Cui Peng, also known as Zipeng, was from Anping, Hebei. His grandfather, Cui Kai, was the Governor of Yinzhou during the Northern Wei Dynasty, and his father, Cui Qian, was the Governor of Jingzhou during the Northern Zhou Dynasty. Cui Peng's father passed away when he was young, but he was very filial to his mother and well-known for it. He had a strong personality, military talent, and was an excellent horse rider and archer. He also had a good understanding of "Zhou Guan" and "Shang Shu."
During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, Cui Peng rose through the ranks to become a Senior Officer of the Imperial Guard and later advanced to Senior Officer of the Imperial Gate. When Yang Jian (Emperor Gaozu) became Prime Minister and the Prince of Chen of the Zhou Dynasty was assigned to defend Qizhou, Yang Jian was worried the Prince of Chen might rebel. He sent Cui Peng with two cavalrymen to bring the Prince of Chen back to the court.
When Cui Peng was about thirty miles from Qizhou, he feigned illness and stopped at a relay station. He sent someone to inform the Prince of Chen, "The Emperor has issued an edict to be delivered to you. Cui Peng is seriously ill and unable to travel. He hopes you can come to the relay station to see him." The Prince of Chen suspected a ruse but still arrived with a large entourage of cavalrymen at Cui Peng's location. Cui Peng came out of the relay station to greet him, noticed the Prince of Chen's unusual expression, and worried he might resist. So he lied to the Prince of Chen again, saying, "My lord, please avoid the others. I have something important to discuss with you privately." The Prince of Chen ordered his followers and cavalrymen to disperse, and Cui Peng said, "I will now announce the imperial edict. My lord, please dismount." The Prince of Chen dismounted without hesitation, and Cui Peng ordered his cavalrymen, "The Prince of Chen is not obeying the imperial edict, seize him!" The cavalrymen immediately grabbed and tied up the Prince of Chen. Cui Peng loudly declared, "The Prince of Chen has committed a crime. The imperial edict orders him to return to the court. None of you are to act recklessly!" The Prince of Chen's followers were terrified and hurriedly departed.
Yang Jian was very happy to see Cui Peng and appointed him as the Chief of Ceremonial Officials. After Yang Jian became emperor, he promoted Cui Peng to the position of Gatekeeper General and concurrently as the Chief of the Right Guard, and conferred upon him the title of a nobleman in Anyang County. Several years later, Cui Peng was promoted to General of Chariots and Cavalry, and shortly after to General of the Valiant Cavalry, always responsible for the security of the imperial palace. He was cautious and careful, serving in the court for more than twenty years. Whenever the emperor held court, he would sit there all day without any signs of negligence, which the emperor greatly appreciated. The emperor often said to Cui Peng, "I feel at ease when you are on duty." The emperor once asked Cui Peng, "Your archery skills are exceptional; do you practice regularly?" Cui Peng replied, "I have always liked the 'Rites of Zhou' and the 'Book of Documents' since I was young. Whenever I have leisure time, I make it a point to study." The emperor said, "Then tell me about it." Cui Peng discussed the importance of prudence between rulers and their subjects, which the emperor agreed with, and onlookers found Cui Peng's words very reasonable. Later, the emperor appointed Cui Peng as the Minister of Construction and promoted him to General Who Maintains the Bodyguard. During the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang, he once invited an envoy from the Turkic Khagan to the Wu De Hall for a banquet. At that moment, a pigeon suddenly flew in and began cooing on the hall's beam. The emperor promptly commanded Cui Peng to shoot it. Cui Peng shot an arrow and hit the target perfectly! The emperor was delighted and rewarded him with ten thousand pieces of gold.
Later, after the Turks' envoy returned to his country, the Khan sent someone to the Tang Dynasty again, saying, "We want to meet your General Cui." The Emperor said, "This must be because General Cui Peng's archery skills are renowned among the Turks, so they want to meet him." So Cui Peng was sent. When he arrived in the Turks' territory, the Khan gathered several dozen skilled archers, threw a piece of meat in the wilderness to attract eagles, and had those skilled archers shoot, but many missed. Then, the Khan asked Cui Peng to try. Cui Peng shot several arrows in a row, and each arrow hit its target with a thud! The Turks looked at each other, all greatly impressed. The Khan kept Cui Peng for more than a hundred days before finally letting him go. Finally, the Tang Dynasty sent a lot of silk and satin before he was sent back. During the Renshou era, Cui Peng was appointed as the Duke of Anyang, with a fief of two thousand households.
When Emperor Yang of Sui was in power, Cui Peng was promoted to the position of Grand General of the Left Army. Once, when Emperor Yang of Sui traveled to Luoyang, Cui Peng was responsible for providing rear guard. At that time, Prince Liang of Han had just been pacified, and his remnants were still regrouping across the region. Emperor Yang of Sui ordered Cui Peng to lead tens of thousands of troops to suppress the rebellion in Shandong and also entrusted him with the administration of Cizhou. Emperor Yang of Sui held him in high regard for his integrity and rewarded him with five hundred rolls of silk. Not long after, Cui Peng passed away at sixty-three. Emperor Yang of Sui sent people to offer condolences, posthumously honored him with the title of Grand General, and posthumously conferred the title of "Su." His son Baode inherited his title.
Historical records say: Individuals like Wang Changshu—some governed regions, while others served in the imperial army—all made remarkable contributions and ultimately left behind a legacy of fame and merit, each with commendable qualities. Yilou Qian had a broad mind, did not hold grudges from the past, and requested forgiveness for Gao Zun's crimes, truly embodying the qualities of a loyal subject! Cui Peng defended the country's security in the imperial court, was steadfast and unyielding, made significant contributions in repelling external enemies, and deserves praise!
