Wang Jia hailed from Zhangwu in Hebei province. During the late Kaihuang period of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, he held a minor position in Qizhou as a military officer, and initially, he was quite unremarkable. Later, the governor of Qizhou sent him to escort more than seventy prisoners, including Li Can, who had been exiled for their offenses, to the capital. At that time, the regulations mandated that exiled prisoners be escorted in shackles. When Wang Jia reached Xingyang, he witnessed their suffering and felt a deep sympathy for them. He called them over and said, "You have broken the laws of the state and tarnished societal morals. It is right for you to suffer wearing shackles, but can you walk this long distance with such heavy shackles without feeling any shame?" Li Can and the others quickly expressed their heartfelt thanks. Wang Jia said, "Although you have broken the law, these shackles are indeed too harsh. I wish to assist you in removing them. Let's reconvene in the capital. Can you assure me that you won't escape and will arrive on time?" The prisoners all knelt down in gratitude, pledging, "We will not run away!" So Wang Jia helped them remove their shackles, released the soldiers escorting them, and struck a deal with them: "You must reach the capital by a specific date. If anyone is late or arrives early, I will be held accountable for you." Then he let them go.
Those exiled prisoners were very grateful and all arrived in the capital on time, without anyone escaping or violating the agreement. The Emperor was very surprised when he heard about this and summoned Wang Jia to discuss it, praising him for a long time. Then the Emperor summoned all those exiled prisoners, allowed them to bring their wives, children, and elderly into the palace, hosted a banquet for them, and granted them a pardon. The Emperor also issued a decree saying, "All people in the world, regardless of their background, have a sense of good and evil. If they are guided with sincerity and taught with clear reasoning, the social atmosphere will improve, and people will tend towards goodness. In the past, due to chaos in the world and moral decay, officials lacked compassion, and the common people had become cunning, resulting in endless lawsuits and a declining social order that was hard to manage. I have been entrusted by heaven to pacify the people, wanting to follow the teachings of sages and educate the people with morality. I strive for this every day. Wang Jia deeply understands my intentions and teaches those exiles with genuine sincerity. Li Can and others were moved and voluntarily surrendered to the authorities. This shows that people can be educated easily; it's just that officials have not fulfilled their responsibility of education, which leads them to commit crimes without the chance to reform. If all officials could be like Wang Jia, and all people could be like Li Can, then there would be no need for punishment. Isn't this goal achievable?" So the Emperor promoted Wang Jia to be the magistrate of Yong County, where he achieved remarkable success and earned a great reputation.
Wei Deshen, who hails from Julu, had a grandfather, Wei Chong, who held the positions of Minister of Justice and Governor of Jianzhou in the Zhou Dynasty, before the family later moved to Hongnong. His father, Wei Pi, served as the magistrate of Yulin County. Wei Deshen started as a minor official under Emperor Wen, later becoming the assistant official of Fengyi County and the household officer of Wuyang County. Thanks to his outstanding abilities, he was promoted to magistrate of Guixiang County. He was honest and fair in his official duties, not very strict, but effectively managed the county.
At that time, there was a war going on with Liaodong, with numerous taxes imposed and officials constantly shuttling back and forth, shifting blame to the counties. The court discipline was lax, corruption among officials was rampant, extorting the people everywhere and leaving the common people in dire straits. Only in the county governed by Wei Deshen did the people live peacefully, with all their needs met promptly and free from any disturbances. While thieves were rampant and many cities near Wuyang were breached, Wei Deshen's county remained unscathed. County magistrate Yuan Baozang was tasked with chasing the thieves, but he lost every battle and exhausted all his weapons and resources, resorting to forcing the people to hand over their belongings and frequently applying military law, repeating this several times. Other cities concentrated on building defenses within their administrations, with officials shifting blame and making noise day and night, yet achieving little progress. Wei Deshen, on the other hand, asked the people what they needed and then allowed them to prepare it themselves. The government was quiet, as if nothing was amiss. He merely kept the county officials in check, ensuring that the defensive works weren't better than those in other counties, so the people wouldn't suffer too much. However, the officials under him worked diligently, resulting in the county's defenses being the best.
Later, Wei Deshen was transferred to Guantao County as the county magistrate. When the officials and people of Guixiang County heard about this, they all recalled various deeds he had done when he was in office, crying uncontrollably and unable to speak. When Wei Deshen was about to leave, all the people of the city came to see him off, crying loudly, the sound of their cries carrying far down the road. Upon arriving in Guantao County, all the common folk treated him like family. There was a shady character named Zhao Junshi, who was a local official and was well-connected with the county magistrate Yuan Baozang. Previous county magistrates had never dared to defy them. Since Wei Deshen arrived, Zhao Junshi stayed holed up at home, too scared to go out. Those who had fled all returned, turning the place into a lively fair. The elders and folks of Guixiang, fearless in the face of danger, went to the capital to ask the court to keep Wei Deshen on, and the emperor agreed.
The common people of Guantao County ran to the county office again, complaining that the official documents from Guixiang County were fake. The county office was unable to make a decision. Just then, the envoys Wei Ji, Du Zheng, and others arrived, and both counties went to the envoys to complain. The envoys ultimately ruled in favor of Guixiang County. The officials and people of Guixiang County were so happy that they ran through the streets celebrating. The people of Guantao County were heartbroken, and hundreds of families moved away as a result. Yuan Baozang was intensely envious of Wei Deshen's abilities. Shortly after, Yuan Baozang defected with Wuyang to join Li Mi. The soldiers led by Wei Deshen were all from Wuyang and were preparing to rebel alongside their fellow townsfolk. Thinking of his relatives and friends, Wei Deshen walked to the city gate facing east and cried out in despair, then returned. Someone advised him, "Li Mi's army is near Jinyang City, just over twenty miles away. If you want to go back, no one can stop you. Why make it difficult for yourself?" Those soldiers cried and said, "We came with County Chief Wei and cannot abandon him, no matter how difficult the journey is!" This is how Wei Deshen garnered the people's loyalty. Later, Wei Deshen died in battle against the bandits, and the people of Guixiang and Guantao still remember him fondly to this day. It is said that at that time, the county magistrate of Liyang, Gao Shiheng from Bohai, the county magistrate of Xiaoxian, Liu Gao from Pengcheng, and the county magistrate of Chenggao, Liu Chi from Hongnong, were exceptionally benevolent and kind to the common people. As the Sui Dynasty was coming to an end, many officials had turned corrupt, but Gao Shiheng, Liu Gao, and Liu Chi remained honest and upright, even more than before. The local atmosphere was exceptionally positive, and the prison had hardly any inmates. They were widely praised by the people.
The history books say: The ancients said it well, "Those who are good at managing water will guide it to flow smoothly; those who are good at educating the people will help them find stability." When the water is calm, it will not break the embankments; when the people are peaceful, they will not violate the law. Therefore, to change customs, to reform and educate the people, and to uphold morality, it is not enough to rely solely on strict enforcement; it also requires upright and honest officials. People like Gao Shiheng all uphold the right path in their hearts and treat the people with the utmost sincerity, so the regions they govern flourish. Once they leave, the people deeply miss them. As for Jing Mao, who suppresses evil and promotes good, and Liu Kuang, who educates the people in his jurisdiction, their virtues surpass even those of renowned historical officials like Xincheng, Dushi, Zhenghun, and Zhuyi! The Book of Songs says, "A gentle and kind gentleman is like a parent to the people." This is absolutely true!
Unfortunately, Gong Yi, despite his noble character and the Emperor's favor, was eventually exiled on the road, which is truly a pity! Then there is Liu Jian, who, after finishing his term, said goodbye with nothing but plain water, truly embodying integrity!
