Guo Xuan, from Anyi in Hedong, originally came from a poor family. He started as a clerk of the Minister of Personnel and was later granted the title of Yitong due to his military achievements. He served as a military advisor and chief secretary in several states, performing excellently and gaining a good reputation. When Emperor Yang of Sui had just ascended the throne, the Minister of Justice, Yuwen Bi, inspected Hebei and brought Guo Xuan along as his assistant. Emperor Yang of Sui was preparing to go to Liaodong for war and considered Zhuo County an important strategic location, so he searched for suitable talents to manage it. Hearing that Guo Xuan was very capable, he appointed him as the magistrate of Zhuo County, much to the delight of the local officials and the populace. Several years later, Guo Xuan was promoted to the governor of Zhuo County and also served as the acting commandant. Later, a bandit uprising broke out in Shandong, and Guo Xuan led his troops in pursuit of and captured many bandits. By that time, most other counties had been devastated, but Zhuo County was left unscathed. Later, Guo Xuan led his troops to fight against Dou Jiande in Hejian and died in battle. Officials and people mourned his loss for months on end, and they were heartbroken.
Jing Su, courtesy name (zi) Hongjian, was a man from Puban in Hedong. He was known for his integrity and uprightness from an early age, and he initially served as a county clerk. During the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui in the Kaihuang era, he became the magistrate of Anling County, where he demonstrated outstanding governance. He was promoted to the position of Sima in Qinzhou and later transferred to be the Chief Clerk of Binzhou. During the Reign of Renshou, he served as Sima in Weizhou, where he also achieved remarkable success. Upon the ascension of Emperor Yang of Sui, he was appointed as the magistrate of Yingchuan Prefecture. In the fifth year of the Daye era, he went to the Eastern Capital to meet the Emperor, who asked Xue Daoheng, the Chief of the Imperial Secretariat, to evaluate the officials throughout the empire. Xue Daoheng's assessment of Jing Su was: "His heart is as unyielding as iron and stone, becoming more upright as he ages." At that time, the General of the Left Yüwen Shù wielded great power, and since his hometown was in Yingchuan, he frequently wrote letters to Jing Su. However, Jing Su never opened these letters and instead had the messengers return them directly. Among Yüwen Shù's guests were those who behaved recklessly, and Jing Su punished them according to the law without leniency. As a result, Yüwen Shù held a strong dislike for him. In the eighth year of Daye, Jing Su went to Zhuojun to meet the Emperor. The Emperor, recognizing Jing Su’s age and his exceptional governance abilities, considered promoting him to the position of governor on multiple occasions, but Yüwen Shù thwarted these attempts, preventing any promotion. In the final years of Daye, Jing Su requested retirement, which the Emperor granted. On the day he retired, he had no savings whatsoever. A year later, Jing Su passed away at the age of eighty years.
Who Liu Kuang really is remains a mystery. He is cautious and kind, always handling things with sincerity and tolerance. During the early years of Emperor Wen of Sui's reign, he was appointed the magistrate of Pingxiang County and rode there alone on horseback. When disputes arose, he patiently reasoned with the parties involved, explaining the stakes involved and never harshly punishing them. Those people, feeling embarrassed, would leave on their own. He donated his salary to help the poor. The common people were moved by him and encouraged each other, saying, "With such a good official, how can we dare to do bad things!" After seven years as the magistrate of Pingxiang County, the local atmosphere transformed dramatically, with no prisoners in jail and no lawsuits filed. The prison was overgrown with grass, and the courtyard was so spacious it could even accommodate a game of tennis. When he left his post, officials of all ranks wept as they saw him off, accompanying him for hundreds of miles without interruption.
Later, he was promoted to magistrate of Linying County, still maintaining his reputation for honesty and good governance, and considered the best magistrate in the country. The Left Minister of Works, Gao Ke, reported his deeds to the emperor, who summoned him and warmly commended him, saying, "There are so many magistrates in the country, but you stand out so well; it's really great!" He then told the officials around him, "If we don't give him a special reward, how can we inspire others?" Therefore, the emperor issued a generous edict promoting him to the governor of Juzhou.
Wang Jia, from Zhangwu, Hebei, was a minor official in Qizhou during the later years of Emperor Wen of Sui's reign, holding the title of military officer. Initially, there was nothing particularly remarkable about him. Later, the governor of Qizhou assigned him to escort over seventy prisoners, led by a man named Li Can, to the capital for punishment. At that time, regulations mandated that exiled prisoners be escorted in chains.
When Wang Jia escorted the prisoners to Xingyang, seeing how hard they were struggling, he felt a pang of sympathy. He called them over and said, "Everyone, you have broken the law and violated moral principles, and are being punished wearing chains; this is the punishment you must bear. But now, having to endure such hardship on the journey, can you truly feel at ease?" Li Can and the others quickly thanked Wang Jia. Wang Jia said, "Although you have broken the law, wearing chains is indeed very hard. I want to help you take off the chains. When we reach the capital, we will meet up again. Can you guarantee that you will arrive on time?" The prisoners knelt in gratitude and said, "We will definitely not delay." So Wang Jia unlocked the chains for the prisoners and stopped the soldiers escorting them. He made an agreement with them, saying, "You must arrive in the capital by a specific date. If anyone is late, I will take responsibility for anyone who is late." Then he let them go.
The exiled prisoners were all overjoyed and arrived in the capital on time, with no one escaping or betraying them. The emperor was astonished when he heard about this, summoned Wang Jia to ask for details, and praised him for a long time. Then the emperor summoned all the prisoners, allowed them to bring their wives and children into the palace, threw a banquet in their honor, and finally granted them all a pardon.
The emperor also issued a decree, saying, "All the people in the world, with flesh and blood, have a conscience of good and evil. As long as you treat them with sincerity and guide them with reason, the social climate will improve, and people will be more inclined to do good. In the past, because of the chaos in the world, morals broke down; officials lacked compassion, and the common people harbored deceitful hearts, resulting in endless lawsuits and a decline in social morals. I have been appointed by heaven to bring peace to the people, with the intent of following the teachings of the sages, using morality to guide the people, working hard at this day and night. Wang Jia understands my intentions and sincerely guides the offenders. Li Can and others have repented and turned themselves in to the authorities. This shows that the people of the world are not difficult to educate, but officials have not guided them properly, leading them to commit crimes without a chance to reform. If all officials were like Wang Jia and all people were like Li Can, then we wouldn't need the penal system anymore—doesn't that seem achievable?"
So the emperor promoted Wang Jia to become the magistrate of Yongzhou, where he also performed excellently and achieved great political success.
Wei Deshen, hailing from Julu, whose grandfather Wei Chong served as the Minister of Justice and Governor of Jianzhou in the Zhou Dynasty, later made his home in Hongnong. His father, Wei Pi, was the magistrate of Yulin County. Wei Deshen started as a minor official under Emperor Wen, later serving as a scribe in Fengyi County and Wuyang County, and thanks to his outstanding abilities, he was promoted to the magistrate of Guixiang County. He governed with integrity and fairness, running the county efficiently without being harsh.
At that time, it was coinciding with the war in Liaodong. There were many types of taxes, and officials came and went to collect them, pushing the responsibility onto various counties. The discipline of the court was lax, and corruption among officials was rampant. Taxes were levied everywhere, and the common people were suffering greatly. Only in Guixiang County governed by Wei Deshen was the situation completely different. He coordinated supply and demand, tried his best to meet the needs of the court, and the people were not disturbed at all. Everyone said that he governed very well. At that time, thieves were rampant, and many cities near Wuyang were breached; only Guixiang County remained unscathed.
County magistrate Yuan Baozang was ordered to pursue the thieves, but he lost every battle and ran out of weapons and supplies, constantly requisitioning from the common people and often resorting to military law against them. This cycle repeated itself. Other cities built defensive fortifications, concentrating people in the government office, while officials urged each other, making noise day and night, but they still couldn't get it under control. Wei Deshen, on the other hand, took a different approach. He first asked everyone how they wanted to proceed and then let them handle it themselves. The government office was quiet, as if nothing was amiss. He only restrained the officials in the county, requiring that their fortifications not be better than those of other counties, so as not to make the people too miserable. Yet everyone below put in a lot of effort, and the fortifications in Guixiang County were always the best among all the counties.
Later, Wei Deshen was transferred to Guantao County to serve as the county magistrate. When everyone in the city heard about it, they all talked about his deeds, crying uncontrollably and unable to speak. When he was about to take up his post in Guantao, the entire city came to see him off, crying so loudly it could be heard for miles, their cries echoing far into the distance. Upon arriving in Guantao County, all the local people treated him like family. There was a shady character named Zhao Junshi, a magistrate from another county, who was well-connected with the former county magistrate, Yuan Baozang. None of the past magistrates had managed to stand up to him. However, since Wei Deshen arrived, Zhao Junshi hid at home and dared not go out. Those who had fled returned one after another, like a crowd at a market. The elders and fellow villagers of the county braved the dangers and went to the capital to ask the emperor to keep Wei Deshen, and the emperor granted their request.
The elders and villagers of Guantao went to the county to complain again, saying that the official documents from Guantao were fake. The county was unable to make a ruling. Just then, the envoys Wei Ji, Du Zheng, and others arrived. Both counties went to the envoys to complain, and the envoys ruled in favor of Guantao. The people of Guantao celebrated with singing and dancing, while the people of Guantao wept bitterly, and several hundred households moved away. Yuan Baozang was jealous of Wei Deshen's talent. Later, King Dong of Yue conscripted soldiers from the county, and Yuan Baozang sent Wei Deshen with a thousand soldiers to the eastern capital. Shortly after, Yuan Baozang surrendered to Li Mi. The soldiers led by Wei Deshen were all from Wuyang, Li Mi's hometown. Thinking of their relatives and friends, they left the city gate, wept as they faced east, and then returned. Someone advised him, "Li Mi's troops are near Jinyong City, less than twenty miles away. If you want to go back, no one can stop you. Why put yourself through this?" The soldiers all cried and said, "We came here with County Magistrate Wei and can't bear to leave him behind. Why would we care about the long journey?" This is how Wei Deshen won the people's hearts. Later, Wei Deshen died in battle against the bandits, and the people of Guantao still remember him to this day. It is said that at that time, the county magistrate of Liyang, Gao Shiheng from Bohai, the county magistrate of Xiao, Liu Gao from Pengcheng, and the county magistrate of Chenggao, Liu Chi from Hongnong, were all good officials, deeply loved by the people. By the time of the Sui Dynasty, when corruption was rampant among officials, only Gao Shiheng, Liu Gao, and Liu Chi stood out as honest and upright, holding themselves to even higher standards. Their good reputation had a great influence, and there were no prisoners in the county's prison, earning the praise of the common people.
The history books say: The ancients said it well, "Those who are good at managing water will guide it to flow smoothly; those who are good at educating the people will pacify them to bring stability." When the water is calm, it will not harm the embankments; when the people are stable, they will not violate the laws. Therefore, to change customs and habits, to make the people follow rules and laws, it is not through harsh punishments, but through the guidance of wise officials. People like Gao Shiheng, who hold the right path in their hearts and sincerely treat the people, bring improvement wherever they go, and the people fondly remember them after they leave.
As for Jing Mao, who suppresses evil and promotes goodness; who is just and compassionate towards the people's suffering; Liu Kuang, who brings good practices to the areas under his jurisdiction; and De Shen, deeply loved by the people, the virtues of these individuals surpass even those of renowned officials in history like Xincheng, Dushi, Zheng Hun, and Zhu Yi! As the Book of Songs says, "The gentle and kind gentleman serves as the father and mother of the people," and this is absolutely true!
Unfortunately, Gong Yi, despite his high moral character and the Emperor's appreciation, was exiled and tragically died during his journey due to a past mistake, which is truly regrettable! After Liu Jian resigned from his post, his family lived in poverty, struggling to make ends meet; when Zhao Gui was sent off with nothing but clear water, it showed his integrity! These stories remind us of the enduring value of integrity and compassion in leadership.
