Tian Demao, the son of the Duke of Guanguo, Li Rengong, was famous for his filial piety and kindness since childhood. During the reign of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, he was granted the title of Duke of Pingyuan County and appointed as the Prince's personal cavalry attendant due to his father's military achievements. After his father's death, he was so grief-stricken that he became as thin as a skeleton, living beside the grave and personally carrying soil to mound the tomb.
Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty was very moved when he heard about this and sent Yuan Zhi, the Minister of the Palace Cavalry, to comfort him. The Emperor also wrote a letter to him, saying: "The Emperor thanks Tian Demao. I understand you are in profound sorrow and pain; your mourning surpasses the bounds of customary etiquette, living beside the grave and personally carrying soil to mound the tomb. I govern the realm with filial piety as my guiding principle, with the aim of promoting the teachings of filial piety and brotherly love. We have a deep bond with your family, and upon hearing about your filial piety, I am very touched and appreciative. Now that the warm spring days have arrived, how is your health? You should allow yourself to grieve and take good care of your health!" He also rewarded him with two hundred rolls of silk and one hundred measures of rice, and issued an edict to commend his family.
Later, Tian Demao served as a personal attendant to the Crown Prince and later as the Sima of Yizhou. During the reign of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, he held the position of Palace Attendant and subsequently as an official in the Ministry of Works, before ultimately passing away in office.
Xue Jun, courtesy name Daoze, was a descendant of the Minister of Justice and Duke Neiyang. His father was the Prefect of Weinan in the Zhou Dynasty. Xue Jun lost his father when he was young and was brought up by his mother. He gained a reputation far and wide for his filial piety towards her. He loved learning from a young age and was very ambitious, and later went to Chang'an to study under a teacher. At that time, which occurred after the pacification of Jiangling, He Tuo returned to the court and, seeing something exceptional in Xue Jun, personally taught him the classics. During the Tianhe period of the Zhou Dynasty, Xue Jun inherited the title of Marquis of Yucheng, and later became a Senior Na Yan and the Magistrate of Xinfeng County. During the Kaihuang period of the Sui Dynasty, he was promoted to Deputy Minister of Justice and soon transferred to the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Civil Service. The Emperor heard of Xue Jun's filial piety towards his mother and, as she was elderly, rewarded him with gifts of clothing, carriages, canes, and precious food for all seasons, which was seen as a significant honor at the time.
Later, Xue Jun's mother fell ill, and he appeared so haggard that even his close friends and relatives could hardly recognize him. After his mother passed away, the Emperor dispatched officials from the Honglu Temple to oversee the funeral arrangements and had her buried in their ancestral home in Xiayang. It was the peak of winter, bitterly cold, and Xue Jun, dressed in coarse mourning clothes and barefoot, faced the snow and wind during his journey back to his hometown, over five hundred li (about 250 kilometers) away. His feet froze and bled, which caused great distress to everyone who saw his suffering. Despite the condolences sent by local officials, he turned down all the gifts. Shortly after, the court summoned him back to work, but Xue Jun earnestly requested to complete the mourning period before resuming his duties, which the Emperor did not allow. Upon his return to the capital, the Emperor was heartbroken to see how emaciated and grief-stricken Xue Jun looked, voicing his sorrow to his ministers. Xue Jun fell ill from his overwhelming grief and soon passed away.
His younger brother Xue Mo was serving as a military officer at the Jin Wang's residence in Yangzhou at the time. Xue Jun, who was dying, left him a letter, in which he wrote:
I have come from a poor family since childhood, living a very difficult life, traveling far and wide to pursue my education, often going hungry. Having lost my parents at a young age, I didn't receive much formal education, relying solely on my father's teachings and my mother's good upbringing, I managed to persistently pursue my studies, unafraid of long journeys, studying hard until I achieved something. It has been twenty-three years since I laid down my farming tools to become an official. Although my official position is not high, my income is enough to support my family, hoping to provide for my parents in their old age and fulfill my filial duty. I did not expect that my filial piety has not been rewarded by heaven, and I have faced one misfortune after another; my brothers were all dismissed, our family has been plunged into extreme misery, and there was no time to seek justice. I am truly heartbroken and devastated!
Later, disasters came one after another; I endured torment, facing death several times, and was fortunate enough to return to my hometown. If the deceased are aware after death and can meet my ancestors in the afterlife, that would be great! This is truly my greatest wish. But thinking of you, all alone and far away on the frontier as an official, I feel both sad and regretful, and I don’t know how to express it. Fortunately, I have this letter for you now, hoping to bid farewell to you in person. I have been enduring illness and waiting for your return for the past ten days. You haven't returned, and I am about to leave this world—forever separated by life and death—how can I not be heartbroken? Please take care of yourself! Please take care of yourself!
Xue Jun finished writing the book and then passed away; he was forty-two years old that year. The authorities reported this to the founding emperor. After hearing this, the founding emperor was very sad, weeping inconsolably, and even sent someone to send a memorial and condolences. The memorial read: "The emperor said to the late Minister of Works, Xue Jun: Alas! You were a person of integrity and kindness, dedicated and meticulous in your duties, fully meeting the standards of being an official, diligent and conscientious, with outstanding performance. Unfortunately, you faced personal misfortune and left us unexpectedly. Your devotion to your parents deeply touched me, and I mourn you especially. This is all in keeping with court protocol. Therefore, I have sent someone here to carry out my decree. If your soul is aware, please accept this grace! Alas, how sad!"
Xue Jun was known for his integrity and frugality, and had no savings when he died. When Xue Jun was young, he played by the river with other children in the family. He saw a yellow snake with horns and legs and called everyone to see it, but no one else saw it. Xue Jun sensed it was an ominous sign and felt deeply troubled when he returned home. His mother asked him for the reason, and Xue Jun told her the truth. At that time, a monk came to the house to beg for alms, and Xue Jun's mother, frightened, shared this with the monk. The monk said, "This is a good omen for the boy, and this child will have a high official position in the future, but he would only live to be about sixty or seventy years old." After saying that, he left and suddenly disappeared, which puzzled everyone at the time. Later, Xue Jun did indeed die at the age of forty-two, confirming the monk's prediction of "sixty or seventy years." His son was named Qianfu and held a minor position as a warehouse manager in Wuan County.
Wang Ban, courtesy name Jingyan, was from Qixian, Taiyuan. His grandfather, Wang Shen Nian, was the General of the Left Guard of the Liang Dynasty; his father, Wang Sen Bian, served as a Grand Commandant. Wang Ban was handsome and talented from a young age. When his father suppressed the rebellion of Hou Jing, he was left behind as a hostage in Jingzhou. Later, when Emperor Yuan of the Zhou Dynasty was defeated by the Zhou Dynasty army, Wang Ban followed them into Guanzhong. Hearing that his father was killed by Emperor Wu of Chen, he was devastated and fainted for a while before regaining consciousness, crying incessantly and becoming emaciated. After the mourning period, he always wore coarse clothes, ate vegetarian food, and slept on straw.
Emperor Ming of Zhou appreciated him and appointed him as a Left Attendant, gradually promoting him to Prefect of Han Zhong, and later to Yitong Sanqi. In the early years of the Kaihuang era, for his achievements in pacifying the Southern Barbarians, he was granted the title of Kaifu (Minister of State) and appointed as the Duke of Sheqiu County. He presented a strategy to attack the State of Chen, which surprised the Emperor, prompting him to summon Wang Ban. After explaining the strategy, the Emperor was moved to tears, his expression shifting dramatically. Later, during the large-scale campaign against the State of Chen, Wang Ban volunteered to lead a few hundred men and horses to cross the Yangtze River at night with Han Qinhua's vanguard. He was injured in battle, worried that he would be unable to fight again, and wept in despair. He fell asleep in the middle of the night and dreamed that someone was giving him medicine. When he woke up, his wound no longer pained him, and people at the time believed it was his filial piety that touched the heavens.
After the fall of the Chen Dynasty, Wang Ban secretly summoned his father's former subordinates, gathering over a thousand people and weeping inconsolably before them. At this time, a strong man asked him, "My lord, you have conquered the Chen Dynasty, destroyed their state, and avenged your grievances. Why are you still so sad? Is it because your father died too early, and you were unable to kill Emperor Chen Wudi with your own hands? Why don't we dig up his tomb, burn his coffin and bones, as a show of filial piety?" Wang Ban kowtowed and declined, his forehead bloodied and bruised, and he replied, "Emperor Chen Wudi is an emperor; his tomb is large, and it may not be opened in one night. If we can't find his body by dawn, the truth will come to light. What should we do then?" The others suggested, "Let’s gather tools and dig together." So, that night they dug open the tomb of Emperor Chen Wudi, opened the coffin, and found that not a single hair of his beard had fallen; each one was still attached to his bones. Wang Ban then burned the bones of Emperor Chen Wudi and washed the ashes down with water. He then tied himself up and confessed to the Jin Prince. The Jin Prince reported this incident to Emperor Gaozu. Gaozu said, "I conquered the Chen Dynasty with justice, and what Wang Ban did was an act of filial piety. How can I bear to punish him?" So he let him go. The authorities documented his military achievements, prepared to grant him the title of "Pillar of the State," and reward him with five thousand bolts of cloth, but he firmly declined, saying, "I avenged my personal grievances using the state's power; my heart is not for serving the country, so I dare not accept these official positions and rewards." Emperor Gaozu agreed to his request. Later, he was appointed as the Inspector of Daizhou and performed well. After his mother passed away, he resigned from his official position. He later served as the Inspector of Qizhou and eventually died in office at the age of fifty-two. His brother, Wang Kui, is mentioned in the "Biographies of Literature."
Yang Qing, known as Boyue, was from Hejian, Hebei Province. His grandfather Yang Xuan and father Yang Gang were both famous for their filial piety. Yang Qing was handsome and intelligent. When he was sixteen years old, the Confucian scholar Xu Zunming saw him and thought he was exceptional. As he grew older, Yang Qing read many books. When he was twenty-five, the county held an examination for filial and incorrupt candidates, but he did not participate because he was taking care of his mother, who was ill. For seventy years, he never loosened his belt in service to his mother. After his mother passed away, he was grief-stricken and emaciated. He personally built her grave. Emperor Wenxuan of Qi recognized his family's virtues and rewarded him with thirty rolls of cloth, ten bales of cotton, and fifty stones of grain. After the founding emperor ascended the throne, he rewarded Yang Qing multiple times, promoted him to the rank of Yitong San Si, a high-ranking official position, and appointed him as the Prefect of Pingyang. He passed away at the age of eighty-five.
Guo Jun, known as Hongyi, was from Wenshui, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. His family lived harmoniously for seven generations, sharing their meals with their dogs and pigs, and crows and magpies nesting together. Contemporaries believed this was a result of their accumulated good deeds. The local authorities reported this to the court, and the emperor sent Yewen Bi of Pingchang to visit their home. When the Imperial Censor Liu Yu inspected Hebei, he also commended their family. When Han Wangliang served as the governor of Bingzhou, he greatly appreciated this and rewarded Guo Jun and his brothers with new clothes.
Tian Yi's birthplace is unknown. He was extremely filial and known for his devotion to his mother. When his stepmother was bedridden for over a year, Tian Yi personally changed her clothes, ate only when she ate, and refused to eat when she didn't. When his mother fell seriously ill with dysentery, Tian Yi suspected food poisoning and tasted the food himself. After his mother's passing, Tian Yi was overcome with grief and fainted on the spot. His wife also died from excessive sorrow, and the villagers honored them with a lavish burial.
Niu Hui, courtesy name Xiaozheng, was from Anyi, Hedong, Shanxi. He was extremely filial, and after his parents passed away during the reign of Emperor Wu Cheng of the Zhou dynasty, he lived beside their graves and personally carried soil to mound their tomb. A hemp plant grew in front of the tomb, more than ten feet tall, with a thick trunk and lush branches and leaves that remained green throughout winter and summer. A crow nested on top of it, and when Niu Hui cried loudly, the crow would also mourn, which struck people as strange at the time. Emperor Wu commended his family and appointed him as the magistrate of Gantang County. He passed away in the early years of the Kaihuang period.
Zi Shixiong, from a young age, was known for his integrity and filial piety. After his father passed away, he set up a shelter beside the grave and carried soil to mound the tomb. There was a locust tree in his family's courtyard that used to grow exceptionally well, but it withered after Zi Shixiong began observing mourning. When he completed the mourning period and returned home, the once-withered tree miraculously sprang back to life! Emperor Gaozu heard about this and commended the father and son for their filial piety, issuing a decree to honor them and naming the place where they lived "Leide Li."
Liu Shijun was from Pengcheng. He was exceptionally filial, and after his mother passed away, he fainted several times, only to regain consciousness! He stayed beside his mother's grave for seven days and nights without drinking water, carried soil to mound the tomb, and planted a row of pine and cypress trees. Even foxes and wolves appeared to be touched by his filial devotion, voluntarily bringing him food. After Emperor Gaozu ascended the throne, he specifically honored his family.
Lang Fanggui is from Huainan. He has been ambitious since childhood and lived with his cousin, Shuanggui. During the Kaihuang era, Fanggui went out on business, encountered heavy rain, and the Huai River swelled. He took a boat at the ferry to cross, but the boatman became furious and even broke his arm! When he got home, Shuanggui anxiously asked what happened, and Fanggui recounted the whole story. Furious upon hearing this, Shuanggui rushed to the ferry and killed the boatman! The ferry guards arrested Shuanggui and took him to the county office. After questioning, Fanggui was deemed the mastermind and sentenced to death, while Shuanggui was labeled an accomplice and exiled. Both brothers attempted to confess, but the county office couldn't reach a decision, so they were sent to the prefecture. The brothers continued to blame each other, and the prefecture was equally indecisive. They even argued about jumping into the river to end their lives! The prefecture reported this to the imperial court, and the emperor found it quite strange upon hearing the news. He pardoned them, praised their family, and rewarded them with a hundred bolts of cloth. Later, Fanggui became the chief scribe of the prefecture.
Zhai Pulin was from Chuqiu. He was kind and filial, and his reputation for filial piety was well-known. Although he was summoned numerous times to serve as an official, he chose instead to remain at home, farming and caring for his parents. The villagers affectionately referred to him as "Mr. Chuqiu." When his parents fell ill, he personally attended to them devotedly for seventy days. During the early days of the Daye era, both his parents passed away, leaving Zhai Pulin heartbroken, to the point of losing his sanity. He constructed a shelter beside their graves and personally shoveled the earth to create their burial mounds. Even in the cold winter, he wore nothing but a thin linen garment. His black dog, raised at home, stayed by his side at the gravesite. Whenever Zhai Pulin cried in sorrow, the dog would howl in mourning, drawing the admiration of onlookers. Two magpie nests were built in the cypress tree by his house, and the magpies frequently flew into his shelter, unafraid. During inspections by imperial officials, they praised Zhai Pulin's filial devotion, which led to his promotion as the magistrate of Xiaoyang County.
Li De Rao, from Zhao County, Bo County, was a native of the area. His grandfather, Li Che, was the right chancellor of the Ministry of Personnel during the Wei Dynasty; his father, Li Chun, held the position of Chief Historian in Jiezhou during the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty. Li De Rao was intelligent and eager to learn from a young age, kind-hearted, especially filial, and highly respected by his family members. When he was young, he became an Academician and worked in the Ministry of Interior, participating in document processing. He later became a censor, performing his duties with integrity, daring to correct the powerful without fear of offending anyone. In the third year of the Daye era, he was promoted to the position of Inspector of the Central Secretariat, frequently inspecting various regions, rectifying injustices for the wronged, and recognizing those who showed filial piety and kindness. Although his official position was not very high, his character and conduct were highly respected by the people of that time, and those who associated with him were all well-known talents. He was particularly filial to his parents; when his parents were ill, he did not eat or change his clothes for ten days. After his parents passed away, he did not drink any water for five days and vomited blood due to grief. On the day of the funeral, which coincided with heavy snow in midwinter, the journey was over forty miles. He wore coarse mourning clothes and bare feet, crying out until he almost fainted. Over a thousand people attended the funeral, and not a single person left without shedding tears. Later, sweet dew fell from the trees in his courtyard, and magpies built nests under the eaves of his house. When the Minister Yang Da inspected Hebei, he visited Li De Rao's home to offer condolences and renamed his village "Filial Village" and the neighborhood "Harmonious Neighborhood." He was later appointed as the county magistrate of Jinhe but faced a wave of banditry before he could assume
His younger brother, Li Dezhuo, is a man who keeps his promises. Towards the end of the Sui Dynasty, he served as a judicial clerk in Lishi County, and Governor Yang Zichong held him in high regard. Later, when the rebels rose up, Yang Zichong was killed and his body was thrown outside the city. Li Dezhuo mourned deeply and then buried him. When he arrived in Jiexiu, he joined the rebel forces and asked to take charge of the funeral arrangements for Yang Zichong. The general appreciated his loyalty and posthumously conferred an official title upon Yang Zichong, allowing Li Dezhuo to serve as an envoy to hold a grand funeral for Yang Zichong.
Hua Qiu hails from Linhe County in Jijun. He lost his father at a young age and was known for his devotion to his mother. Despite their poverty, he took on odd jobs to make ends meet. When his mother fell ill, Hua Qiu looked disheveled, and the whole county felt sorry for him. After his mother passed away, he stopped caring for his appearance and lost all his hair. He built a small shed near his mother's grave, turning down any offers of help. During the Deyuan era, the government mandated the collection of fox pelts, resulting in widespread hunting across the counties. A rabbit was chased into Hua Qiu's shed and hid under his knees. The hunters were taken aback and let the rabbit go. From then on, the rabbit often stayed in the shed, becoming close to Hua Qiu. The locals praised his devotion to his mother and brought the incident to the attention of the court. Emperor Yang of Sui sent envoys to offer him comfort and had a monument erected at his doorstep. Later, bandits frequented the area near Hua Qiu's shed, but they would caution one another not to disturb this devoted son. Many villagers owed their lives to Hua Qiu.
Xu Xiaosu was also from Jijun. His family comprised thousands of households, most of which lived in luxury. Only Xu Xiaosu was frugal, filial to his parents, and well-respected. He lost his father when he was young and never knew what he looked like. When he grew up, he asked his mother about his father's appearance, then commissioned a portrait and built a small shrine to worship at regularly. He cared for his mother with great filial piety, and for decades, his family never witnessed him lose his temper. When his mother grew old and fell ill, Xu Xiaosu tended to her every need and worried for several years. Anyone who witnessed this couldn't help but feel sorrow. After his mother passed away, Xu Xiaosu adopted a vegetarian diet, drank only water, wore only light clothing in winter, and grew extremely thin. He constructed tombs for his grandparents and parents, lived by the graves for over forty years, with unkempt hair and barefoot, and ultimately passed away in that manner.
His younger brother Xu Debei was highly intelligent, well-versed in the Five Classics, and was regarded as a Confucian scholar in the Hebei region. After Xu Debei's death, his son Xu Chumo also resided by the graveside. Their family has practiced filial piety for generations, which is truly admirable!
Historical records state: In the past, promoting respect for elders relied on nobles and ministers; but recently, those who advocate for filial piety and brotherly love are mostly from impoverished families. Individuals like Yanshi and Daoze, some of whom come from generations of high-ranking officials, while others vowed to serve the country, only to end up dead and their families devastated. Although this contradicts the rules established by the ancient kings, it also reflects their benevolent hearts.
The two brothers, Lang Gui, to save his younger brother, the elder brother nearly lost his life but succeeded in saving him; Tian Yifei and his wife both sacrificed their lives for their country, earning them a place in history. De Rao won over the bandits with his benevolence and righteousness, and De Zhuo impressed Xing Wang with his righteous deeds, all of which are worthy of praise. Niu Hui, Liu Jun, Zhai Lin, and Hua Qiu—some of their homes boast exceptionally lush flowers, plants, and trees in their courtyards, while others have unusually gentle birds and animals around their graves. Doesn't this demonstrate their utmost filial piety, touching the heavens, the earth, and the deities?
