Wang Chong, courtesy name Xingman, was originally from the Western Regions of China. His grandfather was named Zhitui (original text retained here), and later moved to live in Xinfeng. After his grandfather passed away, his grandmother became a widow and had an affair with the official Wang Can, and gave birth to Wang Chong's father, Wang Qiong. Wang Can later took Wang Qiong's mother as his concubine. Wang Chong's father was an orphan in his youth and was later married to Wang Can's wife. Wang Can loved him very much and allowed him to adopt the Wang surname. Later, he became the Chief Historian of Huaizhou and Bianzhou.
Wang Chong had curly hair, a voice as rough as a jackal, and was cunning and calculating. He secretly read many books, especially enjoying military strategy, and was also knowledgeable in divination and fortune-telling. However, he never spoke of it to anyone. During the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui, he became the Left Yiyi Guard, and later was granted nobility for his military accomplishments, becoming an official of the Ministry of War. He was very good at writing memorials and was well-versed in the law, but in reality, he was always calculating his gains and losses. If someone rebutted him, he would defend himself eloquently, speaking convincingly and with force. Even though everyone knew he was in the wrong, they found it difficult to refute him. Everyone said he had good eloquence and was skilled in debate.
During the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui, Wang Chong was promoted to become the magistrate of Jiangdu. At that time, Emperor Yang often visited Jiangdu, and Wang Chong was particularly good at observing and flattering the emperor, which made the emperor pleased every time he reported to the palace. Later, he also served as the supervisor of the Jiangdu Palace, embarking on large-scale construction projects and secretly presenting treasures from distant lands to the emperor to win his favor. As a result, his relationship with the emperor became even closer.
In 612 AD, the Sui Dynasty began to fall into chaos. Yang Xuangan, particularly adept at ingratiating himself, was very attentive to the people in the palace and polite to those with abilities. He secretly recruited a large number of talented individuals and gained many followers. The people of the Jianghuai region were known for their fierceness, and with bandits rampant at the time, many people committed crimes and were locked up in prison awaiting punishment. However, Yang Xuangan used unscrupulous methods to secure their release in order to gain their favor.
Later, Yang Xuangan rebelled, and Zhu Xie and Guan Chong in Jiangnan also rose up in response, proclaiming themselves generals, each commanding over ten thousand men! The emperor sent Tu Wanxu and Yu Juluo to suppress them, but they were unsuccessful. Yang Xuangan recruited over ten thousand men from Jiangdu and won several battles. After each victory, he credited his subordinates, distributing the spoils among the soldiers and taking no rewards for himself. Therefore, everyone was willing to risk their lives for him, and he achieved many military merits.
In 614 AD, a bandit leader named Meng Rang emerged in Qijun, who raided across the region from Changbai Mountain to Xuyi, with over ten thousand men under his command. Yang Xuangan led troops to resist, feigning weakness by establishing five camps at Duliangshan and confronting Meng Rang without fighting. When Meng Rang relaxed his guard, Yang Xuangan suddenly launched a fierce attack, securing a decisive victory, pursuing and wiping out Meng Rang's army, with Meng Rang fleeing with just a handful of cavalry. In this battle, ten thousand people were killed, and the captured livestock and military supplies were too numerous to count. The emperor recognized Yang Xuangan's military prowess and strategic acumen and began to let him lead troops to eliminate the small groups of bandits, restoring peace wherever he campaigned. However, Yang Xuangan was quite hypocritical, always putting on a façade of virtue to earn a good reputation.
In the year 615 AD, the Turkic people surrounded the emperor's temporary palace in Yanmen. Yang Xuangan sent all the available troops from Jiangdu to his rescue. When he arrived at the camp, he deliberately made himself look unkempt and disheveled, cried incessantly, never removed his armor, and slept on the ground. After hearing this, the emperor perceived his loyalty and grew to trust him even more.
Twelve years later, he was promoted to be the local official of Jiangdu. At that time, there was a man named Yanci who feigned humility but was, in fact, a bandit who commanded over a hundred thousand soldiers and was entrenched in the Douzi area. He led his forces to eliminate Yanci, scaring the other bandits into submission. Later, he went to defeat Lu Mingyue and won in Nanyang, decapitating tens of thousands and capturing an innumerable number of prisoners. When he returned to Jiangdu, the emperor was extremely pleased and personally presented him with a cup of wine as a reward.
Knowing that the emperor liked beautiful women, he said there were many pretty girls in the Jianghuai region and offered to help enrich the harem, even though these girls had little chance of ever entering the palace. The emperor was even more pleased and secretly let him select the beauties, using treasury funds and tribute goods intended for the capital as dowries. The expenses were astronomical and were recorded as "special expenses by imperial decree" without specifying amounts. If the emperor took a liking to them, he would reward Yang generously; even if he did not, Yang would still receive some form of reward. Later, he sent these women to the capital by boat, but bandits attacked along the way, causing the envoys in charge of escorting to suffer, resulting in over ten shipwrecks along the Huai and Si rivers, leading to numerous drownings. Some wanted to expose this, but he managed to suppress it and quickly sought replacements to ensure the tribute continued. From that point onward, his relationship with the emperor grew even more intimate.
Later, Li Mi captured Xingluo Warehouse, and his troops reached the outskirts of the Eastern Capital, where the imperial forces suffered several defeats in several battles. Pei Renji, the Grand Master of Splendor, surrendered to Li Mi at Wulao, which infuriated the Emperor, prompting him to order an attack against Li Mi. The Emperor issued a decree appointing him as a general to resist Li Mi at Luokou. After hundreds of battles, the outcomes were mixed. Later, he led his troops across the Luo River, approaching Xingluo Warehouse. After a battle with Li Mi, he suffered a major defeat, resulting in over ten thousand soldiers drowning in the river. At that time, it was freezing with heavy snow, and after crossing the river, the soldiers' clothes were soaked, leading to tens of thousands freezing to death along the way. By the time they reached Heyang, the army was reduced to just a few thousand men. He locked himself in prison to plead for forgiveness, and Prince Yang Dong sent someone to pardon him and summon him back to the capital. He managed to recruit scattered soldiers, amassing over ten thousand men, stationed in Hanjia City, and he no longer dared to venture out.
Yuwen Huaji assassinated the Emperor in Jiangdu, and Dou Jiande, along with Yuan Wendu, General Huangfu Wuyi, and Right Minister Lu Chu, supported Yang Dong as the Emperor. Yang Dong appointed Dou Jiande as Minister of Personnel and conferred upon him the title of Duke of Zhengguo. Later, Yang Dong heeded the counsel of Yuan Wendu and Lu Chu, appointing Li Mi as Grand Commandant and Minister of the Left. Li Mi then swore fealty to Yang Dong and led troops to resist Yuwen Huaji in Liyang, sending someone to report the victory. Everyone celebrated, but Dou Jiande remarked to his subordinates, "Yuan Wendu and his group are merely bureaucrats who only know how to read and do sums. In this situation, they're bound to be captured by Li Mi. Moreover, our army has fought against Li Mi, killing many of his fathers, brothers, and sons. If we surrender to him now, we're all doomed!" He said this to incite his subordinates.
Yuan Wendu was aware of this situation and was quite frightened. He discussed with Lu Chu and the others about planning to ambush Dou Jiande and kill him when he entered the palace. They had already set a date for the ambush, but General Duan Da informed Dou Jiande about their plan, saying that his son-in-law Zhang Zhi had told him. That night, Dou Jiande surrounded the imperial palace with soldiers, and General Fei Yao, Tian Shidu, and others fought against Dou Jiande's army outside the East Taiyang Gate. Fei Yao's army was defeated, and Dou Jiande broke through the city gates and rushed in. Huangfu Wuyi managed to escape on horseback. Dou Jiande captured Lu Chu and killed him. At that moment, before the palace gates were opened, Dou Jiande had someone knock on the door to inform Yang Dong, "Yuan Wendu and others want to capture the emperor and surrender to Li Mi. Duan Da told me about this. I am not trying to rebel; I am merely eliminating those who do!"
Yuan Wendu entered the palace after hearing the developments and took Yang Dong to Qianyang Hall, arranging for soldiers to guard him. He also ordered the generals to go up on the city wall to resist, but they were defeated, leading to Yuan Wendu's capture and execution. Yang Dong ordered the city gates to be opened for Dou Jiande's entry. Dou Jiande had the original guards replaced, then went in to meet Yang Dong. He knelt and wept, saying, "Yuan Wendu and others are too unreasonable, colluding to kill each other. The situation was urgent, which forced my hand; I dare not betray the country." Yang Dong formed an alliance with him. Later, Dou Jiande sent Wei Jie and others to convince Yang Dong to appoint him as the Left Chancellor, overseeing all military affairs inside and outside, and appointed his brother Dou Yun as the Minister of the Interior, who took up residence in the imperial palace.
Not long after, Li Mi defeated Wang Shichong's army and returned in triumph. However, his elite soldiers and warhorses sustained significant losses, and the soldiers were exhausted. Wang Shichong wanted to attack Li Mi while he was weak, but was afraid that no one would listen to him, so he resorted to cunning tactics. He claimed to have dreamed of Duke Zhou and then built a temple to worship Duke Zhou by the Luo River, and sent sorcerers to spread the word that Duke Zhou wanted him (Wang Shichong) to quickly attack Li Mi in order to achieve great merit; otherwise, the army would be plagued and die. Many people in Wang Shichong's army were superstitious Chu people, so he used this method to deceive them. As a result, everyone requested to go to battle.
Wang Shichong selected his best soldiers and strongest generals, totaling more than 20,000 people and over 1,000 horses, and moved 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 and had become somewhat complacent and had not set up defenses. Wang Shichong took advantage of the night to send over 200 cavalry to stealthily infiltrate the northern mountain, ambush in the valley, feed the horses, eat something, and rest. Then, under the cover of night, they crossed the Luo River, galloped toward Li Mi's camp at dawn, and attacked. Li Mi sent soldiers to meet them, but before they could form a proper formation, the two armies clashed. Wang Shichong's ambush troops charged down from the mountain, secretly climbed the high ground to the north, and attacked Li Mi's main camp from the high ground. Li Mi's camp was thrown into chaos; no one could resist, and Wang Shichong's army rushed into the camp and set it on fire. The Li Mi army was in a panic, unable to organize themselves, and generals Zhang Tong'er and Chen Zhilue surrendered. Wang Shichong then went on to capture Yanshi.
At first, Wang Shichong's brother Wang Wei and son Wang Xuan followed Wang Shichong to Dongjun, but later they were captured by Li Mi and imprisoned in the city. Now, Wang Shichong has successfully rescued them all. He also captured Li Mi's chief military advisor Bing Yuanzhen, his wife, the mother of Sima Zhengqianxiang, and the families of other generals. Wang Shichong treated them kindly, secretly urging them to convince their fathers or brothers to surrender. When Wang Shichong's army reached Luokou, Bing Yuanzhen, Zheng Qianxiang, and others opened the city gates and surrendered. Li Mi fled with only a handful of cavalry, while Wang Shichong absorbed all of Li Mi's troops into his ranks. From the East Sea to south of the Yangtze River, they all surrendered to him one after another. Wang Shichong also sent Wei Jie to persuade Dong (referring to Yang Dong), appointed Wei Jie as Grand Commandant, granted him officials, and turned the Ministry of Personnel Affairs into his mansion. Shortly after, Wang Shichong proclaimed himself King Zheng. He sent General Gao Lue to attack Shou'an, but failed and retreated. He then surrounded Guzhou with his army, but withdrew three days later. The following year, he proclaimed himself Prime Minister, accepting various rewards, and no longer paid homage to Yang Dong.
A Taoist priest named Huan Fasi emerged, who claimed to interpret prophecies and omens. He was a close confidant of Wang Shichong and held in high favor. Fasi presented a book called "Confucius' Record of Closing the Room," pointing to a picture of a man driving sheep with a stick, saying, "'Yang' sounds like the Sui Dynasty; if you add a horizontal line to 'gan,' it transforms into the character for 'king.' The character for 'king' is behind the sheep, indicating that you, Prime Minister, will replace the Sui Dynasty as the emperor!" He then showed articles from Zhuangzi, explaining, "The first article mentions 'world,' and the second mentions 'fulfillment,' which corresponds to your name, Prime Minister! This signifies that you will be embraced by the world, fulfilling the mandate of heaven to become the emperor!" Wang Shichong was elated and exclaimed, "This is indeed the mandate of heaven!" He immediately bowed deeply to Fasi in gratitude and appointed him as a Grand Advisor.
Wang Shichong also captured various birds, wrote messages on strips of cloth and tied them around the birds' necks, claiming it was a divine mandate, and then released the birds. Those who shot down these birds presented them to him, and he bestowed them with official titles. Later, Wang Shichong placed Emperor Yang Tong of Sui under house arrest in a side hall, took the reign title "Kaiming," and named his state Zheng. The Tang Dynasty sent Prince Qin Li Shimin to lead a large army to besiege him. Wang Shichong launched several counterattacks, but was defeated every time, with the various cities outside the city surrendering one by one.
Wang Shichong found himself in a desperate situation and sent a messenger to request help from Dou Jiande. Dou Jiande brought elite troops to his aid, but was defeated by Prince Qin Li Shimin upon reaching Wulao. Dou Jiande was captured and brought to Wang Shichong's city. Wang Shichong sought to break the siege and flee, but none of his subordinates answered his call, and he knew there was nowhere to hide. He then surrendered. Upon arriving in Chang'an, he was killed by his enemy, Dugu Xiude.
Duan Da, from Wuwei Guzang, was the son of Duan Yan, who had served as the Governor of Shuozhou in Northern Zhou. Duan Da inherited his father's title at the age of three, becoming the Duke of Xiangyuan County. When he grew up, he stood at eight feet tall, had a handsome beard, and was skilled in horseback riding and archery. When Emperor Wen of Sui was the Prime Minister, he appointed Duan Da as the Grand Commander, leading the army he trusted and often accompanying him. After Emperor Wen became emperor, Duan Da was appointed as the Left Zhai official and gradually rose in ranks to become the General of Chariots and Cavalry, while also serving as an advisor to Prince Jin.
When Gao Zhihui, Li Ji, and others rebelled, Duan Da led ten thousand soldiers to pacify Dingfang and Chuzhou. The emperor rewarded him with one thousand bolts of silk and promoted him to the title of Yitong Sansi. He also defeated Wang Wenjin and others in Xuanzhou and was promoted to the title of Kaifu, along with fifty slaves and four thousand bolts of silk. During the Renshou period, he served as the Deputy Commander of the Left Guard of the Crown Prince. In the early years of Daye, due to his good relationship with the emperor, he was appointed as the General of the Left Yiwu Guard. Later, he was sent to campaign against the Tuyuhun and was appointed as Jinziguanglu Daifu.
When the emperor campaigned in Liaodong, the people were heavily burdened by conscription. Qi Xiaode from Pingyuan, Zhang Jincheng from Qinghe, and others gathered a large following and turned to banditry, capturing many cities that local officials could not resist. The emperor sent Duan Da to fight them, but he faced several defeats at the hands of Zhang Jincheng and suffered heavy losses. The bandits disdained him and referred to him as "Lady Duan." Later, Duan Da employed the strategy devised by Yang Shanhui, the magistrate of Shuxian, to fight the bandits again and achieve victory. After returning to the capital, he was dismissed because of this incident.
The following year, the emperor went to campaign in Liaodong again, leaving Duan Da to guard Zhuojun. Shortly after, he was appointed as the General of the Left Yiwu Guard. Wei Dao'er from Gaoyang gathered more than one hundred thousand people, calling themselves "Lishan Fei," and looted in the Yan and Zhao regions. Duan Da, together with Guo Xuan, the garrison commander, defeated him. At that time, the area was rife with bandits, leading to fierce battles between the officials and soldiers, yet Duan Da was unable to capitalize on opportunities for a decisive victory. He focused on logistics and rarely achieved any military success, which led to people labeling him as timid and overly cautious.
In the twelfth year of the Dàyè period, the emperor left the Jiangdu Palace and left Duan Da and the Minister of Works, Yuan Wendo, behind to guard the Eastern Capital. Li Mi occupied Luokou and sent troops to attack the city at the Eastern Capital. Duan Da, the gatekeeper Pang Yu and the military officer Huo Ju, led the imperial army out of the city to resist. He earned some merit and was promoted to General of the Left Valiant Guard. After Wang Chong was defeated, Li Mi advanced and took control of Beimang, arriving at Shangchun Gate. Duan Da, the Left Minister Guo Wenyi, and the Minister Wei Jin led the troops to resist. Duan Da saw the enemy troops and fled without forming a battle line. Li Mi seized the opportunity, and the army suffered a major defeat, resulting in Wei Jin's death in battle. From then on, the enemy forces grew stronger.
After the emperor passed away in Jiangdu, Duan Da and others supported Prince Yang Dong's claim to the throne. Duan Da was appointed as Grand Chancellor, concurrently serving as an Imperial Counselor, and was bestowed the title of Duke of Chen. Yuan Wendo and others planned to assassinate Wang Shichong, but Duan Da secretly tipped off Wang Shichong and assisted him. When the conspiracy was uncovered, Prince Yang Dong handed Yuan Wendo over to Wang Shichong, who was deeply grateful to Duan Da and treated him with special respect.
After defeating Li Mi, Duan Da and others persuaded Prince Yang Dong to confer the Nine Bestowments upon Wang Shichong in preparation for abdication. Wang Shichong usurped the throne and named Duan Da as Minister of Works. After the Eastern Capital was pacified, Duan Da was executed for his involvement, and his wife and children had their property seized.
Historians say that those who were originally mediocre received the emperor's favor and enjoyed generations of benefits. Individuals like Wang Chong, who had limited abilities, were promoted and afforded better treatment than the veteran ministers. When the country declined, they did not dedicate themselves to serving the country, but instead exploited the situation to incite chaos and scheme for power. They led the lawless elements to become the root of turmoil, completely destroying the foundation of the country. Some personally led rebellions, while others secretly poisoned and committed countless crimes, rendering them unworthy of both heaven and earth, inciting the wrath of both mortals and deities!
So those ferocious and brutal leaders were killed one after another; those thoroughly wicked individuals were also eliminated one after another. This not only provided solace to the loyal and righteous but also imparted a profound lesson for posterity. Alas, as a subordinate, shouldn't one heed this as a warning? Isn't it a lesson worth heeding?
