in high regard. Later, a rebel army rose up, and Yang Zichong was killed, his body abandoned outside the city. Li Dezhao wept bitterly and collected and buried Yang Zichong's body. When he reached Jiexiu, he found the rebel army and requested to oversee Yang Zichong's funeral arrangements. The general was highly impressed by him, so he posthumously promoted Yang Zichong and appointed Li Dezhao as the envoy to return to Lishi to handle Yang Zichong's funeral.
Hua Qiu, from Linhe County in Jijun, lost his father at a young age and is deeply devoted to his mother, well-known far and wide. His family lived in poverty, and he supports himself and his mother by doing odd jobs. When his mother fell ill, Hua Qiu became emaciated, with unkempt hair and beard, and the entire county felt sorry for him. After his mother's death, he neglected his appearance completely, losing all his hair in the process. He built a makeshift shelter next to his mother's grave and carried soil to create a mound for her grave, all by himself. Whenever someone offered to help, he would kneel in gratitude and politely decline. During the Daye period, the court ordered the hunting of foxes, resulting in a large-scale hunt organized by the county. A rabbit, chased by hunters, darted into Hua Qiu's shelter and hid under his knees. When the hunters arrived, they were surprised to see the scene and let the rabbit go. From then on, the rabbit began to spend the nights in the shelter regularly, becoming close to Hua Qiu. The people in the county praised his filial piety and reported the incident to the court. Emperor Yang of Sui sent envoys to comfort him and honored his family. Later, as bandits frequently lurked around Hua Qiu's shelter, they would caution one another, "Don't mess with this devoted son!" Many villagers found protection in Hua Qiu, escaping various misfortunes.
Xu Xiaosu, also hailing from Ji County, comes from a family of thousands of households, most of whom indulge in luxury and extravagance. Only Xu Xiaosu is renowned for his filial piety. Despite his young age, whenever there was a dispute in the family, everyone sought his judgment. Those who had been criticized by him admitted their mistakes and repented. Xu Xiaosu lost his father when he was very young and had never seen his face. When he grew up, he asked his mother about his father's appearance, then had a painter draw a portrait, constructed a small shrine for worship, and regularly paid homage. He was extremely filial to his mother, and for decades, he never once lost his temper in front of his family. When his mother became old and ill, Xu Xiaosu personally took care of her daily life, laboring day and night and worrying for several years, making everyone who saw him feel sorrow for his plight. After his mother passed away, Xu Xiaosu ate a vegetarian diet and drank only water, and even in the dead of winter, wore only a thin linen robe, becoming emaciated. He piled up the tombs of his grandparents and parents and lived beside them for more than forty years, with disheveled hair and walking barefoot; he eventually passed away in that state.
His younger brother Xu Debei was intelligent, learned, and well-versed in the Five Classics, being praised as a Confucian scholar in the Hebei region. After Xu Debei passed away, his son Xu Chumo also resided in a shed beside the tomb, and their family has been renowned for filial piety for generations.
Historical records say: In the past, promoting the principles of filial piety often relied on royal officials and ministers; however, in recent years, most who value filial piety and brotherly love are from the common folk. People like Yanshi and Daoze, some from families of high-ranking officials, while others have sworn to serve the country, fell into ruin for various reasons. Although their actions went against the ancient kings' system, we can also discern their benevolence and righteousness through their experiences.
The Lang brothers almost lost their lives in order to save others; the Tian Yi couple passed away together, leaving behind a good reputation; De Rao, with his benevolent heart, won over the bandits; De Zhai's righteous deeds touched the Xing King, all of which are commendable. Niu Hui, Liu Jun, Zhai Lin, and Hua Qiu—some have flourishing and wilted flowers and trees in their courtyards, while others see wild animals and birds around their graves become gentle and tame. Isn't this a result of their filial piety and sincerity, which moved the heavens, earth, and spirits?
