Fanggui Lang, from Huainan, was ambitious from a young age and lived with his cousin Shuanggui. During the reign of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, Fanggui went out in the rain, and the Huai River was rising. While waiting for a boat to cross the river at the ferry, the boatman lost his temper, beat Fanggui, and broke his arm. Upon returning home, Shuanggui anxiously asked what had happened, and Fanggui told him everything. Shuanggui was very angry, went to the ferry, and ended up killing the boatman in a fit of rage. The ferry guards arrested them and took them to the county office. After questioning by the county official, Fanggui was deemed the mastermind and sentenced to death, while Shuanggui was considered an accomplice and sentenced to exile. The brothers both argued that they should die, but the county office couldn't reach a decision, so they escalated the matter to the prefecture. The brothers both confessed, but the prefecture was also indecisive. They even argued about jumping into the river to end their lives. The prefecture reported the matter to the court, and the emperor, intrigued by the case, granted them a pardon, honored their family name, and rewarded them with a hundred bolts of cloth. Later, Fanggui became the chief scribe of the prefecture.
Zhai Pulin is from Chuqiu, renowned for his benevolence, integrity, and filial devotion. He is widely respected for his unwavering devotion to his parents, and despite repeated summons to take up official posts, he steadfastly declined, choosing instead to farm and care for his parents. He was affectionately referred to as "Mr. Chuqiu" by the villagers. When his parents fell ill, he personally cared for them day and night for seventy days. After his parents passed away during the early years of the Sui Dynasty, Zhai Pulin was consumed by grief, teetering on the brink of madness. He built a shelter next to their graves, personally dug the graves, and refused to wear warm clothing even in the biting winter cold, only wearing a thin linen garment. His black dog stayed by his side at the gravesite, mournfully howling in response to Zhai Pulin's tears. Even the magpies nesting in the cypress tree by his home would fearlessly flit into his shelter. During the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui, the imperial inspectors learned of his moving acts of filial devotion and reported it to the court, resulting in his promotion to magistrate of Xiaoyang County.
Li De Rao, from Baoren County in Zhao County, was born into a family of officials. His grandfather, Li Che, was the Right Chancellor of the Ministry of Rites in the Wei Dynasty; his father, Li Chun, served as the Chief Historian of Jie Prefecture during the Kaihuang period of the Sui Dynasty. Li De Rao was intelligent and studious from a young age, kind-hearted, especially filial, and highly respected by his family. At a young age, he became an editorial assistant, serving in the Ministry of Interior, handling official documents. He later rose to the position of Imperial Censor, upholding justice, even daring to correct the mistakes of even the relatives of high-ranking officials. In the third year of Daye, he was promoted to the position of Assistant to the Sili Office, often traveling to various regions, vindicating the wronged, and honoring those who showed filial piety and brotherly love. Although his official rank was not very high, his noble character and behavior were highly respected by the people of that time, and those who associated with him were all famous scholars. He was especially filial to his parents; when they were bedridden due to illness, he would go days, even weeks, without eating or changing his clothes. During the mourning period after his parents passed away, he went without food or water for five days, overwhelmed by grief, he vomited several liters of blood. On the day of the funeral, in the midst of heavy snow in midwinter, with a journey of over forty miles to cover, he dressed in coarse mourning garments and walked barefoot, crying all the way and nearly fainting. Over a thousand people attended the funeral, and not a single person was dry-eyed. Afterwards, sweet dew fell from the trees in his family's yard, and magpies nested under the eaves of his home.
When Minister Yang Da inspected Hebei, he went to visit Li Derao at his home to pay his respects. He renamed the village where Li Derao lived to "Xiaojing Village" and the area to "Heshun Township." Later, Li Derao was appointed as the magistrate of Jinhe County. Before he could take office, he ran into a band of bandits. The bandit leader Ge Qian, Sun Xuanya, and more than ten others gathered in the Bohai region. The court had ordered them to surrender, but Ge Qian and his gang were too scared to give in. Upon hearing that Li Derao was a trustworthy guy, they sent word to the court, saying, "If Li Derao is sent, we will surrender together." The emperor then sent Li Derao to persuade those bandits to surrender in Bohai. When Li Derao happened upon other bandits storming the county seat, tragically, he lost his life.
His younger brother Li Deliao was sincere and dependable. At the end of the Sui Dynasty, he served as a judicial officer in Lishi County, and Prefect Yang Zichong held him in high regard. After the rebel army's uprising, Yang Zichong was killed, and his body was left discarded outside the city. Li Deliao mourned his loss and gave him a proper burial. When he came across the rebel army in Jiexiu, he asked to take care of the funeral arrangements for Yang Zichong. The general was really impressed by him, so he posthumously promoted Yang Zichong and allowed Li Deliao to act as an envoy to handle the funeral arrangements for Yang Zichong in Lishi.
Huaqiu hails from Linhe, a town in Jijun County. He lost his father at a young age and was known for his exceptional filial piety towards his mother. The family was poor, and he made ends meet by taking on odd jobs. When his mother fell ill, Huaqiu looked haggard, with unkempt hair and a scruffy beard. Everyone in the county felt sympathy for him. After his mother passed away, he stopped grooming himself altogether, and eventually lost all his hair. He built a shelter next to his mother's grave, carrying soil to the grave one load at a time. Whenever someone offered to help, he would kneel down to decline. During the Daye period, the government organized a large-scale hunting expedition aimed at fox fur. A rabbit, pursued by hunters, darted into Huaqiu's shelter and hid under his knees. When the hunters arrived, they witnessed this and decided to spare the rabbit. Since then, the rabbit began visiting the shelter every night, forming a close bond with Huaqiu. The local officials appreciated Huaqiu's devotion and reported it to the emperor. Emperor Yang of Sui even sent envoys to pay him a visit and erected an archway at his doorstep. Later, bandits were rampant in the area where Huaqiu lived, and they warned one another, "Don't mess with this devoted son!" Thanks to Huaqiu, many villagers were able to survive.
Xu Xiaosu is also from Jijun. His family consists of thousands of households, most of whom live extravagantly, but Xu Xiaosu is frugal and filial, well-known for his virtues. Despite his young age, whenever there was a dispute in the family, everyone would turn to him for mediation, and those he criticized would always acknowledge their faults. Xu Xiaosu lost his father at a young age and, having never seen his father's face, he asked his mother about his appearance. He then had a portrait painted and constructed a small shrine in his honor, visiting regularly. He was extremely filial to his mother, never once losing his temper over the decades. When his mother fell ill, Xu Xiaosu personally cared for her with deep care for several years, touching everyone who witnessed it. After his mother's passing, Xu Xiaosu subsisted solely on a vegetarian diet and water, wearing light clothes even in winter, growing painfully thin. He personally carried earth to construct tombs for his grandparents and parents, living beside the graves for forty years, eventually passing away there.
His brother Xu Debei was intelligent and knowledgeable in the classics, renowned as a Confucian scholar throughout the Hebei region. After Xu Debei's passing, his son Xu Chumo also lived next to the graves, upholding the family's tradition of filial piety across generations, which is truly admirable!
Historical records say: in the past, the promotion of filial piety depended on nobles and officials, but in recent years, it is primarily ordinary people who uphold the values of filial piety and brotherly respect. People like Yanshi and Daoze, some hailing from noble families, while others vowed to serve the country, ultimately met tragic ends. Though they acted against the traditional system, their compassion and sense of righteousness shine through.
The Lang brothers risked their lives to save each other, with one of them nearly losing his life in the process, yet he succeeded in saving his brother; the Tian Yi couple committed suicide for love, yet they left behind a good name; De Rao's benevolence and righteousness swayed the bandits, while De Zhai's noble deeds touched the king, all of which are commendable. Individuals like Niu Hui, Liu Jun, Zhai Lin, and Hua Qiu have lush greenery at their doors and gentle creatures in their homes. Could this not be a reflection of their profound filial piety, which resonates with heaven and earth? Just the thought of this scene is deeply moving.
