Dou Luji, courtesy name Dingdong, was a native from Tuhe, Changli. He originally bore the surname Murong, a descendant of Murong Jing, the Prince of Beidi of the Yan Kingdom. After the defeat in the Zhongshan Battle, he sought refuge with Northern Wei. People in the north referred to those who surrendered to the Wei Dynasty as "Doulu," which led him to change his surname to Dou Lu. His grandfather Dou Lu Chang was a great general in the Northern Wei's Ruxuan Town, and his father Dou Lu Ning was a prominent official and Grand Guardian. When Dou Luji was born, Emperor Zhou personally went to congratulate Dou Luji's family. This occurred just after the defeat of the Qi army, so Emperor Zhou named him "Dingdong." Dou Luji was intelligent and insightful, with great leadership abilities. When he was young, he studied at the Imperial Academy and had some exposure to literature and the arts. In the twelfth year of the Northern Wei Dynasty, Emperor Zhou granted him the title of Marquis of Yi'an County due to his contributions. After Emperor Min of Zhou ascended to the throne, he was appointed to a slightly lower-ranking position, with the title of Marquis of Danyang County and an estate of 1,500 households. During the reign of Emperor Ming of Zhou, he served as the Left Wubozhong Dafu (a title for a senior official).
Dou Luji felt that he had not yet mastered his studies, so he requested to resign from his official position to study at Lu Men. The emperor held him in high regard, so he ordered him to retain his original official position while studying. Not long after, Prince Qi Yuwen Xian married Dou Luji's sister as his concubine, so Dou Luji was granted even greater favor. Later, Emperor Wu ascended to the throne and appointed him governor of Qiongzhou. Before he could take office, the Shanda Qiang in Weiyuan revolted due to famine. Due to Dou Luji's talent and strategic acumen, he was reassigned as the governor of Weizhou. He implemented good policies in Weizhou, bringing joy to both the local Han and minority ethnic groups. His benevolence was widely recognized, and many auspicious signs began to appear. The Niushan Mountain, known as Gaowulong by the locals, is where the Wei River originates. The mountain's cliffs are steep and sheer, previously lacking water, causing considerable distress among the Qiang people. Where Dou Luji's horse hooves stepped, a spring suddenly burst forth. A white bird came to his hall, laid its eggs, and then flew away, and a white wolf appeared in Xiangwu. The locals composed a song about it: "We have the Duke of Danyang County, with jade spring water gushing from the mountain, providing relief to us Han and Qiang communities, auspicious bird flying in." The people called this spring water Jade Spring. Later, his father passed away, and he was deeply saddened and mourned profoundly.
In the second year of Tianhe, he was appointed governor of Shaozhou, inheriting the title of Duke of Chu. Later, he was summoned back to the capital and appointed as Minister of the Heavenly Officials, and later as the governor of Xinzhou, Xiazhou, and Xiangzhou. Following his mother's passing, he returned to the capital. In the second year of Emperor Xuandi's reign, he was appointed governor of Lizhou and was promoted to Grand General. One month later, he was promoted to Duke.
Legend has it that when Emperor Yang Jian founded the Sui Dynasty, Wang Qian, the governor of Yizhou, staged a rebellion. Yang Su held the city under siege, and Wang Qian sent his generals Da Xi Ji, Gao Anagong, Yi Fu Qian, and others, leading an army of one hundred thousand to attack. They constructed earthen mounds and dug over seventy holes in the city walls, and even blocked the river to inundate the city. At that time, Yang Su commanded just over two thousand soldiers, resisting day and night. After over forty days of fighting, the situation grew increasingly dire. Yang Su devised a clever strategy and launched a surprise attack on the enemy, slaying thousands and capturing two thousand more. Just then, Liang Rui's army was also on the way, and the rebels hastily retreated. Emperor Yang Jian of the Sui Dynasty sent Zhao Zhongqing to commend Yang Su and issued an edict stating, "Yang Su is exceptionally talented and possesses an extraordinary demeanor, and has achieved remarkable success in commanding the frontier. In the face of the rebellion in the Bashu region and the siege of the city by the enemy, he successfully defended and counterattacked, defeating the rebel forces. His loyalty, integrity, courage, and strategic acumen have made significant contributions. He is appointed as the Grand General, granted a noble title for his son, and bestowed upon him the title of Duke of Zhongshan County."
In the second year of the Kaihuang era, the Turks invaded the frontier. Yang Jian appointed Yang Su as the Marshal of the Northern Expedition, tasked with defense. A year later, Yang Su was appointed as the Governor of Xiazhou. The Emperor highly valued him due to the prominence of the Yang family and his remarkable achievements. Later, Prince Han, Yang Liang, married his daughter to Yang Su, further solidifying the Emperor's favor towards him. In the seventh year of Kaihuang, the Emperor issued a decree stating: "The Grand Preceptor and Duke of Chu, Yang Su, defended the city against the rebel forces in Shu, holding the fort as if he were the enemy himself. His contributions were great, his integrity noble, and he is granted a thousand households in Linjin County, Shizhou." In the tenth year of Kaihuang, Yang Su was recalled to the capital due to illness. The Emperor ordered all princes to visit Yang Su's residence and sent eunuchs to convey greetings, with a continuous stream of visitors. That same year, Yang Su passed away at the age of fifty-five. The Emperor mourned deeply for a long time, increasing the funeral rewards and assigning the Honglu Temple to handle the arrangements, bestowing upon him the posthumous title of Xiang. His son, Yang Xian, inherited his titles and advanced to the positions of Governor of Xianzhou, Junior Minister of Justice, and Military General. Yang Su also had a younger brother named Yang Yu. Speaking of a man named Li Yu, he was known for his ambition and integrity from a young age. When Prince Han, Yang Liang, was sent to guard Bingzhou, Li Yu, as the brother of Yang Liang's consort, was appointed as the chief scribe in the prince's residence. Later, he followed Zhao Zhongqing to the north to fight against the Turks, distinguished himself, and was appointed as the equal of the Three Excellencies.
After Emperor Gaozu's death, Yang Guang ascended to the throne and summoned Yang Liang back to the court. Yang Liang, swayed by the counsel of Wang Kui, raised an army to rebel. Li Yu earnestly tried to dissuade him, but Yang Liang ignored his pleas. Thus, Li Yu said to his brother, Li Yi, "I will go back to the court alone on horseback and surely can save my life. This is purely for self-preservation, not for the sake of the country. For now, let's pretend to comply and then figure out a plan." Li Yi, who was serving as the governor in Xianzhou at the time, told the emperor, "My brother Li Yu has always been righteous and will not rebel with Yang Liang. He is just forced and has no choice. Please let me lead the troops to support my brother, and there's no need to worry about Yang Liang's rebellion." The emperor found this reasonable and agreed. Li Yi secretly sent a family member to deliver the emperor's orders to Li Yu to discuss a strategy together.
Yang Liang departed the city, intending to head to Jiezhou, leaving Li Yu and the general Zhu Tao behind. Li Yu told Zhu Tao, "The Han Prince's rebellion is on the verge of failure. How can I just sit here and wait to be killed, betraying both my country and my family! We should resist him together with the troops!" Zhu Tao was taken aback and replied, "The prince entrusted such an important matter to us, how can you say that!" He stormed off in anger. Li Yu caught up and killed him. At that time, Yang Liang's advisor, Sima Huangfu Dan, had been imprisoned for opposing him. Li Yu rescued Huangfu Dan, and together with him, the Marquis of Panshi, Hou Suqinwu, the Marquis of Yuwen Yongchang, Yitong Chengduan, Changsun Kai, the Marquis of Ancheng, Hou Yuanshiya, and the former military officer Huangfu Wenhao, they closed the city to resist Yang Liang.
Things were not fully settled, but someone snitched on Yang Liang, so Yang Liang decided to attack. When Li Yu saw Yang Liang coming, he tricked his soldiers, saying, "That is the enemy's army!" Yang Liang attacked the south gate of the city, and Li Yu then sent the Jihu to guard the city walls. The Jihu didn’t recognize Yang Liang and started shooting at him in a panic, arrows raining down. Yang Liang then attacked the west gate, where the guards were all from Bingzhou and knew Yang Liang, so they opened the gates to welcome him. Li Yu was eventually killed at just twenty-eight. After Yang Liang was subdued, Emperor Yang issued a decree, saying, "Commend his loyalty, according to the laws of the land, posthumously elevate his rank and grant him generous rewards. Li Yu understood righteousness, put aside family ties, and took great risks to first offer advice to persuade Yang Liang to submit to the court and sacrifice himself for the country. He should be posthumously promoted and rewarded generously. Posthumously promoted to the rank of Grand General, appointed as the Marquis of Zhengyi County, granted two thousand bolts of silk, and posthumously honored as Min." The young man wanted to inherit his father's title, so he went to see the emperor and was appointed to the position of Yitong Sansi. In the early years of Daye, new laws were introduced, and all five noble ranks were abolished. Not long after, the emperor issued another edict: "The late Grand General and Marquis of Zhengyi, Yang Yu, was able to hold his position in a critical situation, sacrificing himself for what was right, setting an example for the country; his legacy will be remembered forever. In order to honor his virtue and make sure his name lives on for generations, he is posthumously appointed as the Marquis of Yongqiu Min." Then, the young man took over his father's title. As the Daye period was coming to an end, he was appointed as the Commander of the Thousand Cavalry troops.
Yang Tong, Yang Ji's older brother, who was also known as Yang Hui, was generous and had great leadership abilities. During the Zhou Dynasty, due to his father's achievements, he was granted the title of Marquis of Linzhen with a fief of one thousand households. Soon after, he was appointed as Grand General and quickly promoted to Yitong Sanqi. At that time, the Prime Minister Yuwen Hu appreciated his abilities, allowing him to command a trusted army and changing his title to Duke of Woye with a fief of four thousand seven hundred households. Later, he was further ennobled, holding successive positions as Wubei Grand Minister and Governor of North Xuzhou. When Emperor Gaozu became Prime Minister, Wei Jiong rebelled and sent his subordinate Wuman Ni to lead troops to attack. Yang Tong counterattacked and defeated them. The Emperor rewarded him with eight hundred yards of silk and promoted his position to Grand General. In the early years of Emperor Kaihuang's reign, he was promoted to Duke of Nanchen. Shortly after, he was summoned back to court to serve in the imperial guard. Over a year later, he was appointed as Governor of Dingzhou and was later reassigned as Governor of Xiangzhou. He married Princess Changle of Gaozu and grew increasingly favored by the Emperor. He was later promoted to Governor of Xiazhou and Hongzhou. He was known for his generosity and kindness in all his positions. At the age of fifty-nine, after serving for seventeen years, he passed away and was posthumously granted the title of An. He had a son named Yang Kuan.
He Ruoyi, whose courtesy name was Daoji, was a native of Luoyang, Henan. His grandfather Heruofu Lian was the Governor of Yunzhou in Northern Wei, and his father Heruo Tong was the General of the Right Guard. He was known for his strong, decisive character and considerable talent. During Northern Wei, due to his ancestors' achievements, he was granted the title of Baron of Rongcheng County. He gradually rose through the ranks and became General Director, Grand Commandant, Tongzhi Sanki Changshi, and Imperial Food Supervisor.
Zhou Taizu occupied the Guanzhong region and summoned him to serve at his side. Once, Zhou Taizu sent him to Xingcheng, where some people of the Ruru tribe were stationed north of the Yellow River, who were indecisive. He appealed to their reason and emotions and persuaded them to submit to the Zhou Dynasty. As a result, over ten thousand households surrendered. Zhou Taizu greatly appreciated him and rewarded him with one hundred taels of gold and silver. Later, Northern Qi sent their retainer Yang Chang to form an alliance with the Ruru tribe. Zhou Taizu was concerned that their alliance would pose a threat to the border, so he sent He Ruoyi to meet with the leader of the Ruru tribe. He Ruoyi bribed them generously, and the Ruru tribe trusted him, thus allying with the Zhou Dynasty and turning Yang Chang over to He Ruoyi. Zhou Taizu was very pleased and appointed him as the General of Chariots and Cavalry, the Supervisor of the Left, and the Prefect of Lueyang.
After Zhou Mindi ascended the throne, he appointed him as the Grand Master of Archery, bestowed upon him the title of Marquis of Bache, and later promoted him to Earl of the Left Palace, soon adding the title of Kaifu. He then successively served as the Inspector of Lingzhou and Shaozhou, and the Commander of Yuanzhou and Xinzhou, performing excellently in these positions. His brother He Ruodun had previously served as the Commander of Jinzhou but was later wrongfully executed due to false accusations. As a consequence of this incident, He Ruoyi was also removed from his post.
When Emperor Wu personally took power, he recalled He Ruoyi and appointed him governor of Xiongzhou. In the campaign against Northern Qi, He Ruoyi led his troops from Hangu Pass, first capturing Luoyang. He was subsequently appointed governor of Luozhou and granted the title of Marquis of Jianwei. Northern Qi's Prince of Fanyang, Gao Shaoyi, fled to the Turks, and He Ruoyi gave chase. They clashed at Mayi, where He Ruoyi ultimately captured Gao Shaoyi. His success led to his promotion to Grand General. After Gaozu became Emperor, he appointed He Ruoyi as the governor of Bozhou and urged him to take up his post without delay. He stopped Sima Xiaonan in the west and fought against Yu Jiong in the east. Later, when Li Hui, the governor of Shenzhou, rebelled, He Ruoyi defeated him, leading to his promotion to Duke of Fanyang and appointment as Grand General.
At the beginning of the Kaihuang era, he was appointed Right General of Military Affairs. Later, when Prince Hong of Hejian went to the north to campaign against the Turks, he was appointed Vice Marshal. After the war, he was promoted to Left Grand General of Military Affairs. However, he was later dismissed for some misconduct. Over a year later, he was appointed governor of Huazhou, then transferred to Fuzhou as governor and granted the title of Duke of Hailing. He was then moved to Jingzhou as governor. At that time, the Turks frequently harassed the border. Due to his previous accomplishments, the court appointed him as the governor of Lingzhou and elevated him to Grand General of the Pillar State. Although he was old at the time, his body was still strong, and he could still ride a horse wearing armor, instilling fear in the Turks. After a few years, he requested retirement, which the Emperor granted. He was wealthy and built a villa with a beautiful garden outside the city, planting many fruit trees. He often invited friends for gatherings, along with song and dance performances. He passed away at the age of seventy-seven at home. His son succeeded him in his title.
His eldest son is named Xie and became a General of Chariots and Cavalry; Xie's younger brother is named Xiang, who is a Commandant of Carriages; Xiang's younger brother is named Yu, who serves as a General of Chariots and Cavalry; his older brother's son is named Bi, whose biography is also recorded.
Historical records state that individuals such as Yu Yi and Dou Rongding had family ties with influential figures in Nanyang, while others maintained friendships with old acquaintances in Fengyi. They all seized the opportunity and were highly valued, making significant contributions to the stability of the state. As a result, they were rewarded generously, maintained their official positions, and ensured endless benefits for their descendants. They were like a fire that was continually stoked, constantly consolidating their achievements. Their foundation did not decay, which is indeed remarkable! Dou Luyu sacrificed his life in the nation's time of crisis to uphold righteousness; Yin Shishi remained steadfast and loyal even in the face of national misfortune, until death. If those loyal martyrs who have passed could be aware, it would suffice to honor their monarchs and parents.
