Niu Hui, courtesy name Xiaozheng, was a native of Anyi in Yuncheng, Shanxi. He was exceptionally filial. During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Zhou Dynasty, when his parents passed away, he lived next to their graves and personally carried soil to pile up their tombs. A hemp tree grew in front of the tomb, reaching a height of ten feet, with a thick trunk that could be embraced, lush branches and leaves, and remained evergreen throughout the year. A crow perched on top of it, and when Niu Hui cried, the crow would also mourn along with him, which struck the people of that time as peculiar. Emperor Wu of the Zhou Dynasty erected a monument for his family and promoted him to be the magistrate of Gantang County. He passed away in the early years of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty.
His son, Liu Shixiong, was upright and filial from a young age. After his father's passing, he also lived next to the grave, personally carrying soil to pile up the tomb. There was a locust tree in front of his house, which used to be very lush, but it withered after Liu Shixiong began mourning. When he returned home after the mourning period, the dead tree unexpectedly came back to life! Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty was amazed by the extreme filial piety of the father and son, and issued a decree to commend them and name their residence "Leide Li."
Liu Shijun was from Xuzhou and was extremely filial. After his mother passed away, she miraculously came back to life several times! He stayed next to the grave, personally carrying soil to pile up the tomb, and even planted pine and cypress trees. Even foxes and wolves became gentle towards him, even bringing him food without hesitation. After Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty ascended the throne, he honored his family with a monument.
Lang Fanggui, from Anhui, has been determined since he was a child and lived with his younger cousin Lang Shuanggui. During the reign of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, Lang Fanggui went out to run errands and encountered rainy weather. The Huai River swelled, so he waited at the ferry for a ride across. The boatman lost his temper and broke Lang Fanggui's arm. When he got home, his younger cousin Lang Shuanggui anxiously asked what happened. Lang Fanggui told him all about the incident. Furious, Lang Shuanggui went to the ferry and killed the boatman. The ferry guards arrested him and took him to the county office. After questioning, Lang Fanggui was deemed the main offender and sentenced to death, while Lang Shuanggui was considered an accomplice and sentenced to exile. Both brothers tried to confess, but the county office couldn't reach a decision, so they were sent to the prefecture. The brothers both tried to shift blame onto each other, and the prefecture couldn't decide either. Both of them even thought about jumping into the river to end it all. The prefecture reported the matter to the emperor, who found it quite odd. He pardoned them, put up a plaque at their family's door, and rewarded them with a hundred bolts of cloth. Later on, Lang Fanggui became a registrar for the prefecture.
Zhai Pulin was from Chuqiu. He was kind and showed filial piety to his parents, and his reputation for honoring them spread far and wide. Despite being summoned many times to serve as an official in the state, he resolutely declined, focusing on farming at home and wholeheartedly serving his parents. The villagers affectionately referred to him as "Mr. Chuqiu." Later, when his parents fell ill, he personally attended to their every need, caring for them meticulously. His parents, in their seventies, needed his assistance even for dressing and undressing. During the reign of the Sui Dynasty, his parents passed away one after the other, leaving Zhai Pulin devastated, to the point of near madness. He erected a small shelter beside their graves, personally tended to the burial mound, and even in the cold winter, he chose not to wear warm silk cotton garments, instead wearing only thin linen clothes. He had a black dog at home, which kept him company by the graveside. Whenever Zhai Pulin cried in sorrow, the dog would also howl in grief, amazing all who witnessed it. He also built two magpie nests on the cypress tree in front of his residence, and the magpies would often fly into his house, gentle and unafraid. During the reign of the Sui Dynasty, when officials conducted local inspections, they brought Zhai Pulin's remarkable filial piety to the attention of the court, and he was appointed as the magistrate of Xiaoyang County.
Zhai Pulin, a man from Chuqiu, was notably filial. He was well-known for his filial piety in the local area. Many times, the state and county government invited him to serve as an official, but he refused and instead worked on the farm at home, caring for his parents devotedly. The people in the village called him "Mr. Chuqiu." Later, when his parents grew old and became ill, he took care of them attentively, assisting them with everything, including dressing and undressing. During the Sui Dynasty, his parents passed away one after another, leaving him heartbroken and on the brink of collapse. He erected a simple shelter by his parents' graves, dug the graves himself, and even in the dead of winter, he only wore a thin linen shirt without any warm clothing. He had a black dog at home, which stayed by his side at the graves. Whenever Zhai Pulin cried, the dog would also whimper, touching the hearts of all who witnessed it. Two magpies built nests in the cypress tree in front of his house, often flying inside without fear. Later, when the officials of the Sui Dynasty inspected the area and learned of Zhai Pulin's deeds, they reported it to the court, and he was promoted to the position of magistrate of Xiaoyang County.
Li Derao, a native of Bairen County in Zhaojun, was a descendant of the Li family. His grandfather, Li Che, was the Right Chancellor of the Ministry of Personnel in the Wei Dynasty. His father, Li Chun, served as the Chief Historian of Jie Prefecture during the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui. Li Derao was intelligent and diligent from a young age, with a kind heart, and he was highly respected by everyone. In his youth, he became a Scholar Official and worked in the Ministry of Interior, handling official documents. He later rose to become a censor official, upholding justice and enforcing the law, even daring to correct the mistakes of high-ranking officials' relatives. In the third year of the Daye reign of Emperor Yang of Sui, he was promoted to the position of a magistrate, frequently inspecting various areas, rectifying injustices for the wronged, and commending those who were filial to their parents and loving to their siblings. Although his official position was not very high, his integrity and noble character were highly respected at the time, and those who interacted with him were all famous virtuous talents of that era. He was especially filial to his parents; when they fell ill, he would often go without food and not change his clothes for ten days or more. After his parents passed away, he went without food or water for five days, grief-stricken to the point of vomiting blood. On the day of the funeral, in the midst of a heavy snowstorm in midwinter, the journey of over forty miles saw him wearing coarse mourning clothes, barefoot, crying out until he nearly fainted. Not a single one of the over a thousand attendees at the funeral was without tears. Afterwards, dew fell from the trees in his family's courtyard, and magpies built nests under the eaves. When the Minister Yang Da visited Hebei, he specifically went to Li Derao's home to offer condolences, and renamed the village where Li Derao lived to "Xiaojing Village" and the township to "Heshun Township." Later, he was appointed as the magistrate of Jinhe County, but before taking office, he encountered an uprising of bandits led by Ge Qian, Sun Xuanya, and a dozen other leaders, who gathered with a large number of followers in the Bohai region. The court ordered them to surrender, but Ge Qian and the others were too afraid to surrender. Hearing of Li Derao's upright character and good reputation, they sent a petition to the court, stating, "If Li Derao is sent, we will surrender together." The emperor then sent Li Derao to persuade these bandits to surrender in Bohai. When Li Derao arrived at Guanshi County, he encountered other bandits attacking the county, and tragedy struck when Li Derao was killed.
His younger brother, Li Dexi, was known for his honesty and trustworthiness. In the late Daye period of Emperor Yang's reign, he served as a judicial clerk in Lishi County, and the governor Yang Zichong highly valued him. Later, when the rebels rose up, Yang Zichong was killed and his body was discarded outside the city. Li Dexi mourned deeply and then buried Yang Zichong. When he arrived in Jiexiu, he approached the rebels and requested a formal funeral for Yang Zichong. The general greatly appreciated his actions, posthumously honoring Yang Zichong with a promotion, and appointed Li Dexi as an envoy to handle the funeral affairs for Yang Zichong.
Hua Qiu was from Linhe County, Jiji County. He lost his father when he was young and was renowned for his exceptional filial piety towards his mother. His family was very poor, and he supported himself and his mother by doing odd jobs. When his mother fell ill, Hua Qiu became emaciated, his hair and beard unkempt, causing everyone in the county to feel sorry for him. After his mother's death, he neglected his grooming, resulting in his hair falling out. He built a small shed next to his mother's grave, personally carrying soil to mound the grave. When others offered to help, he would kneel and politely decline. During the Daye period of the Sui Dynasty, the government organized a large-scale fox hunt. A rabbit was chased and ran into Hua Qiu's shed, hiding beneath his knees. When the hunters arrived at the shed and saw this scene, they found it odd and let the rabbit go. From then on, the rabbit often stayed overnight in the shed and grew very close to Hua Qiu. The local authorities admired Hua Qiu's devotion and reported it to the imperial court. Emperor Yang of Sui even sent someone to comfort him and commended his family. Later, many bandits appeared in the area near Hua Qiu's shed, but they would warn each other not to provoke this filial son. As a result, many villagers depended on Hua Qiu for their safety.
Xu Xiaosu, also hailing from Ji County, was one of several thousand households, most of whom lived lavish lifestyles. Only Xu Xiaosu was frugal and renowned for his filial piety. He lost his father at a young age and never knew what his father looked like. When he grew up, he inquired with his mother about his father's appearance, then had a painter draw a portrait and constructed a small shrine to honor it regularly. He was very filial to his mother, and for decades, his family never saw him lose his temper. When his mother grew old and fell ill, Xu Xiaosu personally took care of her, worried for several years, and anyone who saw him couldn't help but feel sorrowful. After his mother passed away, Xu Xiaosu adopted a vegetarian diet, drinking only water, and wore just a single layer of clothing even in winter, growing painfully thin. He personally carried soil to the graves of his grandparents and parents, lived beside the cemetery for forty years, with unkempt hair and barefoot, and ultimately passed away in that manner.
His younger brother, Xu Debei, was intelligent and well-versed in the Five Classics and was celebrated as a Confucian scholar in the Hebei region. After Xu Debei passed away, his son, Xu Chumo, also resided in a tent beside the grave. Their family has been filial for generations, which is truly admirable!
Historical records say that in the past, the promotion of filial piety depended on the nobility and ministers. However, in modern times, the virtue of filial piety is more frequently observed in the homes of ordinary people. Characters like Yan Shi and Dao Ze, some hailing from families of high officials for generations, some who swore to serve the country, ended up dead and their families ruined. Although their actions contradicted the system of the ancient kings, we can also discern their benevolent sides.
The two brothers, Lang and Gui, almost died trying to save their younger brother, but they saved his life in the end; Tian and Yi sacrificed their lives for the country, leaving behind a lasting legacy. De Rao won over a group of bandits with his kindness and righteousness, while De Zhai impressed the Xing King with his loyalty, which are all worthy of praise! Niu Hui, Liu Jun, Zhai Lin, and Hua Qiu, some have lush plants and trees in their gardens, while others have calm animals near their graves, demonstrating their deep filial piety and brotherly love, which resonates with the heavens and earth.
