Lu Rang's mother was the daughter of the Feng family from Shangdang; she was kind and loving, embodying the virtues of a mother in every way. Lu Rang was her adopted son. During the Renshou period, Lu Rang became the governor of Panzhou, but he embezzled funds and accepted bribes, plundering the wealth of the people and accumulating stolen goods in vast amounts. He was later impeached by Sima. The emperor sent people to investigate, and the investigation confirmed the charges against Lu Rang, so he was arrested and personally interrogated. Lu Rang pleaded his innocence, and the emperor ordered the imperial historian to conduct a new investigation, but the result was the same. The emperor then summoned all the court officials for a discussion, and everyone agreed that Lu Rang deserved to die. The emperor approved the memorial calling for Lu Rang's execution.
As Lu Rang was about to be executed, Feng appeared in court with disheveled hair and a dirty face, rebuked Lu Rang: "You became a governor without having achieved anything, yet you failed to serve the country wholeheartedly, repay the emperor's kindness, instead violating the law by embezzling and plundering the people's wealth. If Sima falsely accused you, are the common people and officials also lying about you? If the emperor shows no mercy, why would he order the imperial historian to review your case? What kind of loyal subject do you think you are? What kind of filial son do you think you are? Not loyal, not filial—are you even human?" Tears streaming down her face, Feng cried out in despair and personally brought a bowl of porridge, urging Lu Rang to eat.
Afterwards, Feng Shi submitted a petition to the emperor; the memorial's wording was heartfelt and sincere, which moved the emperor and caused his expression to change. The Empress Dowager found Feng Shi's actions very moving, so she pleaded with the emperor. The Grand Historian Liu Yu also advised, "Feng Shi's motherly virtue is touching; if we kill Lu Rang, who else can emulate her?" The emperor then summoned the people of the capital to the Zhuque Gate and had an official read the decree: "Feng Shi's motherly virtue is a worthy model for all; her loving nature has touched heaven and earth. Therefore, Lu Rang's death sentence is pardoned to commend good customs. Lu Rang can be spared from the death penalty, but he must be stripped of his official position and become a commoner."
The emperor issued another decree: "Feng Shi is kind and virtuous, always abiding by the rules of propriety. Lu Rang is not her own son and has committed a crime and should, in principle, face the death penalty. But she personally came to the palace to plead for Lu Rang, kneeling and kowtowing to plead for mercy. I sympathize with her filial piety, so Lu Rang's death sentence is pardoned. If all women were like Feng Shi, wouldn't families live in harmony and society be at peace? I greatly appreciate this; words can't fully capture my appreciation. She should be rewarded to showcase her virtue. Grant her 500 bolts of silk." The emperor also gathered all the noblewomen to meet Feng Shi, to honor her.
Liu Chang's daughter is married into the Changsun family of Henan. During the Zhou Dynasty, Liu Chang married a princess and held high positions as a pillar of the state, Duke of Peng, and served as a general multiple times, holding a prestigious status and reputation. He was a long-time friend of the founding emperor. After the founding emperor became emperor, he trusted Liu Chang greatly and appointed him as the General of the Left Imperial Guards and Governor of Qingzhou. His son, Ju Shi, was a guard of the crown prince, forming cliques, abusing his power, flouting the law, and frequently getting into trouble. The emperor, out of respect for Liu Chang, always pardoned him.
The layman grew increasingly brazen, often boldly declaring, "A real man should have disheveled hair, untied hands, and perform a barbaric dance on a wooden platform!" He would pick those strong and powerful among the sons of officials and nobles, bring them back to his home, where he would use a cartwheel to trap their necks, and then beat them with a stick. Those who were beaten nearly to death yet still refused to submit were dubbed "brave warriors," released, and even befriended. He commanded a following of over three hundred; the nimble ones were known as the "Hungry Hawk Brigade," and the strong ones were called the "Pengzhuan Team." They often rode horses on the road with eagles and hunting dogs, assaulting passersby and robbing them. In Chang'an City, no matter who it was, when they saw them, they would avoid them from afar; even officials, ministers, and royal relatives dared not stand up to them.
Liu Chang's daughter, now a widow, was heartbroken to see her father like this; she often wept and earnestly pleaded with him. The layman did not change at all, and eventually wasted away the family's fortune. Liu Chang was getting old, and his daughter and son-in-law treated him poorly. Whenever she visited her mother's home, she personally spun and wove cloth, trying her best to let him eat and drink well. Someone reported that the layman and his accomplices were wandering in Chang'an City, scaling the ruins of the Weiyang Palace, sitting facing south, standing in line in front and back, striking a disloyal pose, and often agreeing with each other, "Let's die for this!" Others claimed that the layman had conspired with the Turks to facilitate their invasion from the south, and then collude with them in the capital. The emperor asked Liu Chang, "How do you plan to handle this?" Liu Chang, banking on past favors, shirked responsibility and directly said, "You decide what's right and wrong." The emperor was furious, imprisoned Liu Chang, arrested the layman and his followers, and meted out harsh punishment. The supervisory department also charged Liu Chang with being unfilial towards his mother.
Liu Chang's daughter knew her father would not be able to escape. She had not eaten for several days and personally prepared food to bring to Dali Si to feed her father. When she saw the prison guard, she knelt down and could not get up, crying, which made everyone who saw her feel sad. Liu Chang's accomplice was beheaded, and Liu Chang was ultimately sentenced to death at home. The emperor even ordered all the officials to witness it. Liu Chang's daughter fainted several times before regaining consciousness, and the court officials comforted her. She cried out that her father was innocent, only implicated because of her son, speaking with genuine emotion that made people couldn't help but feel sad. In the end, she donned coarse clothes, subsisted on simple meals, and lived out the remainder of her life.
After hearing this, he sighed and said, "I have heard the saying that the daughters of declining families and the sons of prosperous families, this saying is indeed correct!"
Zhong Shixiong's mother was the daughter of Jiang from Linhe. Zhong Shixiong rose to the rank of General of Fubo during the Chen Dynasty. The Chen Dynasty emperor, fearing that Zhong Shixiong, who oversaw the minority leaders in Lingnan, might rebel, kept Jiang in the capital as a hostage. Later, Prince Jin pacified Jiangnan. Because Zhong Shixiong was still in Lingnan, Prince Jin wanted to use favor to win him over, so he let Jiang return to her hometown of Linhe. As a result, fellow townsmen, including Yu Zimao and Zhong Wenhua, rebelled and raised troops to attack the city, even sending people to invite Zhong Shixiong to join them. Zhong Shixiong was considering agreeing, but his mother Jiang said to him, "I endured great suffering while in the capital of Yangzhou before. Now that I have reunited with my son in this peaceful and prosperous era, I can never repay the court's kindness in my lifetime. How can I go and rebel! If you forget your gratitude like a heartless beast, I will commit suicide in front of you!" When Zhong Shixiong heard this, he dispelled the idea of rebellion. Jiang also wrote letters to Yu Zimao and the others, advising them not to rebel and telling them the consequences of rebellion. Unfortunately, Yu Zimao did not listen and was later defeated by the imperial army. The emperor was deeply moved upon hearing of Jiang's deeds and honored her with the title of Lady of Anle County.
Next is another story. In Yinzhou, there was a widow named Hu whose husband's surname is unknown. She was held in high regard among the local elite families. During the rebellion in Jiangnan, she urged her relatives and friends to remain steadfast and not join the rebellion. She was later honored with the title of Lady of Miling County.
There was also a devoted daughter-in-law named Tan, who was the daughter-in-law of the Zhong family in Shangjun. She had not been married to her husband for long before he passed away when she was only eighteen. She was very filial to her mother-in-law and gained a good reputation. Within a few years, her mother-in-law and uncles passed away one after the other, leaving Tan in poverty and unable to afford funeral arrangements. She lived frugally, working day and night spinning and weaving, and saved money for ten years to hold the funerals for eight people. The villagers held her in high esteem. When the emperor learned of her deeds, he rewarded her with one hundred stones of rice and erected a monument at her doorstep to honor her.
Lastly, Yuan Wuguang's mother was a daughter of the Lu family from Fanyang. She loved reading from a young age and conducted herself with great propriety. After her husband passed away, she raised several young children on her own. Despite their poverty and her inability to afford an education for her children, she taught them to read herself and instilled in them moral values, earning the admiration of the community. During the Ren Shou era, Prince Han Liang rebelled and sent General Qi Liang to Shandong to attack the region. Qi Liang appointed Wuguang as his secretary. Later, when Qi Liang was defeated, the governor of Cizhou, Shangguan Zheng, searched Wuguang's house and saw Lu Shi, developing evil intentions with the intention of forcing her. Lu Shi resolutely refused to comply. Shangguan Zheng, a ruthless man, became very angry and burned her body with a candle. Lu Shi remained resolute and never wavered.
Pei Lun's wife was the daughter of the Liu family from Hedong, who had received a good education since childhood and was very well-mannered. In the late years of the Sui Dynasty's reign, Pei Lun served as the magistrate of Weiyuan County. During the rebellion led by Xue Ju, the county was attacked by bandits, and Pei Lun unfortunately was killed. At that time, Liu was forty years old and had two daughters and a daughter-in-law, all three of whom were beautiful. Liu said to them, "We are facing war, your father has already died, and I fear that I cannot protect you fully. Our family has always valued our reputation; we absolutely cannot be insulted by bandits. I want to die with you, what do you all think?" The daughters and daughter-in-law cried and said, "We will do as mother says." So Liu jumped into the well to take her own life, and her daughters and daughter-in-law followed her, all perishing in the well.
Zhao Yuankai's wife is the daughter of the Cui family of Qinghe. Her father, Cui Nao, is mentioned in the "Literary Biography." Their family has always had a good family tradition, and their children have always adhered to proper etiquette. Zhao Yuankai's father was a minister, the family was quite wealthy, and they valued social status, so they offered a substantial bride price to marry Cui's daughter. Zhao Yuankai respected Cui very much; even during private banquets, he behaved in accordance with etiquette norms. After the outbreak of war, Zhao Yuankai followed the army to Hebei, preparing to return to Chang'an. When they reached Fukou, they were robbed by bandits. Zhao Yuankai barely saved his life, but Cui was captured by the bandits, who wanted to force her to marry. Cui defiantly told the bandits, "I am the daughter of a scholar-official, the daughter-in-law of a minister. Today, my family is ruined and people are dead. Of course, I can die immediately. It is absolutely impossible for me to be your wife." The bandits tore her clothes, tied her naked body to the bed, and prepared to assault her. Afraid of being dishonored, Cui lied to them, saying, "I am too weak to resist now. I will comply with your wishes and won't fight back. Please untie the rope." The bandits immediately released her. Cui put on her clothes, picked up the bandit's knife, stood by a tree, and said, "If you want to kill me, then do it!" The bandits, enraged, shot her with arrows. Later, Zhao Yuankai found the killer of his wife, dismembered him, and used his dismembered body to honor Cui's spirit.
Historians say that it is often thought that gentleness and obedience are the most important qualities for women. However, this is merely average and falls short of the highest ideals. When it comes to having foresight, wisdom, unwavering character, and a steadfast commitment to justice, history is replete with such women in every era! Princess Lanling's virtues surpass even those of the coldest pines, and Princess Nanyang's resolve is as unyielding as the hardest stone. The loyalty and bravery of the elderly Xi and the devoted daughters, along with the heartfelt sincerity of the two mothers, Cui and Feng, are enough to make even the bravest heroes feel ashamed and the noblest individuals feel inadequate. Princess Xiangcheng and Princess Huayang, the wives of Pei Lun and Yuan Kai, have all faced hardships and unfavorable situations, yet willingly faced life and death with their husbands, enduring hardships without changing, their will as resilient as frost, their words as forthright and radiant as sunlight. Even the oaths of Gong Jiang in the Book of Songs and Bo Ji’s loyalty and sacrifice in the Zuo Zhuan pale in comparison! "Princess Lanling's virtues exceed those of cold pines, while Princess Nanyang's heart is firmer than unyielding stones; the loyalty and bravery of Xi and devoted daughters, along with the sincerity of mothers Cui and Feng, are enough to make brave warriors ashamed of their valor and noble individuals feel inferior in virtue."
