Han Ji's wife, Miss Yu of the Yu family in Luoyang, named Maode, was the daughter of Yu Shi, a high-ranking official in the Zhou Dynasty. Miss Yu married Han Ji when she was fourteen years old. Although she grew up in luxury and wealth, she was well-mannered and lived a frugal life. She was highly respected by her family members.
When she was eighteen, Han Ji died in battle, leaving Miss Yu devastated. She mourned deeply, losing weight and crying so much that even passersby were moved to tears. Every day, she personally offered sacrifices to Han Ji. After the mourning period, her father, concerned for her young age and lack of children, wanted her to remarry. However, she vowed never to remarry. Despite her family's persuasion and her father's emotional distress, she remained resolute in her decision.
Instead, she took Han Ji's son, Shilong, and raised him as her own, nurturing and educating him well. She only visited her parents occasionally after becoming a widow, shunning all other relatives and friends. Even when distinguished guests came to visit, she would not step outside her home. She led a simple life, subsisting on vegetarian meals, wearing plain garments, and shunning music altogether.
When the Emperor learned of her story, he praised her virtues and honored her with a royal decree. A memorial archway was erected at her home in Chang'an, and she was posthumously honored with the title "Chaste Widow." Miss Yu passed away at the age of seventy-two.
Lu Rang's mother was Feng from Shangdang, a kind-hearted and compassionate woman of great dignity. Lu Rang was her adopted son. During the Renshou period, Lu Rang became the governor of Fanzhou, but he fell into corruption, accepting bribes and exploiting the people. He was accused by Sima and was imprisoned after the emperor ordered an investigation. Despite Lu Rang's claims of innocence, the imperial historian's reinvestigation confirmed his crimes. The emperor sought advice from his ministers, who unanimously declared Lu Rang guilty. The emperor ordered his execution.
Just before Lu Rang was to be executed, Feng rushed to the court looking disheveled and scolded him. She scolded him for having no merit despite his high rank, his failure to serve the country and repay the emperor's grace, and his violation of the law through corruption and bribery. She asked if the people and officials were also falsely accusing him. She questioned his loyalty and filial piety, asking if he even considered himself human. Tears streaming down her face, she implored him to eat. After her heartfelt plea, Feng wrote a letter to the emperor, pleading for mercy. Her sincerity moved the emperor, who found himself touched by her heartfelt plea.
The Empress also found Feng's actions very peculiar and pleaded with the Emperor. The Imperial Historian Liu Yu also said, "Feng's motherly virtues have impressed everyone. If we kill Lu Rang, how can we inspire the people?" The Emperor then summoned the people of the capital to the Zhuque Gate and had a decree read out: "Feng, with her motherly virtues, is worthy of being an example for women everywhere. Her kindness is truly remarkable. Lu Rang's death sentence is commuted in recognition of her virtues." The decree also stated, "Feng is kind and virtuous; she conducts herself with dignity. Her adopted son Lu Rang committed a crime and should be dealt with according to the law. However, she went to the palace herself to plead for her son, kneeling and bowing her head. I was deeply moved by her devotion as a mother and have pardoned Lu Rang's death sentence. If all women were like Feng, families would be harmonious and society would be stable! Every time I think of this, I am deeply moved. Feng should be rewarded to commend her virtues, and she shall be given five hundred pieces of silk." The Emperor also summoned all the ladies of the court to meet Feng, showing her honor and favor.
Liu Chang's daughter is the daughter-in-law of Henan's Changsun family. During the Zhou Dynasty, Liu Chang married a princess and rose to high positions, becoming a pillar of the state and the Duke of Peng. He served as a general multiple times and was an old friend of the founding emperor. After the founding emperor ascended the throne, he trusted Liu Chang greatly and appointed him as the General of the Left Military Guards and Governor of Qingzhou. His son, named Jushi, was a guard of the crown prince, forming cliques, wielding his power irresponsibly, and disregarding the law, often getting into trouble. The Emperor, respecting Liu Chang's status, consistently pardoned him.
The layman became more and more arrogant, often shamelessly saying, "Men should have disheveled hair, hands tied behind their backs, and dance the barbarian dance on the ground!" He would pick those strong-looking sons of officials and nobles, bring them home, tie a wheel around their necks, and then beat them with a stick. Those who were beaten nearly to death yet refused to submit, he called "valiant warriors" and then befriended them. He had more than three hundred followers; the swift ones were called the "Hungry Hawk Team," and the strong ones were called the "Pengzhuan Team." They often rode horses on the road with eagles and hunting dogs, assaulting and robbing passersby. In Chang'an City, everyone who saw them kept their distance, even the officials and relatives of the emperor dared not confront them.
Liu Chang's daughter, who was the layman's sister, often cried and advised him with heartfelt sincerity. But the layman never changed and eventually wasted away all his family's fortune. Liu Chang was getting old, and his daughter and son-in-law treated him poorly. After his daughter became a widow, she saw her father's misery, and every time she returned to her maternal home, she would spin and weave fabric herself, trying her best to ensure her father ate and drank well. Someone reported that the layman and his accomplices were wandering in Chang'an City, ascending the ruins of Weiyang Palace, sitting facing south in a domineering manner, and often meeting to discuss "dying once!" Some also said that the layman had colluded with the Turks to invade the south and conspired within the capital. The emperor asked Liu Chang, "What do you plan to do about this today?" Liu Chang, relying on past favors, refused to acknowledge his wrongdoing and directly said, "Right and wrong are clear; it's all in Your Majesty's heart." The emperor was furious, imprisoned Liu Chang, arrested the layman and his followers, and punished them harshly.
The supervisory department reported once more that Liu Chang had been unfilial to his mother. Liu Chang's daughter knew that her father would not escape punishment, so she fasted for several days. She personally prepared food and brought it to the Dali Temple to deliver meals to her father. When she saw the jailer, she knelt for a long time and cried, making everyone who witnessed her feel deep sympathy. The layman was sentenced to death for his crimes, and Liu Chang was ultimately granted a death sentence at home. The emperor ordered all officials to watch. During this time, Liu Chang's daughter fainted multiple times before regaining consciousness, and the court officials offered her words of comfort. She cried out, pleading for her father's innocence, claiming he was punished solely because of his son. Her sorrow was unbearable for all who witnessed it. In the end, she lived the rest of her life in coarse clothes, subsisting on plain tea and simple meals.
Upon hearing this, he sighed and remarked, "I've heard the saying that the daughter of a declining family and the son of a prosperous family is indeed true!"
Zhong Shixiong's mother is Jiangshi, the daughter of a prominent family from Linhe. Zhong Shixiong became the Fubo General in the State of Chen. The emperor of Chen was concerned that Zhong Shixiong, who oversaw the minority leaders in Lingnan, might rebel, so he kept Jiangshi in the capital as a hostage. Later, Prince Jin pacified Jiangnan, and since Zhong Shixiong remained in Lingnan, Prince Jin sought to win him over with kindness by sending Jiangshi back to her hometown of Linhe. Consequently, Yuzi Mao and Zhong Wenhua, who were from the same county, rebelled, raised troops to attack the city, and even sent people to invite Zhong Shixiong to join the rebellion. Zhong Shixiong was on the verge of agreeing when his mother, Jiangshi, intervened, saying, "I endured much suffering in the capital of Yangzhou. Now that we have finally reunited in this peaceful era, I owe you a debt of gratitude that I can never repay. How can we even think of rebelling? If you forget your gratitude and behave like a monster, I will commit suicide in front of you!" After hearing this, Zhong Shixiong gave up the idea of rebellion. Jiangshi also wrote to Yuzi Mao and his fellow rebels, urging them not to rise up and warning them of the dangers of rebellion. Yuzi Mao did not listen and was ultimately defeated by the imperial forces. The emperor, upon learning of Jiangshi's actions, held her in high regard and bestowed upon her the title of Lady of Anle County.
In addition, in Yinzhou, there was a widow named Hu, though her family background was unknown. She was known for her integrity, earning the respect of the local elite. During the turmoil in Jiangnan, she urged her relatives and friends to hold their ground in strategic locations and resist joining the rebels. She was later honored with the title of Lady of Miling County.
There was a devoted daughter-in-law named Tan from the Shangjun area, who married into the Zhong family. Her husband died shortly after they got married when she was only eighteen years old. She was very devoted to her mother-in-law, earning her a reputation for filial piety. Within a few years, both her mother-in-law and uncles passed away, leaving Tan's family in poverty and unable to afford funeral expenses. She lived frugally, spinning and weaving around the clock, saving for ten years to pay for the funerals of eight family members. The villagers admired her greatly. When the emperor heard about this, he rewarded her with one hundred shihu of rice and erected a monument in her honor in front of her house.
Yuan Wuguang's mother, a member of the Lu family from Fanyang, loved reading from a young age and was well-mannered. After her husband passed away, she raised several young children on her own in poverty, struggling to pay for their education. Lu personally taught them to read and educated them on moral values, gaining the admiration of all. Towards the end of the Renshou period, Han Wang Liang launched a rebellion, sending General Qi Liang to Shandong to attack the territory. Qi Liang appointed Wuguang as his secretary. Later, Qi Liang was defeated, and the Cizhou Governor Shangguan Zheng confiscated belongings from Wuguang's home. When he saw Lu, he had malicious intentions and attempted to assault her. Lu firmly refused to give in. Shangguan Zheng, a cruel and angry man, burned her with a candle. Lu's resolve only grew stronger, and she never wavered.
Pei Lun's wife was from the Liu family of Hedong, who was well-educated from a young age. Near the end of the Sui Dynasty, Pei Lun became the magistrate of Weiyuan County. When Xue Ju rebelled, the county was overrun by bandits, and sadly, Pei Lun was killed. At that time, Liu was forty years old and had two daughters and a daughter-in-law, all of whom were beautiful. Liu said to them, "We are facing war and your father has died. I feel I can’t protect you properly. Our family has always valued our reputation, and we cannot be insulted by bandits. I plan to die with you. What do you think?" Her daughters and daughter-in-law cried and replied, "We will follow mother's arrangement." So Liu jumped into a well to take her own life, and her daughters and daughter-in-law followed her, all perishing in the well.
Zhao Yuankai's wife is the daughter of the Cui family from Qinghe. Her father, Cui Ran, is mentioned in the "Literary Records." Their family has a long-standing reputation for good family values, and their children all follow the standards of propriety. Zhao Yuankai's father was a minister, extremely wealthy, and placed great importance on social standing. He married into the Cui family with lavish gifts. Zhao Yuankai held Cui in high regard; even at private banquets, he did not speak out of turn, and his behavior, speech, and attire all conformed to the standards of propriety. Amidst the chaos, Zhao Yuankai followed the court to Hebei, preparing to return to Chang'an. When they reached Fukou, they were ambushed by bandits, and Zhao Yuankai barely managed to save his life. However, Cui was taken captive by the bandits, who intended to make her one of their wives. Cui said to the bandits, "I am the daughter of a scholar-official and the daughter-in-law of a minister. Today, my family has been destroyed and my loved ones are dead; I can die immediately. It is utterly impossible for me to become your wife!" The bandits ripped her clothes and bound her naked body to the bed, trying to insult her. Fearing humiliation, Cui lied to them, saying, "I lack the strength to resist now; I will obey your orders. Please release me from these ropes." The bandits immediately let her go. Cui quickly donned her clothes, took the bandit's dagger, stood against a tree, and said, "If you wish to kill me, then go ahead and use your sword. If you want me to die, come over!" The bandits were very angry and rained arrows down upon her. Later, Zhao Yuankai tracked down the murderer of his wife, dismembered the killer, and used his remains as an offering to honor Cui's spirit.
Historians say: Generally speaking, when praising women's virtues, the emphasis is often first placed on gentleness and obedience, which represents only a moderate standard and has yet to reach its pinnacle. In fact, women who have foresight, determination, and noble character, acting only for justice, can be found throughout history! For example, Princess Lanling's qualities are tougher than those of cold pine trees, Princess Nanyang's determination is firmer than that of stubborn stones, the loyalty and fortitude of Lady Xi and the filial daughters are unwavering, and the sincerity of the mothers Cui and Feng can make even the bravest martyrs feel ashamed, making those with noble character feel inferior.
Princess Xiangcheng, Lady Huayang, the wives of Pei Lun and Yuan Kai have faced hardships and difficulties, and their marriages have encountered challenges, but they willingly endure hardships alongside their husbands. No matter how difficult the situation, their will has not changed. Their character is as pure as frost, and their actions and words shine as brightly and straightforwardly as the sun. Even when compared to the oaths of Gong Jiang in the Book of Songs and the accounts of Lady Boji's loyalty and sacrifice in the Zuo Zhuan, how much stronger can those be?
