Zhao Zhongqing, from Longxi, Gansu, was the son of Zhao Gang, a high-ranking general of the Zhou Dynasty. Zhongqing was known for his rough demeanor and immense strength, and the King of Qi treated him with particular respect. He fought in campaigns to subdue the Qi state, capturing five cities including Linqin, Tongrong, Weiyuan, Fulong, and Zhangbi. He later battled against the Qi general Duan Xiaoxian in Yaoxiangcheng, defeating him after many days of fighting. Due to his significant contributions, he was appointed Grand Commander and later became a guard of the emperor. For his achievements in pacifying the Qi state, he was promoted to higher ranks, becoming the Grand Commandant and concurrently serving as the Prefect of Zhao Jun. He later moved to the capital and took on a senior official role.
When Wang Qian rebelled, Zhongqing was in Lizhou and led troops to resist alongside General Dou Luji. They fought seventeen battles against Wang Qian before he was subdued. Zhongqing was promoted to a high rank, becoming a general and the Duke of Changyuan County, receiving a thousand households as a fief. When Emperor Gaozu ascended the throne, he further elevated Zhongqing's title to Duke of Hebei Province.
In the third year of Kaihuang, the Turks invaded the border, and Zhongqing accompanied Prince Hong of Hejian to fight at Helan Mountain. Zhongqing took an alternate route and returned without encountering any enemies. He later guarded Pingliang and was appointed as the Inspector of Shizhou. Renowned for his harsh enforcement of laws, he meted out severe punishments for even minor offenses, often administering two hundred lashes to his subordinates. His officials dared not disobey, and thieves disappeared, fearing him. He was later promoted to the Inspector of Yanzhou, but before assuming the position, he was appointed as the General of Shuozhou. During that time, there was significant development of farming in the northern border, which Zhongqing managed. Those who failed in their duties were severely punished, with Zhongqing personally administering beatings and sometimes stripping them and dragging them into thorny bushes. People at the time compared him to a ferocious beast.
He was very efficient in his work, so the agricultural yield was good every year, and the border guards didn't have to worry about food supplies. Later, the Qimin Khan of the Turks wanted to form a political marriage with the Sui Dynasty, and the emperor agreed. Zhongqing took the opportunity to create divisions among the Turkic factions, causing them to fight among themselves.
In the seventeenth year, the Qimin Khan was in a desperate situation and fled to Hanzhen with the Sui Dynasty envoy Changsun Cheng. Zhongqing led over a thousand cavalry to support them but was cautious not to approach too closely. He secretly sent people to persuade the Qimin Khan's subordinates to surrender, leading to the surrender of over twenty thousand households.
That year, Zhongqing followed General Gao Feng to attack Datou Khan. Zhongqing led three thousand troops as the vanguard. When they reached Zuli Mountain, they encountered the enemy and fought an intense battle for seven days and nights, defeating the enemy. They pursued the enemy to Qifu Po, defeated them again, captured over a thousand people, and seized countless livestock.
The Turks launched a massive attack, and Zhongqing formed a square formation to face the enemy on all sides. After five days of intense fighting, Gao Feng's army arrived and attacked the enemy together, causing the Turks to flee. The Sui army pursued them to Bai Dao, crossing over seven hundred miles of Qinshan. Over ten thousand Turkic households who surrendered were settled in Heng'an by the emperor's order. In recognition of his significant contributions, Zhongqing was promoted to the rank of Shangzhuguo and rewarded with three thousand rolls of cloth.
The court was worried that Datou Khan would attack Qimin Khan, so Zhongqing was assigned to station twenty thousand troops as a precautionary measure. Han Hong, the governor of Daizhou, Duke Li Yaowang of Yongkang, and Liu Long, the governor of Weizhou, led ten thousand infantry and cavalry to guard Heng'an. Datou Khan led a hundred thousand cavalry to invade, and Han Hong's army sustained a significant defeat. Zhongqing set out from Lening Town to intercept the enemy, resulting in the death of over a thousand enemy soldiers.
In the second year, Zhong Qing urged the construction of the cities Jinhe and Dingxiang to resettle the people of Qimin Khan. At that time, someone reported Zhong Qing's cruelty, so the emperor sent the imperial censor Wang Wei to investigate. After verifying the situation, because of Zhong Qing's great contributions, he was not punished. The emperor reassured him, saying, "I know you are upright; it’s just that your subordinates dislike you." He was rewarded with five hundred pieces of cloth.
Zhong Qing grew even bolder, which ultimately led to his dismissal. During the Renshou era, he held the position of Minister of Agriculture. When the Shu King Yang Xiu committed an offense, he was ordered to conduct an investigation in Yizhou. Wherever Yang Xiu's guests passed, Zhong Qing intentionally sought out faults, enforced the law rigorously, and punished more than half of the local officials. The emperor recognized his strong capabilities in handling affairs and rewarded him with fifty slaves, two hundred taels of gold, five thousand stones of grain, and many treasures.
After Yang Guang ascended to the throne, Zhong Qing served as both the Minister of War and the Minister of Works. That year, Zhong Qing passed away at the age of sixty-four and was posthumously given the name Su, and the court also awarded him an additional five hundred pieces of cloth. His son, Zhao Hong, succeeded him in his title.
Cui Hongdu, also known as Moheyan, was from Anping, Boling, Hebei. His grandfather, Cui Kai, was the Grand Minister of Works during the Northern Wei, and his father, Cui Shuo, served as the Governor of Fuzhou during the Zhou Dynasty. Hongdu was remarkably strong, tall, and sturdy, with thick eyebrows and beard. He was known for his strict demeanor. At the age of seventeen, he attracted the attention of Yuwen Hu, the Prime Minister of the Zhou Dynasty, who took a keen interest in him. It wasn't long before he was appointed to an official position and eventually rose to the rank of Grand Commandant. At that time, Yuwen Hu's son, Yuwen Xun, was appointed as the Intendant of Puzhou, and Hongdu followed him. Once, as they climbed a tower and reached the top floor, which was four to five zhang high above the ground, looking down, Yuwen Xun exclaimed, "This is terrifying!" Hongdu replied, "What's there to be scared of?" He then leaped down effortlessly, landing without a scratch. Yuwen Xun was left in awe of his agility. Later, due to his military achievements, Hongdu was promoted to the rank of General. He served under Emperor Zhou in the campaign against the Qi Kingdom and was promoted to Grand Minister and Duke of Ye County, and was granted three thousand bolts of silk, three thousand stones of grain, one hundred servants, and over a thousand livestock. He then accompanied Duke Yuwen Shenju of Runan in defeating Lu Changqi.
Emperor Xuan of Sui ascended to the throne, and Hongdu followed Duke Weixiaokuan of Yunguo to quell the rebellion in Huainan. Hongdu arrived at Feikou with Yuwen Xin and Helou Zigang. General Pan Chen of the Chen Dynasty led several thousand soldiers to resist, setting up a formation across the river. Yuwen Xin sent Hongdu to negotiate a surrender, and Pan Chen fled under cover of night. They then attacked Shouyang, where Chen Chao's defending general, Wu Wenli, surrendered, with Hongdu playing the most significant role. Due to these military achievements, he was promoted to the rank of Grand General and inherited his father's title as Duke of Anping County. When Yu Jiǎo staged his rebellion, Hongdu was appointed as the commander-in-chief and followed Weixiaokuan to suppress the rebellion. Hongdu recruited several hundred brave warriors from Chang'an to form an elite unit, which achieved great success. Hongdu's sister married Yu Jiǎo's son. During the siege of Ye City, Yu Jiǎo had no way out and climbed to the top of the city tower. Hongdu pursued him directly to the tower. Yu Jiǎo drew his bow to shoot Hongdu, who removed his helmet and said to Yu Jiǎo, "Do you recognize me? Today we serve different masters and cannot consider personal feelings. Out of respect for our family ties, I advise you to lay down your weapons and prevent your soldiers from going on a rampage. Given the current situation, you should start thinking about your own safety. What are you waiting for, really?" Yu Jiǎo threw his bow on the ground, cursed at the Grand Chancellor, and then took his own life. Hongdu said to his brother, Hongsheng, "Go retrieve Yu Jiǎo's head." Hongsheng then cut off Yu Jiǎo's head. As a result, Hongdu was elevated to the position of Senior Pillar of the State.
During the march, the commander was typically granted the title of Duke. Because Hongduo failed to eliminate Wei Jiong in time and even issued some harsh threats, he was demoted by one rank and became the Duke of Wuxiang County. During the Kaihuang period of the Sui Dynasty, the Turks invaded, and Hongduo, as the general in charge, stationed in Yuanzhou to resist the invasion. After the enemy retreated, Hongduo then stationed in Lingwu and returned to the court a month later, where he was appointed as the Governor of Huazhou. He also married his sister off to Prince Xiao of Qin. Shortly after, he was promoted to the general in charge of Xiangzhou. Hongduo had always held a prominent position and was known for his strictness with subordinates, frequently punishing them. The officials were so terrified that they hardly dared to breathe, trembling at the sound of his voice. Wherever he went, there was order, and thieves vanished. When Prince of Liang, Xiao Cong, came to visit Emperor Wen of Sui, Emperor Wen appointed Hongduo as the general in charge of Jiangling, guarding Jingzhou. Before Hongduo took office, Xiao Cong's uncle Yan Yong led a local rebellion, which Hongduo was unable to quell. The people of the Chen Dynasty feared Hongduo and dared not covet Jingzhou. In the war to pacify the Chen Dynasty, Hongduo, as the general in charge, mobilized troops from Xiangyang under Prince Xiao of Qin. After the fall of the Chen Dynasty, he was granted a reward of five thousand bolts of cloth. Gao Zhihui and others rebelled, and as the general in charge, Hongduo mobilized troops from Quanmen under Yang Su's command. Hongduo and Yang Su held the same official position, but Hongduo was older, and Yang Su often relegated him to a subordinate role. Hongduo felt quite resentful and often ignored Yang Su's advice. However, Yang Su remained relatively tolerant of him.
After quelling the rebellion, Hongduo was appointed as the Governor of Yuanzhou, continuing his duties as the Commander-in-Chief to defend against the Turks. He returned without any battles occurring, and the Emperor greatly appreciated him, marrying the daughter of Hongduo's younger brother Hongsheng to the King of Henan. During the Renshou era, Hongduo served as the Minister of the Imperial Stables. With two princesses in his family, he felt he had reached the pinnacle of his career and had nothing left to strive for, often advising his subordinates to be honest and to be generous, and not to deceive others. Everyone nodded in agreement. Once, when Hongduo was having soft-shelled turtle with seven or eight attendants, he asked each one, "Is the soft-shelled turtle delicious?" The attendants, afraid, all said yes. Hongduo cursed, "How dare you lie to me? You haven't even eaten it; how do you know if it's delicious?" Then he had each of them beaten with eighty strokes. All the officials and craftsmen who witnessed this were terrified and never dared to deceive or conceal anything again. At that time, there was a man named Qutugai, holding the title of Wuhou Biaoqi, who was also very strict. A saying circulated in Chang'an: "Rather drink three liters of vinegar than encounter Cui Hongduo; rather eat three liters of mugwort than meet Qutugai." Hongduo managed his household as strictly as he did in the court; his children's hair turned gray, and he frequently scolded and punished them. The household was orderly and well-managed, and people at that time praised him. Not long after, the Queen of Qin was executed for her transgressions, and the Queen of Henan was deposed. Hongduo was very angry and requested to retire; his brothers also distanced themselves from him, and he became more and more frustrated. After Emperor Yang of Sui ascended the throne, the King of Henan became the Crown Prince. Emperor Yang wanted to reinstate a Cui family member as a concubine and sent envoys to Hongduo's house to decree it. The envoys went to Hongsheng's house, and Hongduo was unaware. When the envoys returned, Emperor Yang asked, "What did Hongduo say?" The envoys replied, "Hongduo said he was sick and couldn't get up." Emperor Yang remained silent, and the matter was dropped. Hongduo, overcome with melancholy and resentment, passed away not long after.
Hong Sheng, courtesy name Shangke, was a senior official in the Zhou Dynasty, equivalent to a high-ranking officer. Later, when Wei Jiong rebelled in Xiangzhou, he and his brother Hong Du led troops to fight, achieved great success, which resulted in a promotion to Upper Yitong Official. Shortly after, he was promoted to Kaifu, granted the title of Marquis of Huangtai County, with a fief of eight hundred households, meaning he collected taxes from them as his income. After Emperor Yang Jian of the Sui Dynasty ascended the throne, Hong Sheng's title was elevated to Duke, and he was appointed as the General of the Valiant Cavalry.
Having served as a palace guard for over ten years, as a reward for his long service, he was reassigned as the Governor of Cizhou, equivalent to a modern-day provincial governor. After a few years, he was transferred to Zhengzhou as the Governor. Later, due to his connections with the royal family, his status improved, and he was promoted to the Governor of Xiangzhou, with increased authority. However, when the Princess of Henan made a mistake and was deposed, Hong Sheng, due to his involvement in the incident, was subsequently dismissed from his position.
After Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty ascended the throne, Hong Sheng was reinstated and served in succession as the Governor of Jizhou and the Prefect of Xindu, and later promoted to the rank of Jinzi Guanglu Dafu, a prestigious title. He was then transferred to Zhuojun as the Prefect. During the campaign in Liaodong, he was briefly appointed as the General of the Left Guard, responsible for attacking Pyongyang. However, they suffered a defeat along with Yu Wenshu, and he returned in disgrace, fell ill and passed away at the age of sixty.
Yuan Hongsi was born in Luoyang, Henan. His grandfather was the King of Yuyang in the Wei Kingdom, and his father was the Duke of Yuyang County in the Zhou Dynasty. Hongsi inherited his title at a young age and became a Left Guard at the age of eighteen. In the ninth year of the Kaihuang era, he accompanied the Prince of Jin in pacifying the Chen Dynasty and was granted the official position of Upper Yitong Official for his achievements.
After fourteen years, he was appointed as the Governor of Guanzhou, and he was particularly strict in his official duties there, which made his subordinates resent him. Twenty years later, he was transferred to be the Governor of Youzhou. At that time, Yan Rong was the Chief of Youzhou, and he often bullied Hongsi, often beat and scolded him. Hongsi felt aggrieved, so Yan Rong imprisoned him, intending to kill him. After Yan Rong was executed, Hongsi took over, and his rule became even more ruthless. When interrogating prisoners, he often poured vinegar into their noses or inserted objects into their lower bodies, ensuring they revealed the truth without holding back, and the wicked became honest.
As the Ren Shou era was coming to an end, he was appointed as the Chief Carpenter, responsible for building Luoyang, the Eastern Capital. In the early days of the Daye era, Emperor Yang of Sui secretly planned to attack Liaodong, sending Hongsi to supervise shipbuilding at the seaside of Donglai. The laborers conscripted from various provinces were cruelly whipped by him, and officials urged them to stand in the water day and night, hardly daring to rest, leading to maggots infesting their lower bodies, causing the death of thirty to forty percent of them. Shortly after, he was promoted to be a Court Attendant, and later became an Assistant Minister in the Palace. During the Liaodong campaign, he was promoted to the rank of Grand Minister of Splendid Happiness.
The following year, Emperor Yang of Sui launched another campaign against Liaodong, at the same time as the Tujue invasion of Longyou. The court sent Hongsi to attack them. Later, Xuan Gan rebelled and approached the Eastern Capital, so Hongsi stationed his troops in Anding. Someone accused Hongsi of plotting with Xuan Gan, and Prince Yang You sent agents to arrest him and bring him before the Emperor. Although no evidence of rebellion was found, and he should have been released, the Emperor remained suspicious and refused to trust him. Therefore, he was dismissed from his official position and exiled to Rinan, where he died during the journey at the age of forty-nine. He had a son named Renguang.
Wang Wentong, from Yingyang near the capital city, was intelligent and capable. During the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui, he was granted a title of courtesy, Yitong, for his military achievements, and later served as the Sima of Guizhou. When Emperor Yang of Sui ascended the throne, he appointed Wang as a minor official in the Ministry of Works. However, due to a confrontation with the emperor, he was demoted to the position of county magistrate in Hengshan.
In Hengshan County, there was a notorious ruffian who was arrogant and often challenged his superiors. Previous county officials had been unable to deal with him. Upon his arrival, Wang Wentong immediately summoned and reprimanded the ruffian. He then had his subordinates sharpen a large wooden stake, bury it in the courtyard with only a foot sticking out, and place four smaller stakes at the corners. The ruffian was pressed face down onto the large stake, with his limbs tied to the smaller stakes, and was severely beaten with a stick until his skin split open. The entire county was in a state of terror, and the officials were too scared to intervene.
Later, Emperor Yang of Sui sent Wang Wentong to inspect the various counties in Hebei as part of the campaign against Liaodong. Wang Wentong viewed the Buddhist monks and nuns as demons and monsters, arresting and imprisoning them. In Hejian County, he gathered the local officials and punished latecomers by forcing them to lie on the ground and beating them mercilessly, resulting in several deaths. He also executed hundreds of monks and elders who gathered for religious activities, considering them to be disruptive. He stripped the monks and nuns naked to check for illicit relationships, leading to the execution of thousands. The cries of women and children filled the county, spreading panic to neighboring regions.
Upon hearing of these atrocities, the emperor was furious and sent an envoy, Da Xishanyi, to escort Wang Wentong. In Hejian County, Wang was beheaded to quell public outrage. His enemies even dug up his coffin, sliced off pieces of his flesh, and consumed it, devouring every last bit.
The history books say: good governance does not rely on complicated strategies; good politics does not depend on harsh punishments. Therefore, even though both leniency and severity are used, with clear rewards and punishments, people can be kept in line without heavy punishments. This was appreciated by wise rulers of the past. People like Wang Wentong, when faced with emperors like Emperor Wen and Emperor Yang of Sui, who weren't especially cruel or sly, didn't really grasp morality themselves, yet were cruel at heart, treating people like they were nothing, disregarding human life, even worse than how you’d treat grass or a dog. They did a lot of terrible things, rarely restraining themselves, causing some to die from punishment and others from grief and anger. All upright individuals saw this as the natural order of things! Alas! Later scholars and government officials, even if they can’t reach the high ranks like Zigao, can they really let their mothers worry about no one being there to honor them after they’re gone?
