Tian Yi, his origins unclear, was exceptionally filial. He took care of his stepmother who was bedridden for over a year, changing her bedding himself to keep it dry. He would only eat when his mother ate, and if she didn't eat, he wouldn't either. When his mother fell ill with dysentery, Tian Yi thought she had been poisoned and even tasted the nauseating food himself. After his mother passed away, Tian Yi was overcome with grief and fainted on the spot. His wife also died from excessive sorrow, and the villagers buried them together.
Niu Hui, also known as Xiao Zheng, was from Anyi in Hedong. He was extremely filial. During the reign of Emperor Cheng of the Zhou Dynasty, his parents passed away, and he built a shed next to their graves to observe filial piety. He personally piled up the soil for their graves. A hemp plant sprouted in front of the shed, reaching a height of ten feet, with lush green leaves that remained throughout the year. A crow perched on it, and when Niu Hui cried, the crow also mourned, which struck people as strange. Emperor Cheng praised him and appointed him as the county magistrate of Gantang. He passed away in the early years of the Kaihuang era.
Zi Shixiong was known for his integrity and filial piety from a young age. After his father passed away, he built a shed next to the grave to observe filial piety and personally piled up the soil for the grave. There was a locust tree in front of his house that used to be very lush, but during Zi Shixiong's period of mourning, the tree unexpectedly died. However, after he completed the mourning period and returned home, the withered tree miraculously revived. When Emperor Gaozu heard about this, he praised the father and son for their extreme filial piety, issued an edict to commend them, and named the place where they lived "Leide Village."
Liu Shijun, from Pengcheng, was extremely filial. After his mother passed away, he claimed to have seen her come back to life several times. He fasted for seven days, stayed by her grave to observe filial piety, personally piled up the soil for the grave, and planted pine and cypress trees. Even foxes and wolves, usually a threat, dared not disturb him and instead brought him food. After Emperor Gaozu ascended the throne, he praised Liu Shijun by writing an inscription on his family's door.
Lang Fanggui is from Huainan. He was ambitious from a young age and lived with his cousin, Lang Shuanggui. During the Kaihuang era, Lang Fanggui went out on business, was caught in a heavy rainstorm, causing the Huai River to swell. He waited at the ferry for a boat to take him across, but the boatman, angered, broke his arm. When he returned home, his younger brother Lang Shuanggui was shocked and asked what had happened. Lang Fanggui told him all about the incident. Lang Shuanggui, furious, 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 mastermind and sentenced to death, while Lang Shuanggui was considered an accomplice and sentenced to exile. Both brothers insisted on confessing to their roles, but the county office was unable to reach a verdict, so they were sent to the prefecture. The brothers both persisted in confessing, but the prefecture was also unable to decide. Both brothers contemplated suicide by drowning. The prefecture escalated the situation, and the emperor, upon hearing this, found it quite strange. He pardoned them, inscribed a commendation on their family's door, and rewarded them with one hundred pieces of cloth. Eventually, Lang Fanggui became the registrar of the prefecture.
Zhai Pulin is a man from Chuqiu. He is kind and filial, and his reputation for filial piety has spread far and wide. He was summoned multiple times by the local government to serve as an official, but he resolutely declined, dedicating himself to farming and caring for his parents at home. The people in his village all called him "Mr. Chuqiu." Later, when his parents fell ill, he personally took meticulous care of their daily needs. Even at the age of seventy, his parents depended on him completely. In the early years of the Sui Dynasty, his parents passed away one after the other, leaving Zhai Pulin devastated, nearly collapsing from grief. He built a simple shack next to his parents' graves, personally piled up the soil for their graves, and he wore only a thin linen garment instead of thick silk cotton clothes, even in the cold winter. He kept a black dog at home, which stayed by his parents' graves at all times. Whenever Zhai Pulin cried in sorrow, the dog would howl in sadness, which surprised and moved onlookers. There were also two magpie nests built on the cypress tree in front of his house, and the magpies would often fly into his shack, gentle and unafraid. During the early years of the Sui Dynasty, when the local officials inspected the area, they brought Zhai Pulin's filial piety to the court's attention, and he was promoted to be the magistrate of Xiaoyang County.
In this way, Zhai Pulin, the renowned "Mr. Chuqiu" known for his filial piety, was eventually appointed as an official by the court, which was a recognition and reward for his filial devotion. His story with the black dog and magpies added a poignant layer to his filial piety, becoming a cherished tale passed down through generations.
Li Derao, from Bairen County, Zhao County, was a descendant of Li Che, who served as the Right Chancellor of the Secretariat in the Wei Dynasty, and his father Li Chun, who was the Chief Historian of Jie Prefecture during the Kaihuang reign of the Sui Dynasty. Li Derao was intelligent and studious from a young age, with a kind heart, and was highly respected by his family. In his youth, he became an Academician and also served as an official in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, handling official documents. He later rose to become an Imperial Censor, performing his duties with integrity and daring to correct the mistakes of the powerful. In the third year of Emperor Yang's Daye reign, he was promoted to the position of an official, frequently touring various places, seeking justice for the wronged and honoring those who showed filial piety and kindness. Although his official rank was modest, his noble character was widely praised at the time, and he associated with notable figures of his time. He was especially filial to his parents, often fasting for an entire day and sometimes going ten days or even half a month without changing his clothes to care for them when they were sick. After his parents passed away, he was devastated by grief, not drinking any water for five days and crying so hard he coughed up several liters of blood.
On the day of the funeral, in the middle of winter, with a thick blanket of snow covering the ground, he walked over forty miles in mourning clothes and barefoot, sobbing and nearly collapsing from exhaustion along the way. Over a thousand people attended the funeral, and everyone shed tears. Miraculously, dew fell from the trees in his family's courtyard, and magpies built nests under the eaves. Yang Da, who was in charge of inspecting Hebei, specially went to his house to offer condolences and renamed the village where Li Derao lived to "Filial Piety Village" and the neighborhood to "Harmony Lane." Later, Li Derao was appointed as the county official of Jinhe, but before he could assume office, he ran into a gang of bandits. The bandit leader Ge Qian, Sun Xuanya, and more than ten others gathered in the Bohai area causing trouble. The government at that time ordered them to surrender, but Ge Qian and the others were afraid to surrender. Upon hearing that Li Derao was known for his integrity and strong reputation, they sent a memorial to the court saying, "If Li Derao is sent, we will surrender together." The emperor then sent Li Derao to the Bohai Sea to persuade those bandits to surrender.
When Li Derao arrived in Guan County, he happened to encounter other bandits attacking the county town, but tragically, he was killed. His brother Li Deluo was known for his honesty and integrity. Towards the end of the Sui Dynasty, he served as a judicial officer in Lishi County, and the governor Yang Zichong highly valued him. After the uprising of the righteous army, Yang Zichong was killed and his body was abandoned outside the city. Li Deluo mourned deeply and made arrangements for his burial. When he arrived in Jiexiu, he sought an audience with the leader of the righteous army and requested to handle the funeral arrangements for Yang Zichong. The general of the righteous army held him in high regard, bestowed an official title upon Yang Zichong posthumously, and appointed Li Deluo as an envoy to handle the funeral arrangements for Yang Zichong in Lishi.
Hua Qiu, from Linhe County in Jijun, lost his father at a young age. He was especially filial to his mother and was renowned for his devotion. Coming from a poor family, he worked for others to support himself. When his mother fell ill, Hua Qiu became so worried that his face changed color and his hair and beard became unkempt. The entire state pitied him. After his mother passed away, he ceased to comb his hair or wash his face, leading to his hair falling out. He built a makeshift shelter by his mother's grave and slowly piled up the grave himself. Whenever someone offered to help, he would kneel in gratitude but firmly decline. During the Daye period, the large-scale hunting of foxes for their pelts commenced in the county. A rabbit being chased by hunters ran into Hua Qiu's shelter and hid under his knees. When the hunters arrived at the shelter and saw this scene, they let the rabbit go. From then on, the rabbit frequently took refuge in the shelter overnight, forming a deep bond with Hua Qiu. People in the county praised his filial piety and brought his story to the attention of the court. Emperor Yang of Sui dispatched envoys to offer him solace and honored his family. Later, as banditry surged and frequently occurred near Hua Qiu's shelter, they cautioned one another, "Steer clear of this devoted son!" Many people in the village were saved because of this.
Xu Xiaosu, also from Ji County, comes from a family with thousands of households, most of whom are fond of ostentation and showing off. However, Xu Xiaosu is frugal, filial to his parents, and renowned. He lost his father at a young age and didn't know what his father looked like. As he grew older, he inquired with his mother about what his father looked like, then had a painter draw a portrait, erected a shrine to honor him, and regularly paid his respects. He was extremely filial to his mother, and for decades, his family never saw him angry. When his mother became ill in old age, Xu Xiaosu personally took care of her, filled with worry and exhaustion, for several years, and anyone who saw him couldn't help but feel sympathy. After his mother passed away, Xu Xiaosu ate a vegetarian diet and drank only water, wearing just a single garment throughout the harsh winter, becoming thin to the bone. He personally built the graves of his grandparents and parents, living by the graves for over forty years, with unkempt hair and barefoot, and finally passed away like that.
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 constructed a shelter by the grave to honor his father's spirit. Their family has been filial for generations, truly commendable.
Historical records say: In the past, the promotion of respect and love for elders often depended on the nobility; but in recent years, the emphasis on filial piety and camaraderie is increasingly evident in the homes of ordinary people. People like Yanshi and Daoze, some from noble families for generations, some who vowed to serve the country, ended up dead, leaving their families in ruin. Although their actions contravened the principles established by ancient kings, their benevolence and sense of righteousness remain evident.
The Lang brothers sacrificed themselves to save each other, ultimately both survived; the Tian Yi couple both chose to die for love, earning their place in history. De Rao won over the mountain bandits with his kindness and righteousness, and De Zhuo impressed the Prince of Xing with his noble deeds, which are all commendable. Niu Hui, Liu Jun, Zhai Lin, and Hua Qiu—some have particularly lush plants and trees in their yards, while others have gentle birds and animals around their graves. Isn't it because of their deep filial piety that they have moved heaven and earth?
