Yang Zichong was a distant cousin of Emperor Gaozu. His father, Yang Pensheng, was posthumously honored as the governor of Jingzhou after his death. Yang Zichong loved studying from a young age, read many books, and was well-built, enjoying making friends with talented individuals. During the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui, he held the title of General of Chariots and Cavalry and was often responsible for guarding the imperial palace. He later rose to become the Minister of the Gate.
After Emperor Yang of Sui ascended to the throne, Yang Zichong continued to be promoted, becoming the General of the Household Guards. However, he was later dismissed from his position because of an error in judgment. Shortly after, he was appointed as an acting general. Once, when Emperor Yang of Sui went to Fenyang Palace for leisure, Yang Zichong suspected an impending attack by the Turks and repeatedly requested the emperor to return to the capital early, but the emperor did not listen to him. As expected, the siege of Yanmen Pass happened. After the enemy retreated, the emperor was livid, saying, "Yang Zichong is timid and fearful, making reckless requests, disrupting military morale, and cannot be allowed to hold the position of the imperial guard again!" As a result, Yang Zichong was demoted to the position of Prefect of Lishi County. However, during his tenure in Lishi County, he still performed well and had a good reputation.
Since then, the Turks frequently raided the border, and a bandit chief
Half of their supplies crossed the river, but the officials of various counties on the west bank killed their commander one after another and defected to Liang Shidu. The road was cut off, so Yang Zichong was forced to retreat to Lishi. When his subordinates heard that Taiyuan had rebelled, they were unwilling to enter the city and deserted him one by one. Yang Zichong captured and executed the parents and siblings of the deserters. A few days later, the rebels attacked the city at night, and the local heroes also rallied to the cause. The city fell, and Yang Zichong was killed by his enemies.
Prince De, originally named Hui, was a descendant of Emperor Gaozu. His father, Shao, served as an official in the Zhou Dynasty, rising to the position of Governor of Eight Provinces and Duke of Tangcheng County, and was also granted the surname Chilüyin. De was handsome, with a particularly good temperament, elegant in every movement, and pleasing to the eye. When Emperor Wu of the Zhou Dynasty was in power, he was appointed Grand Master of the Palace Library. Later, when the emperor went to Yunyang Palace, Prince Wei plotted to rebel, leading his troops to attack the Sufang Gate. De bravely stepped forward and drove them back. Because of his merit, he was promoted to the rank of Yitong, appointed Duke of Wuyang County, and granted a fief of one thousand households. He was later promoted to the position of Grand Master of the Right Guard. During the reign of Daixiang, he was further elevated to Duke of Hangguo, with a fief of five thousand households.
When Gaozu became Prime Minister, the Governor of Yongzhou, Bi Wangxian, plotted to rebel. De, who was a close aide at the time, knew of Wangxian's plot and quickly informed Gaozu. Wangxian was killed, and De was rewarded for his merit, becoming Pillar of the State and Governor of Yongzhou, and also held the position of Supervisor of the Imperial Household. When Emperor Xuan of the Zhou Dynasty passed away and was buried, some princes wanted to cause trouble. Gaozu ordered De to escort the coffin to the tomb with six thousand cavalry. Afterwards, De was later promoted to Senior Pillar of the State.
After the founding emperor ascended to the throne, he appointed Xiong as the Left Guard General and concurrently as the Minister of the Imperial Family. Not long after, he was promoted to Grand General of the Right Guard and participated in court affairs. He was subsequently granted the title of Prince of Guangping, with a fief of five thousand households, and the title of Marquis of Hanguo was granted to one of his sons. Xiong also requested the court to appoint his brother Shigui as an official, which the court approved. Someone accused Gao Jiong of colluding with Xiong, and the emperor asked Xiong directly. Xiong replied, "I am responsible for guarding the imperial palace, serving by Your Majesty's side every day. If there really were factions, how could Your Majesty not be aware? Your Majesty is wise and discerning, personally handling all matters. Gao Jiong acts justly and abides by the law. This is merely a matter of clear preferences; Your Majesty, please see it clearly." The founding emperor found his reasoning compelling. At that time, Xiong held significant power, and he, Gao Jiong, Yu Qingze, and Su Wei were collectively known as the "Four Nobles."
Yuwenzong was well-regarded by both the court and the populace, but Emperor Gaozu was wary of his power and did not want him to control the military. Therefore, the emperor issued an edict appointing Yuwenzong as Minister of State; the edict read: "In the first year of Kaihuang, on the first day of the eighth month, the emperor said: 'Hey! You, Yuwenzong, Upper Pillar State, Grand General of the Right Guard, Minister of the Imperial Family, Prince of Guangping, are generous and magnanimous, with a prominent position. You have served in the Imperial Guard for more than ten years. You are both my confidant and my right-hand man, working hard in the palace. Considering your past achievements, I have specially promoted your official rank. You bear the heavy responsibility of assisting the ministers, and the people all look up to you. You should do your best to live up to this title. Therefore, I appoint you as Minister of State. Go! Do well!' While it appeared that Yuwenzong's status was elevated, in reality, his military power was stripped away."
Yuwen Xiong had lost most of his power, so he shut himself away and refused to see anyone. Not long after, the Emperor bestowed upon him the title of Prince Qingzhang. During the Renshou era, Emperor Gaozu said, "The name Qingzhang doesn't suit his reputation." So he had his officials bring out a map, pointed to Ande County on the map, and told his courtiers, "This place's name suits his accomplishments better." As a result, Yuwen Xiong was given the new title of Prince Ande.
During the Daye era, Yuwen Xiong was appointed Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince. After the Crown Prince Yuande passed away, he was temporarily appointed as the Inspector of Zhengzhou, where he served for over a year, after which he was appointed as the Inspector of Huaizhou. Later, he was promoted to Prefect of Jingzhao. When the Emperor personally led a campaign against the Tuyuhun, Yuwen Xiong was also appointed to command the military forces in the Jiaohedao region. Upon the Emperor's return from the campaign, he was granted the title of Prince Guan. Yuwen Xiong expressed his gratitude in a memorial while also requesting the Emperor to retract his appointment, stating, "I have been fortunate to live in such prosperous times and have only played a minor role. I lack both talent and virtue, yet I have held high positions in the court. I am grateful for the favor of the late Emperor and the kindness of Your Majesty, but I fear that my high position may bring calamity because I might outshine my superiors. How can I continue to enjoy this undeserved honor and wealth, and bear such a heavy burden? I am filled with anxiety and fear, and I dare to follow the example of ancient sages in requesting the Emperor to retract his appointment, as I am afraid of being unable to bear such favor and thus committing a crime. In ancient times, Liu Jia was granted a princely title without holding high offices, and Cao Hong, despite being a general, did not surpass a fifth-rank title. Moreover, my position is higher than that of the princes, and the position of Prefect of Jingzhao is higher than that of the imperial family members. How should I conduct myself when being appointed as a feudal lord with the founding golden seal? Others will accuse me of arrogance and overstepping my status. Therefore, I boldly present my foolish opinion and earnestly request Your Majesty's permission to maintain the current situation. I implore Your Majesty to consider my loyalty and sincerity and to retract the appointment. I have troubled Your Majesty on several occasions and am overwhelmed with fear and anxiety." Though the Emperor appreciated his loyalty, he did not grant his request.
Once upon a time, this general, while fighting in Liaodong, was promoted to the rank of Left Guard General, leading a large army to campaign in Liaodong. However, when he reached Luhe Town, he fell ill and passed away at the age of seventy-one. The emperor even suspended court for a day in his honor and assigned officials from the Honglu Temple to oversee his funeral arrangements. After reviewing his life achievements, relevant departments recommended the posthumous title "Yi." The emperor said, "His character was noble, surpassing that of all others!" Therefore, he was posthumously named "De" and was also granted ten county governor titles, namely Situ, Xiangguo, Wuan, Bohai, Qinghe, Shangdang, Hejian, Jibei, Gaomi, and Jiyin.
His son was named Gongren, who later became an Assistant Minister in the Ministry of Personnel, holding a high position. Gongren's younger brother was named Chen, with a gentle and kind personality; he was well-educated and served as the Inspector of Yizhou and the Prefect of Huainan. After his father's passing, Chen was appointed by the court as a Sili Dafu (an official in charge of the capital's administration). During the Liaodong battle, the emperor also stationed him in Linhai to oversee the military operations. Later, Yang Xuange led a rebellion, and Yang Xuange's brother, Yang Xuanzong, escaped from the palace to join his brother, where he encountered Chen on the way. Chen and Yang Xuanzong hid together and talked for a long time, meeting several times in secret. The Sili Inspector Liu Xiuwen reported this information to the emperor. At that time, Chen's brother Gongren was leading troops outside. Considering the situation, the emperor chose not to pursue the matter further, leaving it unresolved. However, Chen was deeply troubled and soon passed away from worry. Chen also had another brother named Xu, who later became a Cavalier Attendant (散骑侍郎).
The general's other brother was named Da, with the courtesy name Shida. He was intelligent and knowledgeable from a young age, with good moral character. During the Zhou Dynasty, he held official positions up to Yitong, the Grand Master of the Interior, and was also titled as the Baron of Suining County. After the founding emperor ascended the throne, he was appointed as the Attendant of the Yellow Gate, and his title was also elevated. At that time, the Tuyuhun tribe frequently harassed the border, so the court appointed Yuan Xie as the marshal, with Da as his chief aide. After the war ended, Da also served as the Deputy Minister of Personnel, and was given the additional official position of Kaifu. Over a year later, he was promoted to the Minister of the Interior, and then appointed as the governor of three provinces—Shanzhou, Zhengzhou, and Zhaozhou—where he performed excellently. After the fall of the Chen Dynasty, with peace restored across the realm, the court wanted to select the most outstanding local officials in the empire, and Da was ranked first. The emperor rewarded him with five hundred pieces of assorted silk and a golden belt, and promoted him to the Minister of Construction. Da was broad-minded and graceful. Yang Su often said, "There is only one person who possesses the demeanor and moral character of a gentleman, and that is Yang Da!" When the tombs of the Empress Xian and the founding emperor were being built, Da was also involved in the planning and design.
When Yang Guang became emperor, he promoted Da to be the Grand Counselor, and also appointed him as the deputy supervisor of the Eastern Capital. The emperor had special trust in him. Later, during the campaign against Liaodong, he was appointed as the Right Guard General, and his position was further elevated to Left Minister of Rites. He died in battle at the age of sixty-two. The emperor mourned his loss for a long time, posthumously elevating him to the rank of Minister of Personnel, Marquis of Shi'an, with the posthumous title of "Gong," and rewarding him with three hundred and fifty lengths of cloth.
The historical records comment: Emperor Yang Jian initially moved the cauldron of the Zhou Dynasty to the Sui Dynasty. Before the people's hearts were fully united, in order to consolidate his rule, he promoted people from the same surname clan to stabilize the state. Therefore, Prince Yang Hong of Hejian and Prince Yang Xiong of Guande both made great contributions to the establishment of the Sui Dynasty. Regarding Yang Qing, his relationship with the emperor was only a distant relative like that of reeds and ears of grain. The high-ranking official position and generous salary he enjoyed were not because the emperor had any special favor towards him, allowing him to hold a high position and salary until his death. As for Yang Qing, his character cannot even compare to a fraction of the character of Yang Hong and Yang Xiong. He only wanted to lead a cowardly and treacherous existence, easily betraying his own clan and abandoning his mother as if she were worthless. In the end, he faced his own demise and the destruction of his clan, all of which he brought upon himself! Look at those who can rise to high positions and whose descendants can also enjoy wealth and glory. The reason they maintain their wealth and glory is their benevolence!
