Chen Leng, courtesy name Changwei, was from Xiang'an in Lujiang. His grandfather Chen Shuo earned a living as a fisherman. His father Chen Xian was valiant and skilled in combat when he was young and served as an advisor to Zhang Dabao. After Zhang Dabao's rebellion, Chen Xian was appointed as the governor of Qiaozhou. After the fall of the Chen dynasty, Chen Xian returned home and retired from public life. Later, Gao Zhihui and Wang Wenjin rebelled in Jiangnan, and the heroes of Lujiang rallied to the cause. Because Chen Xian was their former leader, they chose him as their leader. Chen Xian was reluctant to accept, but Chen Leng urged him, saying, "Everyone has already rebelled. If we refuse them, disaster will also fall on us. It's better to pretend to agree with them first and then think of another way." Chen Xian followed his advice.
At this time, the army of Zhuguo Li Che arrived in Dangtu. Chen Xian secretly sent Chen Leng to see Li Che, requesting insider support. Li Che reported this to the court, and the court appointed Chen Leng as the Grand General, governor of Xuanzhou, and the Duke of Qiao County, with a land grant of one thousand households. The court also ordered Li Che to receive him well. Before Li Che's forces arrived, their plan was leaked, and Chen Xian was killed by his accomplices, while Chen Leng managed to escape. In recognition of his father's contributions, the emperor appointed him as the Grand Marshal, and soon after appointed him to lead the local militia. After Emperor Yang of Sui ascended the throne, he appointed him as General of the Cavalry. In the third year of the Daye era, he was appointed as the General of Wubeng.
Three years later, Chen Ling and court official Zhang Zhenzhou led more than 10,000 Dongyang soldiers from Yi'an, set out by boat, and arrived at Liuqiu after a month. The people of Liuqiu saw the ships for the first time and thought they were merchant ships and came to the military camp to trade. Chen Ling led the army ashore and dispatched Zhang Zhenzhou as the vanguard. The king of Liuqiu, Huansi Kedou, sent troops to resist, but Zhang Zhenzhou repeatedly defeated them. Chen Ling advanced to Dimetan Cave, where the Liuqiu prince, Huansi Laomo, led troops to resist, but Chen Ling defeated him and killed Laomo. On a foggy and rainy day, the soldiers were very scared, so Chen Ling offered a white horse as a sacrifice to the sea god. The weather cleared up afterwards, and Chen Ling divided the army into five columns, advancing directly towards Liuqiu's capital. Kedou led several thousand men to resist, but Chen Ling dispatched Zhang Zhenzhou as the vanguard, driving them off. Chen Ling pursued them all the way to their camp, where Kedou had fortified his position. Chen Ling concentrated his forces and attacked, engaging in fierce combat from dawn until dusk. Noticing his troops were exhausted, Kedou retreated into the camp. Chen Ling then filled the moat, broke through the camp, killed Kedou, captured his son Daotui, and brought thousands of men and women back as prisoners to their homeland.
Emperor Yang of Sui was very pleased, promoting Chen Leng to the position of Right Minister of Rites, while maintaining the position of Commander of the Imperial Guards for Zhang Zhenzhou, who was appointed as Jinzi Guanglu Daifu. During the Battle of Liaodong, Chen Leng was promoted to Left Guanglu Daifu for his meritorious service as an imperial guard. The following year, Emperor Yang of Sui once again campaigned in Liaodong, appointing Chen Leng as the Governor of Donglai. When Yang Xuangan rebelled, Chen Leng led over ten thousand men to suppress the rebellion in Liyang, killing the governor Yuan Wuben, appointed by Yang Xuangan. Shortly after, he was ordered to construct warships in Jiangnan. Upon arriving in Pengcheng, the rebel leader Meng Rang occupied Duliang Palace with an army of a hundred thousand, using the Huai River as a defensive barrier and refusing to engage. Chen Leng secretly crossed the Huai River downstream to Jiangdu, leading his troops in an assault against Meng Rang, defeating him. For his military achievements, Chen Leng was promoted to Guanglu Daifu and granted the title of Marquis Xin'an.
Later, Emperor Yang of Sui arrived at the Jiangdu Palace. Shortly after, Li Zitong occupied Hailing, Zuo Caixiang plundered Huainan, and Du Fuwei stationed troops in Luhe, each commanding tens of thousands of soldiers. Emperor Yang of Sui sent Chen Leng to lead the palace guards to campaign against them, achieving repeated victories and promoting Chen Leng to Right General of the Imperial Guards. He then crossed the Qing River and launched an attack against the rebel forces in Xuancheng. Soon after, Emperor Yang of Sui was killed, and Yuwen Huaji led his troops north, summoning Chen Leng to defend Jiangdu. Chen Leng gathered his troops, dressed in plain white mourning clothes, held a funeral for Emperor Yang of Sui, and laid him to rest with proper rites at Wugongtai. He walked with a cane to the burial site, his palpable grief affecting all who attended, earning him accolades for his loyalty and integrity. Later, Chen Leng was defeated by Li Zitong and sought refuge with Du Fuwei, who, out of jealousy, soon had him killed.
Wang Bian, courtesy name Jinglue (警略), was a native of Pucheng in Fengyi. His ancestors were successful merchants. During the Northern Wei dynasty, he donated grain to support the army and was appointed as the acting Governor of Qinghe. Wang Bian studied military strategy at a young age, excelling in archery and being generous with great ambitions.
During the Northern Zhou period, he was appointed as a commander-in-chief due to his military achievements. In the Kaihuang period of the Sui dynasty, he was promoted to the position of Grand Commandant. During the Renshou period, he was further promoted to General of Chariots and Cavalry. When Prince Liang of Han rebelled, he followed Yang Su to suppress the rebellion and was granted the title of Duke of Wuning County with a fief of three hundred families. Three years later, he was promoted to Prefect of the Imperial Stables.
Later, he participated in the military campaign against the Tuyuhun and was appointed as a Court Gentleman. A few years later, he was promoted to General of the Eagle Standard. During the campaign in Liaodong, he was further promoted to a Senior Court Gentleman, and soon after to General of the Eagle Standard.
At that time, bandits were rampant in Shandong, led by Wei Dao'er who called himself "Lishan Fei" with over ten thousand men, plundering the Yan and Zhao regions. The Emperor summoned Wang Bian for advice on quelling the rebellion. Wang Bian analyzed the situation of the bandits, and the Emperor concurred with his strategy, remarking, "If we follow your plan, what is there to fear from these bandits?" The Emperor then dispatched three thousand troops under Wang Bian's command, quickly defeating Wei Dao'er, and granted him two hundred taels of gold.
The following year, the pirate leader Gao Shida from Bohai declared himself the "Donghai Duke" with tens of thousands of followers. The Emperor once again ordered Wang Bian to defeat him, and Wang Bian repeatedly repelled Gao Shida's attacks. When the Emperor learned of this while at the Jiangdu Palace, he immediately summoned Wang Bian, rewarded him generously and appointed him Commander-in-Chief. Gao Shida was defeated in battle once again, and the Emperor issued a decree praising Wang Bian's achievements.
At that time, bandit chieftains like Hao Xiaode, Sun Xuanya, Shi Jikang, Dou Jiande, and Wei Dao'er each held sway over their own territories, with forces numbering from tens of thousands down to just a few thousand, all engaged in looting and pillaging in the Hebei region. Wang Bian led troops to suppress them, winning every battle and instilling terror in these bandits. Later, Zhai Rang caused unrest in the regions of Xuzhou and Yuzhou, and Wang Bian went to subdue him, defeating Zhai Rang's army multiple times.
Zhai Rang later occupied Luokou Warehouse with Li Mi, and Wang Bian and Wang Shichong joined forces to attack Li Mi. The two sides faced off at Luoshui for more than a year. Wang Bian led his troops to breach Li Mi's defenses, pursued them in victory, and breached the outer barricades. Li Mi's army began to collapse, and Wang Bian's army was about to enter the city, but Wang Shichong, unaware of the situation, feared exhaustion among his soldiers and ordered the retreat, allowing Li Mi's remaining forces to counterattack. The imperial forces suffered a catastrophic defeat that was beyond recovery.
Wang Bian fled to the banks of Luoshui, where the bridge was destroyed, rendering it impossible to cross. He waded into the water, but was swept off his horse by the swift current. Wearing heavy armor, unable to remount his horse amidst the chaos of the defeated soldiers, he ultimately drowned, at the age of fifty-six. The soldiers mourned his death.
Hosie Wanshan of Henan, renowned for his bravery and decisiveness, was a figure of similar renown to Wang Bian. During the reign of the Sui Dynasty, he followed Wei Xuan to fight against Yang Xuange, gaining notable victories in every engagement. When Yang Xuange was defeated and fled, Hosie Wanshan pursued him with a few cavalrymen, cornering him until he had no choice but to take his own life. From that point forward, Hosie Wanshan's reputation skyrocketed, and he was promoted to the rank of warrior general.
Later, the Turks besieged Yanmen Pass, and Hu Si Wanshan charged into battle, causing the Turkic forces to scatter. Every time the enemy charged, he was the first to meet them in battle. Sometimes he would dismount and sit on the ground, pulling his strong bow to shoot and kill the enemy with deadly precision. Consequently, the Turkic army was too intimidated to approach the city walls, and after more than ten days, they retreated in disgrace; all credit goes to Hu Si Wanshan! After that, he repeatedly pacified bandits, rose in rank, and eventually became a general.
At that time, there were several other generals, such as Lu Yuan, Fan Gui, and Feng Xiaoci, who were also famous military leaders, participating in many battles and gaining renown. However, most of their deeds have largely faded from memory, so they are not well recorded in historical texts.
Historical records say: during the Chu-Han contention, Marquis Zhang Bo and Guan Ying made significant contributions; during the struggle for supremacy between Cao Cao and Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei also became famous as a result. Therefore, to achieve fame, one must seize the chaos of early times, and establishing oneself requires being in a time of upheaval. This has always been the case with rising to prominence! People like Yuantong, Huer, Dinghe, and Tie Zhang were all heroes of their time, but they were trapped in poverty and obscurity. When they were young and unknown, who could have guessed the ambitions they held within? In the end, they were able to rise from the mud, achieve their ambitions, and fulfill their aspirations in life. This wasn’t solely their doing; they had to seize the right opportunities!
Although Julo was wronged, it was not his fault; Wang Bian sacrificed himself for the country, resisting strong enemies with unwavering loyalty, which is truly commendable! Chen Leng, dressed in plain clothes, mourned Wang Bian's death, and his grief touched all who passed by, demonstrating a loyalty that was genuinely moving! Meng Cai, Qian Jie, and Shen Guang were grateful and loyal, never forgetting their master in times of danger. Even though they may not have accomplished great deeds, their loyalty and integrity are still deserving of praise!
