Dong Chun, courtesy name Dehou, was from Chengji in Longxi. His grandfather, Dong He, was the Left Guard Commander of the Crown Prince of the Wei Kingdom; his father, Dong Sheng, was the Grand General of the Zhou Dynasty. Dong Chun was exceptionally strong from a young age and excelled in horseback riding and archery. He served as an official in the Zhou Dynasty, rising from a Senior Cavalry Officer to a Junior Minister, and was later appointed as the Duke of Gushi County with a fief of two hundred households. He accompanied Emperor Wu in pacifying the Qi Kingdom and was rewarded for his contributions with the title of Yitong and promoted to Marquis of Daxing, with his fief increased to eight hundred households. After Emperor Gaozu ascended to the throne, he was further ennobled as Duke of Hanqu County and his official rank gradually rose to General of the Cavalry. Due to his military achievements, he was promoted to Grand Secretary. Towards the end of the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty, as a seasoned official, he was appointed as General of the Left Guard by the emperor, and shortly thereafter, he was further ennobled as Duke of Shunzheng County.
Han Wang Liang staged a rebellion in Bingzhou, and the emperor appointed Dong Chun as the commander-in-chief of the army and the deputy governor of Hebei. He followed Yang Su to suppress the rebellion. Due to his achievements in this campaign, Dong Chun was appointed as a pillar of the country, his title was raised to Duke, and his fief was increased to two thousand households. Later, he was promoted to Left Backup General, and the emperor also granted him ten singing girls and five thousand bolts of silk. A few years later, he was promoted to Left Valiant Guard General and also served as the governor of Pengcheng. Prince Qi, Yang Jian, committed an error, and Dong Chun was reprimanded by the emperor due to his close ties with Prince Qi. Dong Chun replied, "I come from humble origins and have limited abilities. I am grateful for your appreciation and promotion. The late emperor valued my careful and cautious work, and his favor has exceeded my capacity. You also value me more, allowing me to reach the rank of general. I only wish to repay the kindness of the state with the time I have remaining. I often visit Prince Qi because when the late emperor and empress were in Renshou Palace, they held Prince Yuande and Prince Qi on their knees and said to me, 'Take good care of these two children and do not forget my words.' I have followed the late emperor's orders, and every time I entered or exited the palace during my breaks, I would definitely visit the two princes. I truly cannot forget the late emperor's instructions. At that time, you were also serving by the late emperor's side." The emperor's expression softened upon hearing this, and he said, "I see now." He then granted Dong Chun a pardon.
After a few days, Dong Chun was transferred to the governorship of Wenshan. More than a year later, the Turkic tribes invaded the border, and because Dong Chun was an experienced general, the court appointed him governor of Yulin. Whenever the enemy invaded, Dong Chun immediately led his troops to repel them. At that time, the rebel leaders Zhang Dabiao and Zong Shimu from Pengcheng, along with tens of thousands of soldiers, occupied Xuanboshan and looted Xuzhou and Yanzhou. The emperor ordered Dong Chun to attack them. Initially, Dong Chun kept his camp gates closed and did not engage with the enemy. Despite repeated provocations, Dong Chun did not fight, causing the enemy to underestimate him and allowing them to plunder freely. Dong Chun selected elite troops and decisively defeated the enemy at Changlv, killing over ten thousand and piling their heads into a mound. The bandit Wei Qilin occupied Danfu with over ten thousand soldiers, and Dong Chun led his troops to attack, defeating the enemy once again. Later, the emperor launched another campaign against Liaodong and appointed Dong Chun as the governor of Pengcheng. The bandit Peng Xiaocai from Donghai, with a few thousand soldiers, looted Huairen County, fled to Yishui, and occupied Wubuji Mountain. Dong Chun led his elite soldiers to attack, captured Peng Xiaocai on the battlefield, had him torn apart by horses, and the remaining bandits scattered and fled. At that time, the common people were contemplating rebellion, and the number of bandits increased. Although Dong Chun won many battles, uprisings continued to occur. Some falsely claimed Dong Chun was cowardly and unable to quell the rebellions. The emperor, angered by this, sent people to escort Dong Chun to the eastern capital. Seeing the emperor's fury, the officials complied with his decree and sentenced Dong Chun to death. Dong Chun was ultimately executed.
Zhao Cai, courtesy name "Xiaocai," was from Zhangye, Jiuquan. His grandfather Zhao Wei was the Grand Minister of Guanglu and Governor of Yuelang of the Wei Kingdom; his father Zhao Shou was the Governor of Shunzheng during the Zhou Dynasty. Zhao Cai was brave and skilled in combat from a young age, excelling in equestrian archery, with a rough and tough personality, with little regard for etiquette. During the Zhou Dynasty, he served as a Senior Official in Charge of Carriages. After Emperor Yang Jian of the Sui Dynasty proclaimed himself emperor, Zhao Cai, thanks to his repeated military successes, continued to rise in rank, eventually becoming the Upper Minister of the Three Departments. He once served Prince Jin Yang Guang, and after Jin Wang became Crown Prince, Zhao Cai was appointed as the Right General of the Guards. After Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty ascended the throne, Zhao Cai was promoted to Left Commander of the Cavalry, and later to Right Xiaowei General. Because Zhao Cai had served Yang Guang at the fief, Yang Guang became increasingly close and trusting of him. Zhao Cai worked diligently and tirelessly, excelling in every position he held. Over a year later, he was promoted to Right Houwei General. Later, Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty campaigned against the Tuyuhun, appointing Zhao Cai as the commander of the expedition, leading Weiwei Qing Liu Quan, Bingbu Shilang Ming Ya, and others to depart from Hehedao, where he encountered and defeated the Tuyuhun forces. Due to his military achievements, Zhao Cai was promoted to Grand Minister of Guanglu with Golden Rank. During campaigns in Liaodong, he marched twice from Jieshidao, and upon his return, was appointed as the Left Houwei General, soon after rising to Right Houwei Dajiangjun. At the time, whenever Emperor Yang Guang went on an inspection tour, Zhao Cai always served as the scout, sternly addressing various illegal activities and misconduct, never showing favoritism or bending the law. If he encountered the relatives of officials violating the ban on the road, Zhao Cai would sternly reprimand them without hesitation, even involving many others. Although people at the time thought he lacked respect, everyone knew that he upheld the law fairly, and there was nothing they could do.
Ten years later, Emperor Yang of Sui visited the Fenyang Palace and left Zhao Cai to guard the Eastern Capital. Twelve years later, Emperor Yang of Sui was in Luoyang, preparing to go to Jiangdu. Zhao Cai saw that the people were struggling to make ends meet, the treasury was nearly empty, banditry was on the rise, and the laws were being ignored. He urged the emperor to return to the capital to restore stability. Emperor Yang of Sui flew into a rage and turned Zhao Cai over to the officials. After ten days, the emperor's anger had cooled, and he ordered Zhao Cai's release. Emperor Yang of Sui still went to Jiangdu but grew closer to Zhao Cai. By this time, Jiangdu was running low on food, the soldiers had lost their morale, and officials like Yu Shiji and Yuan Chong repeatedly urged the emperor to head to Danyang. During a court session, Zhao Cai strongly advocated for a return to the capital, while Yu Shiji pushed for crossing the river. Emperor Yang of Sui remained tight-lipped, and Zhao Cai and Yu Shiji ended up in a heated argument and went their separate ways.
When Yuwen Hua and Shi Ni staged their rebellion, Zhao Cai was in Yuanbei. Yuwen Hua sent Xiao Guo and Xide Fang to forge an edict to hunt down Zhao Cai. Upon hearing the edict, Zhao Cai stepped forward. Xide Fang ordered his men to arrest him and bring him to Yuwen Hua. Yuwen Hua said to Zhao Cai, "Today's matter can only end like this. I hope you don't take it to heart." Zhao Cai remained silent. Yuwen Hua contemplated killing him due to Zhao Cai's silence but ultimately released him three days later. Zhao Cai retained his original post but felt increasingly frustrated. At one of Yuwen Hua's banquets, Zhao Cai invited eighteen conspirators, including Yang Shilan, to drink. Yuwen Hua agreed. Zhao Cai raised his glass and said, "Eighteen people can only do this once, so let’s not do it again." No one else spoke. As they arrived in Liaocheng, Zhao Cai fell ill. Soon after, Yuwen Hua was defeated by Dou Jiande, and Zhao Cai was captured again. He became even more resentful and passed away a few days later at the age of seventy-three.
During the Renshou and Daye periods, two military generals, Lan Xingyu and Helan Fan, stood out. They were renowned for their integrity, willingness to speak their minds, and commitment to their duties. Historical records indicate that Luo Hou, Fa Shang, Li Jing, Shi Xiong, and Murong Sanzang gained wealth and power through their valor and military accomplishments during wartime. They all earned their success through their own efforts. Ren Gong began his career as an official in Jijun and rose through the ranks due to his integrity and capability. However, upon moving to Mayi, his greed and miserly ways ultimately led to his downfall. It’s rare for someone to have a strong start and a successful finish, which is truly unfortunate. Tu Wanxu and Dong Chun both earned high positions and rewards due to their past achievements. Tu Wanxu faced criticism for advocating an end to the war, while Dong Chun was falsely accused and executed.
In the later years of the Daye era, bandits ran wild, and nobody could rein them in! The tyranny was oppressive, and no one could stand against it! Even though Zhao Cai was somewhat rough around the edges, he had strong principles and stood by what was right, firmly turning down Shi Ji's suggestions, showing he wouldn't budge! Quan Wu was often reckless and ignored the law, and eventually got dismissed and humiliated; he only had himself to blame!
