Li Xiong, whose courtesy name was Pilu, hailed from Gaoyi in Zhaojun, Hebei. His grandfather, Li Ke, served as the Grand Master of Taizhong during the Wei Dynasty. His father, Li Huibo, was the Governor of Shanzhou in the Northern Qi Dynasty, but was later defeated by the Zhou Dynasty. Li Xiong followed the army to Chang'an. Li Xiong had been courageous and ambitious since childhood. Though his family had a long tradition of scholarship, he had a passion for horseback riding and archery. His brother, Li Zidan, advised him, "You shouldn't give up studying and practicing martial arts; that's not what a scholar-official does!" Li Xiong replied, "Privately, I believe that loyal ministers and good generals throughout history have needed both literary and martial skills to achieve success. Although my abilities are limited, I have read some historical books. I just do not stick to rigid rules. With literary and martial skills, what is there to worry about, brother?" Li Zidan was speechless.
During the reign of Emperor Taizu of the Zhou Dynasty, Li Xiong took off his civilian clothes and was appointed as the Adjutant General. He followed Daxi Wu to pacify Hanzhong, stabilize Xingzhou, and suppress the rebellion of the Hu people in Fenzhou. Due to his repeated military achievements, he was appointed as the Grand General of Cavalry and Yitong Sanqi (an honorary title). After Emperor Min ascended the throne, Li Xiong was appointed as a duke and transferred to the Xiaobin Department. Later, he fought alongside Daxi Wu against the Northern Qi army at Mangshan, where all other forces were defeated except for Li Xiong's.
During the reign of Emperor Wu, Li Xiong accompanied Prince Chen to meet the Empress in Turk to return to the court, and was appointed as the Earl of Xi and the Governor of Hazhou. Several years later, he was summoned back to the court to serve as a Grand Master of the local government. Shortly after, he was reassigned as the Chief Steward of Liangzhou. He followed Prince Teng in defeating the Tuyuhun in Qinghai and was promoted to Yitong in recognition of his achievements. After Emperor Xuan ascended the throne, Li Xiong followed the marching general Wei Xiaokuan to pacify the Huainan region. Leading hundreds of light cavalry to Heshi, he managed to persuade over ten cities to surrender, which led to his appointment as the Governor of Haozhou.
Emperor Gaozu appointed Zhang Xiong as the head of the officials and later promoted him to the position of Grand Minister of the Left. Due to his merits in pacifying the rebellion in Huainan, Zhang Xiong was once again promoted to Senior General. After Emperor Gaozu ascended the throne, he appointed Zhang Xiong as the Minister of Ceremonies, made him Duke of Gaodu County, and granted him a fief consisting of two thousand households. Several years later, Prince Jin Guang was sent to guard Bingzhou, and Emperor Gaozu appointed Zhang Xiong as the Minister of War of the Hebei Military Department. Emperor Gaozu said to Zhang Xiong, "My son is still young and inexperienced, and you have both literary and military skills. I sincerely entrust this to you, so I won’t have to worry about the north." Zhang Xiong kowtowed and thanked him, saying, "Your Majesty, though my abilities are mediocre, you have entrusted me with an important task. I may be foolish, but I am not heartless. I will do my best to serve Your Majesty faithfully to repay your kindness." Tears streaming down his face, Zhang Xiong expressed his gratitude, and Emperor Gaozu comforted him before letting him leave. Zhang Xiong was known for his integrity and steadfastness in his duties, and Prince Jin respected him greatly, while the people praised him highly. Over a year later, Zhang Xiong died in office, and his son, Zhang Gongting, succeeded him.
Zhang Xian, courtesy name Shihong, was a native of Mao County in Hejian. His father Zhang Xian had a passion for learning from a young age, had a wide range of knowledge, and became a general who pacified rebellions in the Wei Dynasty. He followed Emperor Wu into the Guan region, rose through the ranks, and eventually became a Grand Master of Ceremonies. Emperor Taizu summoned him to serve as an Attendant Cadet and bestowed upon him the surname of Chiluoshi. He held various positions such as Minister of Works, Prefect of Yongzhou, Governor of Yongzhou, and concurrently as an Attendant of the Right. He was granted the title of Duke of Yuxiang. Later, he returned to serve in the court as a Senior Master of Records, responsible for overseeing the national history. Most of the high-ranking officials in the Zhou Dynasty were former military generals, but Zhang Xian was highly valued for his knowledge and abilities. In his old age, Zhang Xian retired and returned home. After Emperor Gaozu ascended the throne, he greatly respected Zhang Xian's reputation and specifically wrote a letter summoning him, stating: "I have just unified the world and am eager to establish good policies. You are a wise and experienced minister, and I have long hoped that you would come to assist me. Your reputation for virtue and achievements as an Attendant of the Right in the Zhou Dynasty is well-known. Although you have retired, you are still capable and promising. You should return to the court to help me fulfill my wishes." After meeting Emperor Gaozu, he was excused from the customary bow, and the Emperor personally assisted him to rise to the hall, shook hands with him, and sat down together for a long conversation and banquet, finally presenting him with several canes. Later, when the capital was moved to Longshou, Zhang Xian submitted a memorial counseling Emperor Gaozu on the importance of frugality, and in response, the Emperor wrote him a generous decree. Shortly after, Zhang Xian passed away at the age of eighty-four. He was posthumously named Governor of Cangzhou and posthumously awarded the title "Ding." He also wrote commentaries on the "Laozi" and "Zhuangzi," entitled "Daoyan," comprising fifty-two chapters.
Young Zhang from the Zhang household loved studying since he was young, taking after his father. He served as an official in the Wei Dynasty, starting as a court attendant and later promoted to an official outside the court. Later, Emperor Zhou took notice of him and appointed him to the military department. When Emperor Min ascended the throne, he was given the title of General of the Front. During the Sui Dynasty, in the reigns of Emperors Ming and Wu, he held positions such as Grand Minister of the Palace Kitchen and Chief Registrar of the Imperial Mausoleum. He was also titled as the Duke of Yuxiang, with a fief of four hundred households. During the reign of Emperor Xuan, his official position was further elevated to Yitong, and his title was promoted to Count. When Gaozu served as Prime Minister, Zhang had a close relationship with him, and Gaozu valued his strong capabilities. After Gaozu became Emperor, he appointed Zhang as the Right Chancellor of the Imperial Secretariat and raised his title to Marquis. Shortly after, Zhang was promoted to Deputy Minister of the Imperial Household Department and also served as the Deputy Supervisor of the Capital's New Camp. After his father's passing, Zhang resigned from his official duties to observe mourning, displaying profound grief. Upon completing the mourning period, the court invited him to return to his position, but he firmly declined. Eventually, the court appointed him as the Yitong of the Three Departments, and he inherited the title of Duke of Yuxiang, with a fief increased to fifteen hundred households. Soon after, he later served as the Minister of Civil Affairs. When Prince Yang Guang was the Governor of Yangzhou, he appointed Zhang as the Chief Military Officer and bestowed upon him the title of Grand Master of Joyous Splendor. Zhang was known for his kindness and wisdom, earning a good reputation at the time. He later served as the Inspector of Jizhou, with Prince Yang Guang recommending him multiple times. Zhang also became the Prince's Chief Clerk, overseeing the affairs of Jiangzhou. When Prince Yang Guang became the Crown Prince, Zhang was appointed as the Inspector of Jizhou, with a promotion to Upper General of the Household. The people greatly admired him, regarding him as a good official. In the fourth year of the Renshou era, he passed away at the age of seventy-four. His son, Huibao, later became the Prefect of Jiang County.
During the Kaihuang era, there was a man named Liu Ren'en, his origins were unclear, but he was talented in both civil and military affairs and had great abilities. He initially served as the Prefect of Maozhou with top achievements nationwide, and later was promoted to the Minister of Justice. He followed Yang Su to fight against the Chen dynasty, and in the Battle of Jingmen, he and Yang Su together defeated the Chen dynasty general Lv Zhongsu, with Liu Ren'en providing significant input. He was later appointed as the Grand General and was well-known at the time. Guo Jun from Fengyi and Feng Shiji from Shangdang were both intelligent and strategic, and both served as Ministers of War. Dai Di from She was generous, insightful, and served as Minister of Civil Affairs. These four individuals were all prominent figures at the time, but their specific achievements were not extensively recorded and not detailed in historical records.
Historical records state: two officials from Zhaojun were very familiar with historical allusions and were recognized talents at the time. However, after reaching high positions, they did not achieve anything remarkable. This illustrates that individual talents and capacities have their limitations, with different abilities and suitability for different positions, and cannot be forced.
Chang Sun Ping advised the emperor to pardon those accused of slander, which was truly an act of righteousness! The Emperor Gaozu was very pleased and accepted his advice, leading to numerous benefits. Yuan Hui was promoted due to his intelligence and agility, Wei Shi was known for his honesty and integrity, Yang Shangxi and Yang Yi were talented members of the royal family with high reputation and status. Su Xiaoci, Li Xiong, Zhang Jing, all showed integrity and competence in their roles, both within and outside the government, and were all highly valued in the early Kaihuang era, regarded as the most exceptional talents of the era.
