Kong Deshao, a native of Kuaiji, was quite talented and served as the county magistrate of Jingcheng. Later, when Dou Jiande declared himself king, he appointed Kong Deshao as the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, in charge of writing documents and announcements. Kong Deshao was executed after Dou Jiande's defeat.
Liu Bin from Nanyang was also quite talented in writing and served as a secretary in Xindu County. During Dou Jiande's rule, he was promoted to be the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat. After Dou Jiande's failure, he joined Liu Ta and became the Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat. Eventually, he and Liu Ta fled to the Turks, and what happened to them afterward remains unknown.
Historical records say: Emperor Wen of Wei once remarked, "Most scholars throughout history neglect the finer details, and few can establish themselves based on integrity and reputation." This is really true! People like Wang Zhou, Yu Chuo, Cui Nao, and Xiaoyi, some of whom view themselves as above others, proud of their talents and indifferent to worldly matters; some, although talented, have unfortunate destinies, low official positions, feel frustrated and resentful, harbor uncertain ambitions, constantly striving to distinguish themselves while looking down on the nobility. You see, those with eccentric personalities who flaunt their talents often find themselves abandoned and marginalized; this is not limited to Zhao Yi from Hanyang and Ni Heng from Pingyuan! Therefore, most of them are left with regrets and remorse, rarely able to end well. Despite this, their knowledge is vast, and their writing is exquisite, like a rare blossom in Denglin and a beautiful jade from Mount Kunshan.
During the unification of the Sui Dynasty, there was a wealth of talent, with only about a dozen truly exceptional talents. The Zhengxuan brothers were among them, both exceptionally talented, a truly rare occurrence!
