Speaking of this Duke of De, originally named Hui, he was a descendant of Gaozu. His father's name was Shao, who served as an official in the Zhou Dynasty, serving as the Governor of Eight Prefectures and Duke of Tangcheng. He was also granted the surname Chilüyinshi, which sounded quite powerful. The Duke of De was handsome and graceful, exuding elegance in every gesture, clearly a person of noble status. During the reign of Emperor Wu of Zhou, he served as Grand Master of the Palace responsible for the Crown Prince's travels. One time, when Emperor Wu went to Yunyang Palace, Prince Wei staged a rebellion, attacking the Sufang Gate with his troops. The Duke of De bravely stepped up and drove back the rebels. For his achievements, he was promoted and titled Duke of Wuyang, with a fief of one thousand households. He continued to rise in ranks, eventually becoming the Chief Officer of the Right Guard. During the reign of Emperor Xiao, he was later promoted to Duke of Hanguo, with a fief of five thousand households.
When Gaozu became Prime Minister, the Governor of Yongzhou, Bi Wangxian, plotted a rebellion. At that time, the Duke of De held the position of charioteer, and upon learning of Bi Wangxian's conspiracy, he promptly informed Gaozu. Bi Wangxian was killed, and the Duke of De was honored with the title of Pillar of the State, Governor of Yongzhou, and also appointed as the Minister of the Imperial Ancestral Temple. After the death of Emperor Xuan, many princes were restless, so the court charged the Duke of De with six thousand cavalry to escort the imperial coffin to the tomb. He was subsequently promoted to Chief of the Pillars. After Gaozu ascended to the throne, the Duke of De was appointed as General of the Left Guard and concurrently as Minister of the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Shortly after, he was further promoted to General of the Right Guard, engaging in court matters. He was then granted the title of King of Guangping, with a fief of five thousand households, and his Duke of Hanguo title was passed down to one of his sons. The Duke of De also requested the court to appoint his brother Shigui as an official, which was granted.
Someone accused Gao Jiong of colluding with Prince De, and the Emperor asked Prince De about it in person. Prince De replied, "I serve in the palace every day, attending to Your Majesty. If there were really any collusion, how could I not know! Your Majesty is wise and personally handles state affairs. Gao Jiong acts justly and abides by the law. This is a matter of clear loyalty and enmity; please investigate, Your Majesty!" The Emperor thought his words made sense. At that time, Prince De was very powerful and prominent, being one of the "Four Nobles" along with Gao Jiong, Yu Qingze, and Su Wei.
Yang Xiong was kind and generous to people, and everyone in the court paid attention to him. Emperor Gaozu was somewhat wary of his popularity and secretly guarded against him, not wanting him to command troops again. So he issued an edict appointing Yang Xiong as Minister of Works and Construction, stating, "On the first day of the eighth month of the ninth year of Kaihuang, the Emperor said: Ah! You, the Grand Pillar of the State, Grand General of the Left Guard, Chief of the Imperial Clan, and Prince of Guangping, are kind and generous, in a prominent position, and have been in charge of the Imperial Guards for ten years. You are the Emperor's confidant in the court and the nation's right-hand man outside. You have worked tirelessly in the palace, with great achievements. In consideration of your past merits, I am promoting your rank. You are entrusted with the important task of assisting the court, and the people are all watching you. You must work diligently to live up to this honor. Therefore, I appoint you as Minister of Works and Construction. Go ahead, work well! Honorably accept this favor; do not be careless!" Although it seemed like a promotion on the surface, it was actually taking away his military power.
With no real power left, Yang Xiong simply shut himself away and refused to see anyone. Not long after, he was reappointed as Prince of Qingzhang. During the Renshou era, Emperor Gaozu said, "The name Qingzhang does not match his status." So he brought out a map and pointed to Ande County on the map, saying to his courtiers, "The name of this place is more fitting for his merits and reputation." And so, Yang Xiong was renamed as Prince of Ande.
During the Daye period, he was appointed as the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince. After the Crown Prince Yuan De passed away, he was temporarily appointed as the Governor of Zhengzhou. Over a year later, he was transferred to be the Governor of Huaizhou, and then promoted to the Prefect of Jingzhao. Later, when the Emperor personally led a campaign against the Tuyuhun, he ordered Yang Xiong to command the troops in the Jiaohe region. Upon the Emperor's return, Yang Xiong was granted the title of Prince Guan. Yang Xiong expressed his gratitude in a memorial, while also requesting to resign from his position. In his memorial, he stated: "I was fortunate to live in prosperous times in my youth and was merely a minor figure. My position today is entirely due to luck and opportunities. I lack both talent and virtue, yet I find myself in a high-ranking position among the officials. I have been favored by the late Emperor and promoted by Your Majesty, holding a high position for a long time. I am always worried that my virtues do not match my position. How can I continue wearing official robes that do not befit my status and steal this honor? I feel like someone staring at a wall, not daring to rely on past achievements. I am filled with inner anxiety and fear of taking on responsibilities. Liu Jia was granted a princely title without holding an official position above the third rank, and Cao Hong became a general without a title higher than the fifth rank. Moreover, my position is higher than that of the princes, and the position of Prefect of Jingzhao is only second to the imperial relatives. Now, you want me to become a vassal king; how am I supposed to manage this? Others will say that I am insatiable. Therefore, I boldly present my foolish opinion and earnestly request Your Majesty's permission to resign. I hope Your Majesty can understand my loyalty and sincerity. I have troubled Your Majesty on numerous occasions, leaving me in a cold sweat." Although the Emperor greatly appreciated him, he ultimately did not agree to his request.
It is said that this general, while fighting in Liaodong, was appointed as the Left Yiwu Guard General. He fell ill and died in Luhe Town at the age of seventy-one. The emperor even suspended court for a day and specifically assigned officials from the Honglu Temple to handle his funeral. After reviewing his merits and demerits, the relevant authorities recommended that he be given the posthumous title of "Yi," but the emperor said, "His character is so noble that it surpasses that of ordinary men." Therefore, he was posthumously granted the title of "De," and he was also promoted to the position of ten prefectures. These ten prefectures were Situ, Xiangguo, Wu'an, Bohai, Qinghe, Shangdang, Hejian, Jibei, Gaomi, and Jiyin.
His son, Gongren, later served as the Minister of Personnel. Gongren's younger brother was named Chen, known for his gentle nature and cultural knowledge. He served as the Inspector of Yizhou and the Prefect of Huainan. After his father's passing, he was appointed as a Chief Official in the Ministry of Personnel by the court. During the Liaodong campaign, the emperor stationed Chen in Linhai to oversee various affairs. Later, Yang Xuangang rebelled, and Yang Xuanzong, Yang Xuanzong's brother, fled from the palace to join him. On the way, he met Chen. Chen had private conversations with Yang Xuanzong over an extended period, and they met several times during this time. The Chief Official of the Imperial Secretary, Liu Xiuwen, reported this to the emperor. At that time, Chen's brother Gongren was leading troops outside. Considering the situation, the emperor temporarily suppressed the matter and did not investigate further. Chen was deeply fearful and later died of illness. Chen also had a younger brother named Xu, who became an Attendant Cavalry Officer.
This general also had a younger brother named Da, with the courtesy name Shida. He was intelligent since childhood, knowledgeable, and of good character. During the Zhou Dynasty, he held official positions such as Equity Officer, Junior Minister of Internal Affairs, and was also appointed as the Baron of Suining County. After the founding emperor ascended the throne, he was appointed as the Chamberlain of the Yellow Gate, and his title was also elevated. When the Tuyuhun invaded the border, the court appointed Yuan Xie as the marshal, with Da serving as his military advisor. After the war ended, he also served as the Minister of Personnel and was promoted to the title of Deputy Minister of Personnel. Over a year later, he was promoted to Junior Minister of Internal Affairs and then transferred to serve as the governor of the three prefectures of Shanzhou, Zhengzhou, and Zhaozhou, where he performed excellently. After the Chen Dynasty was pacified and the realm was unified, the court wanted to select the best local officials, with Da being ranked at the top. The emperor rewarded him with five hundred pieces of assorted silk and a golden waistband, and promoted him to the position of Minister of Works, as well as Deputy Minister of Personnel. Da was generous and magnanimous. Yang Su often said, "There is only one person who has both the demeanor and character of a gentleman, and that is Yang Da." He also participated in the construction of the tombs of the founding emperor and Empress Xian. After Emperor Yang of Sui ascended the throne, Yang Qing was promoted to Councilor and also served as the Deputy Supervisor of the Eastern Capital. Emperor Yang trusted him greatly. Later, during the battle in Liaodong, Yang Qing served as the General of the Right Martial Guard, and his official position was further elevated to Left Guanglu Daifu. He died in battle that year at the age of sixty-two. Emperor Yang regretted this for a long time, posthumously honored him as the Minister of Personnel and the Marquis of Shi'an, with the posthumous title 'Gong,' and rewarded him with three hundred and fifty pieces of fabric.
Yang Jian, the founding emperor of the Sui Dynasty, first moved the capital to Chang'an, the people's hearts had not yet fully submitted. In order to consolidate his rule, he promoted relatives of the same surname to stabilize his regime. Therefore, Prince Yang Hong of Hejian and Prince Yang Xiong of Guande made significant contributions to the country's territorial expansion. As for Yang Qing, however, his connection to the imperial Yang clan was merely distant, without any special privilege. Yet he managed to attain high official positions and wealth, enjoying a life of luxury until his death. Yang Qing showed no loyalty or sense of responsibility to his family, abandoning his birth mother as if he were tossing aside a worthless stone. His eventual downfall was predictable. Those who rise to high positions and ensure their descendants enjoy prosperity do so because of their kindness and generosity.
