Yan Rong, styled Guigong, was from Huayin. His father was a general in the Zhou Dynasty. Yan Rong was known for his strict and stern personality, exceptional martial arts skills, and served as a senior palace guard in the Zhou Dynasty. Later, he followed Emperor Wu to attack the Qi State, distinguished himself in battle, and was granted the title of Marquis of Gaoyi County. After Emperor Gaozu ascended the throne, Yan Rong was promoted to Grand General, granted the title of Marquis of Luocong County, and became the Inspector of Jinzhou. He also followed Prince Hong of Hejian to fight against the Turks, achieved more merits, and was appointed as a Senior Pillar State. Later, he was transferred to Qingzhou as the Governor.
During his tenure as Governor of Qingzhou, Yan Rong appointed particularly strong individuals as squad leaders. If any officials or civilians were inefficient in their duties, he would interrogate them strictly and administer harsh punishments, often leaving them severely injured. Petty thieves were terrified to show their faces, and Qingzhou became peaceful and quiet. Travelers passing through Qingzhou were afraid to stop and rest, fearing they would encounter bandits. When the Emperor heard about this, he held Yan Rong in high regard. Later, when Yan Rong went to the capital to pay his respects, the Emperor personally praised and encouraged him. Because his mother was getting older, Yan Rong requested to visit the capital once a year, which the Emperor granted. Before he left, the Emperor hosted a banquet in the palace, where nobles and ministers composed poems to bid him farewell.
During the campaign against the Chen Dynasty, Yan Rong was appointed as the Commander of the Expeditionary Army, leading a naval force from Donglai along the coast into Lake Tai, attacking Wu County. After capturing Danyang, the people of Wu rallied behind Xiao Huan as their leader, who put up a resistance in Jinling but was ultimately defeated by Yu Wenshu and retreated to Baoshan. Yan Rong led a pursuit with five thousand elite soldiers, defeated Xiao Huan, captured him, and brought peace to Jinling and Kuaiji. He was then appointed as the Governor of Yangzhou, but was soon recalled to the court as the Right General of Martial Affairs. When the Turks invaded the frontier, he was appointed as the Commander of the Expeditionary Army and stationed in Youzhou. After his mother passed away, he stepped down from his position. The following year, he was reappointed as the Governor of Youzhou.
Yan Rong, this person, has a strict personality and a domineering presence. When his subordinates see him, they turn pale with fear and are at a loss. The Lu family of Fanyang is a prestigious family in the local area, and Yan Rong deliberately assigns them the lowest-ranking positions to humiliate them. He frequently whips his attendants, and it's not uncommon for him to beat hundreds of people at once, with blood running like a river on the ground, while he remains calm. Once during his inspection, he saw a pile of thorns on the road, thought he could use them as whips, had them brought to him, and then used them to beat people. When someone claimed they hadn't committed any wrongdoing, Yan Rong said, "If you commit a crime in the future, I'll let you off." Later, when this person made a small mistake, Yan Rong wanted to beat him. The person said, "When you beat me before, you said you would spare me if I was guilty." Yan Rong replied, "If I punish you for not doing anything wrong, what do you think will happen if you actually do something wrong?" and proceeded to beat him as usual. Every time Yan Rong patrols his jurisdiction, if he hears that any official or civilian's wife or daughter is beautiful, he goes to their homes to assault them. He is greedy, cruel, and increasingly unrestrained in his actions.
At that time, Yuan Hongsi was appointed as the Prefect of Youzhou. Fearing humiliation from Yan Rong, he resolutely declined. When the emperor learned of this, he ordered Yan Rong to declare, "For any offense by Hongsi that warrants more than ten strokes, it must be reported to the court." Yan Rong angrily said, "This kid dares to play tricks on me!" So, he sent Hongsi to supervise the granaries, punishing him harshly for even the slightest infraction. Though each beating was fewer than ten strokes, he could be punished multiple times a day. This went on for several years, increasing the animosity. Eventually, Yan Rong was arrested and starved. Hongsi, hungry and cold, had to rip the cotton from his clothes and soak it in water to survive. His wife pleaded to the palace, and the emperor sent Liu Shilong, the Assistant Minister of Personnel, to investigate. The investigation confirmed Yan Rong's brutalities, and he had committed many wrongdoings. Consequently, the emperor summoned him back to the capital and had him executed. Strangely, a few bushels of maggots mysteriously appeared in Yan Rong's bedroom. Shortly thereafter, Yan Rong died right where the maggots had appeared. He had a son named Yan Xun.
Zhao Zhongqing was from Longxi, Gansu. His father, Zhao Gang, served as a prominent general in the Zhou Dynasty. Zhao Zhongqing had a rough temperament but was exceptionally strong, and the Prince of Qi of the Zhou Dynasty showed him particular respect.
After the battle to pacify the state of Qi, he captured five cities: Lin Qin, Tong Rong, Wei Yuan, Fu Long, and Zhang Bi. Later, fighting against Qi's general Duan Xiaoxian at Yaoxiang City, they fought continuously for many days and eventually defeated Duan Xiaoxian. For his achievements, he was appointed as the Grand Commandant and later became the emperor's bodyguard. After the battle to pacify the state of Qi, he was promoted to Commandant of Yi while also serving as the Prefect of Zhao County. Later, he went to the capital and became a high-ranking official. When Wang Qian rebelled, Zhao Zhongqing was in Lizhou at the time and led troops in resistance with General Dou Luji. They fought Wang Qian in seventeen battles. After Wang Qian was defeated, Zhao Zhongqing was promoted to Grand General and granted the title of Duke of Changyuan, with a fief of one thousand households. When Emperor Gaozu ascended the throne, Zhao Zhongqing's title was further promoted to Duke of Hebei.
In the third year of the Kaihuang era, the Turks invaded the border, and Zhao Zhongqing followed Prince Hong of Hejian to fight in Helan Mountain. Zhao Zhongqing took a different route for the attack but returned without encountering any enemies. Later, he garrisoned Pingliang and was appointed as the Inspector of Shizhou. He was notorious for his strict enforcement of the law, not tolerating even the smallest mistakes, and often lashing the Chief Clerk with two hundred lashes. The officials below him were too scared to disobey, and thieves disappeared, which earned him a fearsome reputation. He was later promoted to Inspector of Yanzhou, and before he could assume the position, he was appointed as the Commander of Shuozhou. At that time, the northern border was developing agriculture, and Zhao Zhongqing was responsible for overseeing it. If anyone mismanaged, he would summon them and give them harsh beatings, sometimes stripping them of their clothes and dragging them into thorn bushes. People at the time described him as a fierce beast. However, his efficiency led to better grain harvests each year, eliminating the need to transport food from the rear to the border.
Later, the Turkic Qimin Khan sought a marriage alliance with the Sui Dynasty, and the emperor agreed. Zhao Zhongqing took the opportunity to create discord among the Turkic factions, causing them to attack each other. In the seventeenth year of the Sui Dynasty, Qimin Khan was forced to flee with the Sui Dynasty envoy Zhang Sun Cheng to Hanzhen. Zhao Zhongqing led over a thousand cavalry to rescue, but did not dare to get too close. He secretly sent people to persuade Qimin Khan's subordinates to surrender, and more than twenty thousand households surrendered. That year, accompanying General Gao Feng, they went to fight Datou along the White Road. Zhao Zhongqing led three thousand soldiers as vanguard, and encountered the enemy at Zuli Mountain, fought for seven days, and defeated the enemy. They pursued the enemy to Qifu Po, defeated them again, captured over a thousand people, and seized tens of thousands of livestock. The Turkic forces surged out, and Zhao Zhongqing formed a square formation and resisted on all sides. After five days of fighting, Gao Feng's army arrived, and together they attacked, causing the Turkic forces to flee in defeat. They pursued them beyond the White Road and crossed over seven hundred li of Qinshan. At that time, over ten thousand Turkic households surrendered, and the emperor ordered Zhao Zhongqing to relocate them to Heng'an. For his achievements, Zhao Zhongqing was promoted to Senior Pillar of the State and rewarded with three thousand bolts of cloth.
The court was worried that Datou would attack Qimin Khan, so Zhao Zhongqing was tasked with leading twenty thousand soldiers to defend. Governor of Daizhou Han Hong, Duke Yongkang Li Yaowang, and Governor of Weizhou Liu Long led ten thousand infantry and cavalry to station in Heng'an. Datou led one hundred thousand cavalry to invade, Han Hong's army was defeated, and Zhao Zhongqing set out from Lening Town to intercept, killing over a thousand enemies. The following year, Zhao Zhongqing supervised the construction of the cities of Jinhe and Dingxiang, and settled Qimin Khan. At that time, someone reported that Zhao Zhongqing was cruel, so the emperor sent an official to investigate, which was substantiated. However, given Zhao Zhongqing's significant contributions, he was not punished, and he was comforted by saying, "I know you are upright, just disliked by your subordinates." He was rewarded with five hundred bolts of cloth. Zhao Zhongqing grew increasingly brazen and was eventually dismissed from office.
During the reign of Emperor Yang, Zhao Zhongqing served as the Minister of Agriculture and Commerce. When the Shu King Yang Xiu committed a crime, he was ordered by the emperor to investigate matters in Yizhou. Wherever Yang Xiu's guests passed by, Zhao Zhongqing deliberately found faults, dealt with them according to the law, and many local officials faced punishment. The Emperor recognized his exceptional administrative skills and rewarded him with fifty servants, two hundred taels of gold, five thousand stones of grain, and many treasures. After Emperor Yang of Sui ascended the throne, Zhao Zhongqing became the Minister of War and Minister of Works. In that year, Zhao Zhongqing died at the age of sixty-four, posthumously honored with the title "Su," and was granted five hundred bolts of cloth. His son Zhao Hong inherited his title.
Cui Hongdu, styled Moheyen, was from Anping, Hebei. His grandfather Cui Kai was the Minister of Works in Northern Wei, and his father Cui Shuo served as the Prefect of Fuzhou during the Zhou Dynasty. Cui Hongdu was naturally endowed with extraordinary strength, tall and fierce-looking, with notably thick eyebrows and a bushy beard, and a rather stern personality. At the age of seventeen, he caught the attention of the powerful minister of the Zhou Dynasty, Yuwen Hu, who took him under his wing. He quickly rose to the rank of commander, and later ascended through several ranks, ultimately becoming a grand commander. At that time, Yuwen Hu's son, the Marquis of Zhongshan, Yuwen Xun, became the Prefect of Puzhou and had Cui Hongdu follow him. Once, as they climbed a tower together and reached the top floor about forty to fifty feet high from the ground, as they looked down, Yuwen Xun exclaimed, "This is terrifying!" Cui Hongdu responded, "What’s so scary about that?" and leaped down without a scratch. Yuwen Xun was amazed by his agility. Subsequently, due to his military achievements, Cui Hongdu was appointed as a Companion of Honor. He followed Emperor Wu of Zhou in defeating Northern Qi, received numerous promotions and titles, becoming the Marquis of Yexian, and was rewarded with three thousand bolts of cloth, three thousand stones of grain, a hundred servants, and countless livestock. He then followed the Duke of Runan, Yuwen Shenju, in defeating Lu Changqi and achieving victory in Fanyang.
After Emperor Xuan of Zhou ascended to the throne, Cui Hongdu followed Duke Wei Xiaokuan of Yun to suppress the rebellion in Huainan. He arrived at Feikou with Yuwen Xin and Helou Zigang. General Pan Chen of the Chen Dynasty led several thousand soldiers to resist, forming a line across the river. Yuwen Xin sent Cui Hongdu to persuade them to surrender, explaining the interests involved, and Pan Chen fled by night. They then attacked Shouyang, where Chen Zhao's defending general Wu Wenli surrendered, and Cui Hongdu achieved a significant victory. Because of these military achievements, he was promoted to Grand General and inherited his father's title, Duke of Anping. During Wei Jiong's rebellion, the court appointed Cui Hongdu as the commander of the expedition, following Xiaokuan to suppress it. Cui Hongdu recruited hundreds of elite warriors from Chang'an to form an elite force, which proved unstoppable. Cui Hongdu's sister married Wei Jiong's son, and when Ye City fell, Wei Jiong had no way out and climbed to the rooftop. Cui Hongdu pursued him to the rooftop, where Wei Jiong aimed his bow and arrow at Cui Hongdu. Cui Hongdu removed his helmet and said, "Do you recognize me? Today, we each serve different masters and cannot consider personal relationships. For the sake of our kinship, I advise you to lay down your weapons and prevent your soldiers from acting recklessly. Given the current situation, you should plan for yourself sooner rather than later, what are you waiting for?" Wei Jiong threw his bow down, cursed the Grand Chancellor, and then committed suicide. Cui Hongdu told his brother Cui Hongsheng, "Go and get Wei Jiong's head." Cui Hongsheng then severed Wei Jiong's head. As a result, Cui Hongdu was promoted to Grand Pillar of State.
At that time, the military commander was usually conferred the title of Duke, but for failing to eliminate Wei Jiong in a timely manner and for making some harsh comments, Cui Hongdu was demoted to the title of Duke of Wuxiang County. In the early years of the Sui Dynasty, the Turks launched an invasion, and Cui Hongdu, as the military commander, stationed in Yuanzhou to mount a defense. After the enemy retreated, Cui Hongdu stationed in Lingwu, returned to the capital after a month, and was appointed as the Inspector of Huazhou. He also married his sister off to Prince Xiao of Qin. Shortly after, he was promoted to the military commander of Xiangzhou. Cui Hongdu had always held a prominent position, was very strict with his subordinates, often punishing them, and officials and common people feared him greatly, trembling at the mere sound of his voice. Wherever he went, his orders were obeyed, and thieves vanished. When Prince Xiao of Liang, Xiao Cong, came to pay his respects to Emperor Wen of Sui, Emperor Wen appointed Cui Hongdu as the military commander of Jiangling, guarding Jingzhou. Before Cui Hongdu took office, Xiao Cong's uncle Yan Yong led a local rebellion, and Cui Hongdu could not catch up. The people of the Chen Dynasty feared Cui Hongdu greatly and did not dare to covet Jingzhou. During the campaign to pacify the Chen Dynasty, Cui Hongdu, as the military commander, set out from Xiangyang with Prince Xiao of Qin. After the Chen Dynasty fell, he was rewarded with five thousand bolts of fabric. When Gao Zhihui and others rebelled, he was once more appointed as the military commander, departing from Quanmen and returning under Yang Su's command. Cui Hongdu and Yang Su held equivalent ranks, but Cui Hongdu was older than Yang Su, and Yang Su often forced him into a subordinate role. Cui Hongdu felt quite resentful about this and did not accept many of Yang Su's suggestions, but Yang Su was still relatively tolerant of him.
After the rebellion was suppressed, Cui Hongdu was appointed as the Prefect of Yuanzhou and also held the position of Grand Marshal to guard against the Turks. He returned to the capital smoothly, and the emperor treated him very well, marrying his brother Cui Hongsheng's daughter to the Prince of Henan. During the Renshou era, Cui Hongdu was appointed Minister of Works. With two princesses in his family, he felt his status was very high; he was never humble and often reminded his subordinates, saying, "One should be honest and generous, and not deceive others." Everyone, feeling quite intimidated, replied, "It's delicious." Once, while having soft-shelled turtle, with seven or eight attendants serving him, Cui Hongdu asked each of them, "Is the turtle delicious?" Cui Hongdu angrily retorted, "How dare you lie to me? You haven't even eaten it; how do you know it's delicious?" Then he had each of them given eighty lashes. All the officials and craftsmen who witnessed this scene were scared, sweating bullets, and never dared to deceive him again. At that time, there was a general named Qutu Gai, who was also very severe. A saying circulated in Chang'an City: "I would rather drink three liters of vinegar than see Cui Hongdu; I would rather eat three liters of mugwort than meet Qutu Gai." Cui Hongdu ran his household with the same strictness he applied in court. His descendants went gray at a young age, were frequently beaten, and the family discipline was incredibly strict. People at that time praised him. Soon after, the Queen of Qin was executed for making a mistake, and the Princess of Henan was also deposed. Cui Hongdu was filled with sorrow and rage, so he requested to step down, and his brothers also lived separately from him. He grew increasingly disheartened. After Emperor Yang of Sui ascended the throne, the Prince of Henan was named crown prince. Emperor Yang of Sui wanted to reinstate the Cui family as the princess and sent envoys to deliver the decree. When the envoys arrived at Cui Hongsheng's house, Cui Hongdu was unaware. When the envoys returned, Emperor Yang of Sui asked, "What did Cui Hongdu say?" The envoys replied, "Cui Hongdu said he was sick and couldn't get out of bed." Emperor Yang of Sui remained silent, and the matter was quietly forgotten. Cui Hongdu fell ill from sorrow and indignation and soon passed away.
Hong Sheng, courtesy name Shangke, was a rather prestigious senior officer in the Zhou Dynasty. Later, when Wei Jiong rebelled in Xiangzhou, he and his brother Hong Du led their troops into battle, achieved great success, and were jointly appointed as Upper Yitong. Shortly thereafter, he was promoted to the position of Kaifu and was also titled as the Marquis of Huangtai County, with a fief that included eight hundred households. After the founding emperor ascended the throne, Hong Sheng's title was further elevated to Duke, and he was appointed as the General of Cavalry. He served as a guard in the imperial palace for over a decade, and due to his status as a veteran, he was appointed as the Inspector of Cizhou. Several years later, he was promoted to the position of Inspector of Zhengzhou. As his relationship with the royal family grew closer, his status improved, and he eventually became the Governor of Xiangzhou, a highly coveted position. Unfortunately, when the Princess of Henan committed an offense and was deposed, Hong Sheng, because of his connections to the princess, was also dismissed from his position.
After Emperor Yang of Sui ascended the throne, Hong Sheng returned to office, serving in succession as the Inspector of Jizhou and then as the Prefect of Xindu, eventually attaining the rank of Jinzi Guanglu Dafu. Later, he was transferred to serve as the Prefect of Zhuojun. During the campaign in Liaodong, he was temporarily appointed as the General of the Left Martial Guard and was tasked with the assault on Pyongyang. However, they suffered defeat, and he and Yu Wenshuo made a hasty retreat. Not long after, he fell ill and died at the age of sixty.
Yuan Hongsi was from Luoyang, Henan. His grandfather held the title of King of Yuyang during the Wei Dynasty, and his father was the Duke of Yuyang County in the Zhou Dynasty. Hongsi inherited his title at a young age and was appointed as the Left Guard at the age of eighteen. In the ninth year of the Kaihuang era, he fought alongside the Jin Prince to quell the Chen Dynasty and was awarded the position of Upper Yitong in recognition of his achievements.
After fourteen years, he was appointed as the Governor of Guanzhou. While serving in Guanzhou, he was notoriously harsh, and those under his command resented him. Twenty years later, he was transferred to Youzhou as the Governor. At that time, the Governor of Youzhou was Yan Rong, who was arrogant and often bullied Hongsi, frequently beating and scolding him. Hongsi felt wronged and was eventually imprisoned by Yan Rong, who had intended to kill him. After Yan Rong was killed, Hongsi took over and ruled even more tyrannically. During interrogations, he would often pour vinegar up the noses of prisoners or insert objects into their orifices, forcing even the most deceitful to confess. Towards the end of the Renshou era, he was appointed as the Chief Carpenter and tasked with building the Eastern Capital. In the early days of the Daye era, Emperor Yang secretly planned to attack Liaodong and sent Hongsi to oversee shipbuilding at Donglai Harbor. The laborers conscripted from various provinces were brutally whipped by him, and officials forced them to stand in water day and night, hardly allowing them to rest. From the waist down, their bodies were infested with maggots, resulting in the deaths of thirteen or fourteen individuals. He was later promoted to the Yellow Gate Attendant and then to the Palace Attendant. During the Liaodong campaign, he was further promoted to the rank of Golden Purple Radiance Grand Master. The following year, the Emperor launched another campaign against Liaodong, coinciding with the invasion of Longyou by the Turks. The Emperor ordered Hongsi to subdue them. When Xuangang rebelled and approached the Eastern Capital, Hongsi stationed troops in Anding. Someone accused Hongsi of plotting with Xuangang, and Prince Yang You sent men to arrest him and bring him to the Emperor's presence. Although no evidence of rebellion was found against Hongsi, and he should have been released, the Emperor remained suspicious and dismissed him, exiling him to Rinan. Hongsi died on the way there at the age of forty-nine. He had a son named Renguan.
Wang Wentong, from Yingyang near the capital, was intelligent and capable, with a strong ability to get things done. During the reign of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, he was appointed as a Yitong official due to his military achievements, and soon after became the Sima of Guizhou. When Emperor Yang of Sui ascended the throne, he summoned Wang to the capital to serve as a junior official in the Ministry of Works, but he was demoted to county magistrate of Hengshan County for offending the emperor. In Hengshan County, there was a particularly arrogant thug who often interfered with his superiors. Previous magistrates had been unable to handle him. When Wang Wentong took office and heard about this person's misdeeds, he immediately called him over and gave him a severe dressing-down. Then, he had a large wooden stake fashioned and buried in the center of the courtyard, with only a foot exposed, and four small stakes buried at the four corners. He ordered the man to lie on the large stake, tie his limbs to the four small stakes, and then beat his back with a stick fiercely. Before long, the man's back had become infected. The entire county was terrified; officials exchanged terrified glances, too scared to breathe. Later, Emperor Yang of Sui campaigned against Liaodong and sent Wang Wentong to inspect the various counties in Hebei. When Wang Wentong saw vegetarian monks chanting scriptures, he believed they were demonic, so he arrested them all and locked them up in prison. In Hejian County, he summoned officials from across the counties, and anyone who was even slightly late was tackled to the ground and beaten to death with a stick by him. He also killed hundreds of monks and elders who were gathered together to discuss scriptures and participate in Buddhist activities, thinking they were misleading the public. What's more, he stripped all the monks and nuns and searched for any illicit behavior, killing thousands of people who were found to have abnormal relationships. The cries of women and children echoed throughout the county, and the counties were terrified and rushed to petition the court.
Emperor Yang of Sui was furious upon hearing this news. He sent messengers to arrest Wang Wentong and had him executed in Hejian County to quell the public outrage. Wang Wentong's enemies even opened his coffin, cut up his flesh, and devoured it all quickly.
Historical records state: Good governance of a country does not rely on intricate strategies; good governance does not depend on harsh laws. While a balance of kindness and severity, along with clear rewards and punishments, is essential, the best governance is one that inspires voluntary obedience without resorting to harsh measures. This was valued by wise rulers of the past. During Emperor Yang's reign, there were no exceptionally difficult villains to deal with. They lacked moral cultivation, yet were inherently cruel, treating people as mere objects, disregarding human life, even showing less regard than for a dog. Engaging in numerous evil deeds without remorse, they ultimately faced execution or died in despair. All righteous individuals believed this was the natural order of justice! Alas! Later scholars and officials, even if they cannot attain high positions and wealth like Zigao, must they leave their mothers to worry about having no one to honor them with sacrifices after they pass?
