Sima Dekan was from Fufeng in Yongzhou. His father, Sima Yuanqian, served as a general during the Northern Zhou dynasty. Sima Dekan lost his father at a young age and had to make a living by butchering pigs. Later, a monk named Can, who was close to Sima Dekan's mother, helped take care of him, teaching him reading, writing, and arithmetic. During the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui, Sima Dekan became a minor official, gradually rising in rank until he became a grand commander.
He joined Yang Su in the campaign against King Liang of Han, serving in the inner camp, where he was known for his efficiency, quick wit, and cunning. Yang Su was especially fond of him. For his contributions, he was granted the title of Triumvirate. In the third year of the Daye era, he was appointed as a Langjiang of Yingyang, fought in Liaodong, was promoted to Zhengyi Daifu, and later became a Warlord. Emperor Yang of Sui was particularly close to him. Later, he followed Emperor Yang of Sui to Jiangdu, commanding over ten thousand elite soldiers stationed in the city.
As the Sui dynasty neared its collapse, Sima Dekan planned a rebellion with his troops, as recorded in "Events of Huaji." They captured Emperor Yang of Sui, and he, along with Meng Bing and others, supported Yuwen Huaji's claim to the Prime Ministership. Yuwen Huaji initially granted Sima Dekan the title of Duke of Wenguo, bestowing upon him land to support three thousand households, and appointed him as a Grandee of the Palace. However, Yuwen Huaji was secretly wary of him.
A few days later, Yuwen Huaji began appointing generals and allocating troops, under the pretense of promoting Sima Dekan to Minister of Rites, but in reality, stripping him of his military command. Furious, Sima Dekan gave all his rewards to Zhi Ji, asking him to intercede on his behalf. Upon arriving in Xuzhou, they disembarked, and Yuwen Huaji ordered Sima Dekan to stay at the rear. Sima Dekan conspired with Zhao Xingshu, Li Ben, Yin Zhengqing, and Yuwen Daoshi to launch an attack on Yuwen Huaji, and even sent word to Meng Haigong, seeking external assistance.
They hesitated without taking action, waiting for news from their contact. As a result, Xu Hongren and Zhang Kai reported this to Yuwen Huaji. Yuwen Huaji then sent his brother Yuwen Shiji to feign a hunting trip and investigate Sima Dekan's rear army. Sima Dekan was still unaware that his plans had been uncovered, so he left the camp to visit Yuwen Huaji but was captured along with his accomplices.
Yuwen Huaji blamed him, saying, "We went through life and death together to pacify the world. Now that things have succeeded, I want us to enjoy the rewards together. Why did you rebel?" Sima Dekan said, "I initially aimed to kill the tyrant, end his reign of terror, and support you. I never expected you to be worse than him. I had no choice but to act under pressure." Yuwen Huaji ignored him, ordered him brought to the camp, and had him strangled. He was thirty-nine years old at the time.
Pei Qiantong was from Hedong. Initially, during the time when Emperor Yang of Sui was still the Prince of Jin, he was held in high regard. Later on, he gradually rose in rank to become the Supervisor of the Imperial Gate. After Emperor Yang of Sui became emperor, he promoted his former loyal aides, and Pei Qiantong was appointed Grand Commandant of Propaganda, later promoted to Supervisor of the Imperial Gate. He accompanied the emperor on numerous campaigns, eventually attaining the rank of Grand Master of Palace Deliberations. He conspired with Sima Dekan to rebel, first by opening the palace gates, riding to the Chengxiang Hall, killing General Dugu Sheng, and capturing the emperor at the West Pavilion. Yuwen Huaji later appointed Pei Qiantong as the Grand Master of Splendor and Duke of Juguo. When Yuwen Huaji led his troops north, he left Pei Qiantong to guard Xuzhou. After Yuwen Huaji's failure, Pei Qiantong surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, was appointed Governor of Xuzhou, and later promoted to the Inspector of Chenzhou and titled as the Lord of Changshe. Not long after, he was dismissed for his involvement in the rebellion against the Sui Dynasty and exiled to the Lingnan region, where he ultimately met his end.
Wang Chong, courtesy name Xingman, was originally a person from the Western Regions. His ancestors were named Zhi Tui, who later moved to Xinfeng to settle. After Zhi Tui's death, his young widow had a romantic relationship with Wang Can, who held the title Yitong, and gave birth to Wang Chong. Wang Can later took Wang Chong’s mother as his concubine. Wang Chong was adopted by his father, and he later married Wang Can's wife. Wang Can was very fond of Wang Chong, allowing him to adopt the Wang surname. Wang Chong later became the Chief Historian of Huaizhou and Bianzhou. Wang Chong, who had a fierce appearance, was known for his cruelty and cunning. Although he had read some books and had a particular interest in military strategy, as well as some knowledge of divination and fortune-telling, he never shared this with anyone. During the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui, he was appointed as the Left Yiwu Guard and was later appointed as Yitong due to his military accomplishments, and he also served as an official in the Ministry of War. He was very skilled at writing memorials, familiar with the law, but he was also skilled at wordplay and calculating various interests. If someone refuted him, he would eloquently defend himself, speaking convincingly; although everyone knew he was wrong, no one could refute him. People admired his eloquence and debating prowess. During this time, Emperor Yang frequently visited Jiangdu, and Wang Chong was adept at reading the emperor’s moods and flattering him. Every time he reported to the palace, the emperor was always pleased. He also held the position of Palace Supervisor in Jiangdu, overseeing the construction of palaces and gardens, secretly offering rare treasures from various regions to curry favor with the emperor, which earned him even greater favor from the emperor.
In the year 612 AD, the Sui Dynasty was already in chaos. Yang Xuangan appeared to show great respect to the emperor, but in reality, he secretly recruited talented individuals and won people's loyalty. The people in the Jianghuai region were already known for their toughness, and with bandits rampant at the time, many people committed crimes and were arrested and imprisoned awaiting punishment. However, Yang Xuangan exploited his power to release these individuals, using this to win people's hearts and form personal relationships.
Later, Yang Xuangan rebelled, and Zhu Xie and Guan Chong in Jiangnan also rose up in response, declaring themselves generals, each with over ten thousand followers. The emperor dispatched generals Tu Wanxu and Yu Juluo to quell the rebellion, but they were unable to defeat them. Yang Xuangan then gathered over ten thousand troops from Jiangdu and defeated the rebels several times. After each victory, he attributed the victories to his soldiers, distributed the captured supplies to them, and took no personal gain. As a result, everyone was willing to risk their lives for him, and he accumulated a great deal of military achievements.
By the year 614 AD, there was a bandit leader named Meng Rang in Qijun who led an army of over ten thousand to raid everywhere from Changbai Mountain to Xuyi. Yang Xuangan used his army to resist, feigning weakness by establishing five camps on Duliang Mountain to confront Meng Rang without attacking. When Meng Rang let his guard down, Yang Xuangan suddenly launched a fierce attack, decisively defeating Meng Rang and pursuing him until his forces were completely routed, with Meng Rang fleeing with only a few dozen horsemen. In this battle, Yang Xuangan personally executed ten thousand men and captured a large number of livestock and military supplies. Seeing Yang Xuangan's talent as a military leader, the emperor began assigning him to eliminate small bands of bandits, and Yang Xuangan achieved victories wherever he was deployed.
However, Yang Xuangan is actually quite hypocritical, putting on a façade of kindness; he excels at feigning hardship and acting, all to gain a good reputation. In the year 615 AD, the Turks surrounded the emperor at Yanmen Pass, and Yang Xuangan gathered all the people in Jiangdu to prepare for the rescue. Upon arriving at the military camp, he intentionally soiled his clothes, appeared disheveled, and wept inconsolably, never removing his armor, day or night, and sleeping on the ground. When the emperor heard about it, he believed Yang Xuangan genuinely cared for him and trusted him even more.
Twelve years later, he was promoted to be the governor of Jiangdu. At that time, a man named Yanci emerged, feigning humility while secretly operating as a bandit for several years, commanding tens of thousands of troops, hiding in the area of Douzi. He led the troops to attack, captured and killed Yanci, causing the other bandits to surrender in fear. Later, he went to vanquish Lu Mingyue, defeating him at Nanyang, executing tens of thousands, and capturing countless prisoners. When he returned to Jiangdu, the emperor was overjoyed and personally toasted him with a cup of wine.
He knew that the emperor liked beautiful women, so he claimed there were numerous beautiful girls in the Jianghuai area and even volunteered to assist the emperor in expanding his harem, although these girls had no chance to enter the palace. When the emperor heard this, he was even more delighted and secretly sent people to select those who were beautiful and met the criteria, then brought them into the palace as wives with money from the national treasury and goods originally intended for the capital. This cost a lot of money, and the accounts merely noted "expenses authorized by imperial decree," without specifying the exact amount. If the emperor favored a girl, he would reward her heavily; even if the emperor did not favor her, he would still give her some rewards. Later, he used boats to send these girls to the capital, but bandits came out to rob them on the way, and the envoys escorting the girls toiled relentlessly, with over ten of them drowning in the Huai River and Sishui. Some people wanted to expose this matter, but he quashed any attempts to expose it and swiftly found replacements to send. From that point onward, his relationship with the emperor grew even closer.
Li Mi captured Xingluo Warehouse and was on the verge of marching on the Eastern Capital. The imperial army suffered several defeats. Grand Minister Pei Renji surrendered to Li Mi at Wulao, which infuriated the emperor. The emperor sent a large army to attack Li Mi. He issued a decree appointing him as general to confront Li Mi at Luokou. After hundreds of battles, both sides experienced victories and defeats. Later, he led his troops across the Luo River, approaching Xingluo Warehouse. He engaged Li Mi in battle and was defeated, resulting in over ten thousand soldiers drowning. It was a freezing cold day with heavy snowfall, and the soldiers crossed the river with their clothes soaked, which led to tens of thousands freezing to death along the way. By the time they arrived at Heyang, only a few thousand soldiers were left. He locked himself in a prison cell to seek forgiveness, and Prince Dong sent someone to pardon him and summoned him back to the imperial capital. He regrouped the scattered soldiers and assembled over ten thousand troops, stationed in Hanjia City, and did not dare to venture out again.
Yuwenzhao assassinated the emperor in Jiangdu, and Dou Jiande, along with Minister of Works Yuan Wendu, General Huangfu Wuyi, and Right Commandant Lu Chu, proclaimed Yang Dong as emperor. Yang Dong appointed Dou Jiande as Minister of Personnel and granted him the title Duke of Zhengguo. Later, Yang Dong heeded the advice of Yuan Wendu and Lu Chu, appointing Li Mi as Grand Commandant and Minister of Works. Li Mi subsequently pledged his allegiance to Yang Dong and led troops to resist Yuwen Huaji in Liyang, and sent messengers to report the victory. Everyone was elated, except for Dou Jiande, who remarked to his generals, "Yuan Wendu and those people are just civil officials who only know how to write and calculate. I have no doubt they will eventually fall into Li Mi's hands. Moreover, our army has clashed with Li Mi, killing many of his kin, and has already forged a deep enmity. If we surrender to him now, we’re all in for a rough time!" He said this to provoke everyone.
Yuan Wendo knew about what happened and was so scared that he discussed with Lu Chu and the others to find an opportunity to get close to Dou Jiande and then ambush his soldiers and kill him. They set a date, but General Duan Da told Dou Jiande about this, saying that his son-in-law Zhang Zhi informed him. That night, Dou Jiande surrounded the palace with his troops, while General Fei Yao and Tian Shida engaged Dou Jiande's forces outside the East Sun Gate. Fei Yao's forces were defeated, and Dou Jiande broke through the city gates and rushed in, while Huang Fu Wuyi fled on horseback. Lu Chu was captured and then killed. At that time, the palace gates had still not opened, and Dou Jiande sent someone to knock on the door and inform Yang Dong, "Yuan Wendo and the others are plotting to capture the emperor and surrender him to Li Mi. Duan Da told me about this. I am not rebelling; I am simply eliminating those who do!"
After hearing the news, Yuan Wendo entered the palace, escorted Yang Dong to the Qianyang Hall, and led troops to protect him. He also ordered the generals to climb the city wall to resist, but his forces were defeated, and Yuan Wendo was also captured and then killed. Yang Dong ordered the gates to be opened for Dou Jiande to enter. Dou Jiande replaced all the guards with his own men before going in to meet Yang Dong. He knelt and wept, saying, "Yuan Wendo and the others are too much, actually conspiring to kill me. The situation was urgent; I had no choice. I would never betray my country!" Yang Dong swore an oath with him. Dou Jiande later sent Wei Jie and others to persuade Yang Dong to appoint him as the Left Minister of the Secretariat and the Commander of all military operations. He also arranged for his brother Dou Yun to be the Director of the Interior and took up residence in the palace.
Not long after, Li Mi defeated Wang Shichong's army and returned in triumph. However, his elite soldiers and warhorses suffered significant losses, and the soldiers were exhausted. Wang Shichong wanted to attack Li Mi while he was weak, but worried that his subordinates would not agree, so he fabricated a story about ghosts and gods. He claimed to have dreamed of Duke Zhou, then built a shrine by the Luo River and sent wizards everywhere to spread the word that Duke Zhou wanted him (Wang Shichong himself) to quickly attack Li Mi in order to gain great merit; otherwise, the army would be plagued and die. Many of Wang Shichong's soldiers were superstitious individuals from the Chu region, so he employed this tactic to mislead them. As a result, everyone requested to go to battle.
Wang Shichong selected elite soldiers and strong generals, totaling over 20,000 troops and more than a thousand warhorses, and relocated the camp to the south of the Luo River. Li Mi's army was on the mountain north of Yanshi. At that time, Li Mi had just won the Battle of Huaji, was somewhat careless, and did not set up defenses. Wang Shichong took advantage of the night to send more than two hundred cavalry quietly into the northern mountains, ambushing in the valley, ordering the soldiers to feed the horses, eat something themselves, and rest for a while. Then, they crossed the Luo River at night, galloping, and arrived near Li Mi's camp at dawn. Li Mi sent troops to meet them; before he had time to establish a formation, the two armies engaged in battle. Wang Shichong's ambush troops rushed down from the mountain, quietly seized the high ground, and fiercely attacked Li Mi's camp. Li Mi's camp was thrown into chaos, and no one could mount a defense; Wang Shichong's army rushed into the camp and set it on fire. Li Mi's army was in a panic, unable to regroup, and generals Zhang Tong'er and Chen Zhilue surrendered. Wang Shichong captured Yanshi.
Initially, Wang Shichong's brother Wang Wei and son Wang Xuan followed Wang Shichong to Dongjun and were later captured by Li Mi and imprisoned in the city. Now, Wang Shichong has successfully rescued them all. He also captured Li Mi's Chief Historian Bing Yuanzhen, his wife, the mother of Sima Zheng Qianxiang, and the sons of other generals. Wang Shichong treated them well and permitted them to discreetly summon their fathers or brothers to surrender. Wang Shichong's army arrived at the Luokou, and Bing Yuanzhen, Zheng Qianxiang, and others opened the city gates to surrender. Li Mi escaped with just a few dozen cavalrymen, and Wang Shichong absorbed all his troops. From the East Sea to south of the Yangtze River, many came to submit to him. Wang Shichong also dispatched Wei Jie to persuade Dong (referring to Sui Emperor Yang Tong) to acknowledge Wang Shichong as Grand Commandant and establish his residence in the Ministry of Personnel. Soon, Wang Shichong proclaimed himself King of Zheng. He sent General Gao Lue to attack Shou'an, but after failing, withdrew his troops. He then led his troops to surround Guzhou, but pulled back three days later. The following year, he proclaimed himself the Prime Minister, accepting all nine ceremonial treasures, and ceased to pay homage to Yang Tong.
There was a Taoist priest named Huan Fasi, who claimed he could interpret prophecies and was quite close to Wang Shichong, enjoying his favor and trust. Fasi took out a book called "Confucius's Record of Closing the Room" and pointed to a picture of a man herding sheep with a stick, exclaiming, "'Yang' is the surname of the Sui Dynasty, add a stroke to 'Gan' and it becomes the character 'Wang.' The man is herding sheep behind the sheep, indicating that the Prime Minister (Wang Shichong) is destined to replace the Sui Dynasty as the emperor!"
He also brought out Zhuangzi's "Human World" and "De Chong Fu." Fasi explained, "The first article talks about 'world,' and the second article talks about 'fulfillment,' which is exactly the Prime Minister's name! This suggests that the Prime Minister will have the support of the people, fulfilling the heavenly mandate to become the emperor!" Upon hearing this, Wang Shichong was overjoyed, exclaiming, "This is the heavenly mandate!" He immediately bowed deeply to Fasi in gratitude and then appointed Fasi as a Grand Councillor.
Wang Shichong also caught various kinds of birds, wrote messages on strips of cloth and tied them around the birds' necks, claiming it was a heavenly decree, and then released these birds. Those who shot down these birds and presented them to him, Wang Shichong also bestowed titles upon them. Later, Wang Shichong imprisoned Emperor Yang Tong of Sui in another palace, seized the throne himself, changed the reign title to "Kaiming," and renamed the state "Zheng." The Tang Dynasty sent Prince Qin Li Shimin to lead the army to surround him. Wang Shichong launched multiple military campaigns in resistance, but suffered defeat each time, and the cities outside the walls surrendered one after another.
Driven to desperation, Wang Shichong sent a messenger to seek help from Dou Jiande. Dou Jiande marshalled an elite force to his aid, but upon the army's arrival at Wulao, they were defeated by Prince Qin, and Dou Jiande was captured and brought to Wang Shichong's city. Wang Shichong wanted to break through with his army to escape, but none of his subordinates heeded his call. He realized there was no refuge, so he surrendered. After arriving in Chang'an, he was executed by his rival, Dugu Xiude.
Duan Da, a native of Wuwei Guzang, was the son of the Inspector of Shuozhou in the Zhou Dynasty. When Duan Da was young, at the age of three, he inherited the title of Count of Xiangyuan. Upon reaching adulthood, he stood eight feet tall, boasted a striking beard, and was proficient in mounted archery.
When Gaozu was the prime minister, he appointed Duan Da as the Grand Commander, leading his most trusted soldiers and often having him by his side. After Gaozu became emperor, Duan Da became the Left Zhi and gradually rose to the position of General of Chariots and Horse, and also served as an army officer for Prince Jin. When Gao Zhihui and Li Ji rebelled, Duan Da led ten thousand soldiers and conquered Dingfang and Chuzhou. The emperor rewarded him with a thousand bolts of silk and promoted him to Yitong. He also defeated Wang Wenjin and others in Xuanzhou, was promoted to the position of Kaifu, and rewarded with fifty slaves and four thousand bolts of silk. During the Renshou period, he served as the Vice Lieutenant of the Left Guard of the Crown Prince. During the Daye period, due to his prior service in the imperial palace, he was appointed as the General of the Left Yiwu. Later, he went to campaign against the Tuyuhun and was promoted to Jinzi Guanglu Dafu. When the emperor campaigned in Liaodong, the common people were worn out. Qi Xiaode of Pingyuan, Zhang Jincheng of Qinghe, and others gathered forces and turned to banditry, attacking and capturing many cities that local officials could not defend. The emperor sent Duan Da to fight them, but he was defeated several times by Zhang Jincheng and suffered heavy losses. The bandits looked down on him and gave him the nickname "Duan Lao." It was not until he used the strategy of Yang Shanhui, the county magistrate of Shu County, that he finally won. Upon returning to the capital, he was dismissed from his position due to official matters. The following year, the emperor again campaigned in Liaodong and left Duan Da to guard Zhuojun. Shortly after, he was appointed as the General of the Left Yiwu. Wei Dao'er of Gaoyang gathered over a hundred thousand troops, calling themselves "Lishan Fei," and plundered the Yan and Zhao regions. Duan Da, together with the garrison commander Guo Xuan of Zhuojun, defeated him. At that time, there were many bandits, and the battles between the officials and the bandits were fierce. Duan Da failed to seize the chance for a decisive victory, instead playing it safe by stockpiling supplies, without winning many battles. At the time, people said he was timid and averse to conflict.
In the twelfth year of the Daye era, the emperor went to Jiangdu Palace, leaving Duan Da and the Grand Minister Yuan Wendu to defend the Eastern Capital. Li Mi occupied Luokou and sent troops to attack the city at the Eastern Capital. Duan Da, along with Pang Yu and Huo Ju, led troops out of the city to resist, gaining some merit and earning a promotion to General of the Left Valiant Guard. After Wang Chong was defeated by Li Mi, Li Mi advanced to Beimang and reached Shangchun Gate. Duan Da, along with Left Minister Guo Wenyi and Minister Wei Jin, led troops to resist. Duan Da panicked and fled upon seeing the enemy troops, which allowed Li Mi to pursue them, leading to a significant defeat, which resulted in the death of Wei Jin. From then on, the rebel forces became increasingly powerful.
After the emperor's death in Jiangdu, Duan Da and others supported Prince Yang Dong as emperor. Duan Da was appointed as the Palace Supervisor and concurrently served as an advisor, and was granted the title of Duke of Chen. Yuan Wendu and others plotted to kill Wang Chong, but Duan Da secretly tipped off Wang Chong and acted as his informant. When the conspiracy was uncovered, Prince Yang Dong handed Yuan Wendu over to Wang Chong, who was very grateful to Duan Da and treated him with great respect. After defeating Li Mi, Duan Da and others advised Prince Yang to confer the Nine Bestowments on Wang Chong, hinting at his ascension to emperor. After Wang Chong became emperor, he appointed Duan Da as Minister of Works. Duan Da was killed after the Eastern Capital was pacified, and his wife, children, and property were all seized.
The historian said that those who were originally mediocre and incompetent were ungrateful and accumulated sins across generations. People like Wang Chong, with their shallow understanding and narrow-mindedness, were promoted and even received better treatment than the veteran ministers because they happened to be in the right place at the right time. When the country was on the brink of collapse, instead of dedicating themselves to the country, they took advantage of the situation to cause chaos and plot to seize power. Leading a band of idle miscreants, they became the root of the turmoil, utterly undermining the foundation of the nation, even tearing apart official garments and smashing their crowns. Some personally led rebellions, while others directly committed murder and assassination; their crimes were as egregious as calling a deer a horse, and their actions were as vile as cannibalism. Neither heaven nor earth could tolerate them, and both mortals and deities were equally indignant. Therefore, those ruthless bandits and villains were killed one after another, and those cunning scoundrels were also executed in succession, soothing the anger of the loyal and imparting a profound lesson for future generations. Hey, shouldn't those who serve as subjects take this as a warning? Shouldn't they take this as a warning!
This record by the historian is about those lacking real skills who rose to power through sheer luck, only to turn ungrateful and bring harm to several generations. People with small ambitions like Wang Chong were promoted even higher than the veteran ministers because they were in the right place at the right time. When the country was about to fall, these people not only did not strive to save the country but took the opportunity to cause trouble and attempt to seize power. They led a group of villains, becoming the culprits of the chaotic times, plunging the nation into chaos, even tearing official robes and smashing hats. Some led rebellions directly, while others committed direct murders; their actions were outrageous, provoking indignation among both mortals and deities! Therefore, these villains were killed one after another, which brought relief and served as a warning to future generations. Alas, those who serve as subjects must truly take this as a lesson! Must truly take this as a lesson!
