Yuan Heng, courtesy name Deliang, also known as Xiaocai, was a native of Luoyang, Henan. His father, Ji Hai, was the Minister of Construction and Prince of Fengyi of Northern Wei. When Western Wei and Northern Qi split, his father went to Chang'an to serve as an official. Yuan Heng was just a few years old at the time, staying in Luoyang with his mother, Lady Li. Emperor Wenxuan of Northern Qi imprisoned him due to his father's presence in Guanzhong. Lady Li, the resourceful daughter of Li Chong, the Minister of Construction of Northern Wei, pretended to be hungry and cold, saying she wanted to go to Xingyang to beg for food. The people of Qi believed Xingyang was far from Guanzhong, and without giving it much thought, agreed. Lady Li secretly entrusted Yuan Heng and his eight orphaned nephews to a powerful local man named Li Changshou, and they secretly took backroads to finally arrive in Chang'an. Emperor Taizu was very pleased to see them and considered Yuan Heng to be a descendant of a hero, treating him with special favor.
When Yuan Heng was twelve years old, Emperor Gong of Wei was still in the Eastern Palace and treated him as a friend. Later, Yuan Heng was appointed as a Cavalry Officer. Towards the end of the Daitong era, he inherited the title of Prince of Fengyi and a fief of one thousand households. On the day of his ennoblement, he was so overwhelmed with emotion that he couldn't stop crying. Shortly after, he was promoted to be a Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary, then served as General of the Guards and Governor of Xunzhou, and was granted the title of Prince of Pingliang. After the abdication of Emperor Min of Zhou, he was demoted to Duke. Under the reigns of Emperor Ming and Emperor Wu of Zhou, he successively served as Governor of Longzhou, Imperial Chancellor, and Junior Marshal. During the reign of Emperor Xuan of Zhou, he was appointed as Governor of Luozhou.
When Emperor Wen of Sui was Chancellor, Yu Chijiong rebelled, and Liang Kang and Xing Liushui, among others from Luoyang, also raised troops in support of Yu Chijiong. In less than ten days, over ten thousand people had joined the cause. Wang Wenshu, the magistrate of Luozhou, secretly conspired with Liang Kang to harm Yuan Heng. Yuan Heng learned of their conspiracy, so he mobilized two thousand soldiers from Guanzhong, captured Wang Wenshu and executed him, then led the troops to attack Liang Kang and Xing Liushui, defeating both of them. After Emperor Wen of Sui became emperor, he summoned Yuan Heng back to the capital, appointed him as the Minister of Rites, and expanded his fief by seven hundred households. Shortly after, he was sent to Weizhou as the governor, and his official position was promoted to Grand General. The people of Weizhou had a rough demeanor, but Yuan Heng managed to govern the region effectively with his authority, serving as the governor of Weizhou for eight years and significantly improving the local conditions. Later, due to his advancing age and declining health, he submitted a request for retirement. Officials and citizens of Weizhou all petitioned the court to allow him to continue staying in Weizhou to recuperate, which deeply moved Emperor Wen of Sui. That year, Yuan Heng's condition worsened, so he requested to return to the capital. Emperor Wen of Sui sent messengers with medicine and regularly inquired about his condition, exchanging greetings on the way. A year later, Yuan Heng passed away at home at the age of sixty-nine and was posthumously honored with the title "Xuan."
Du Zheng, courtesy name Huangyu, was a native of Duling in Chang'an. His grandfather, Du Sheng, held the positions of Directing General of Wei and Prefect of Yingchuan; his father, Du Bi, was the governor of Weizhou. Du Zheng was dignified from a young age. When his father passed away when he was nine years old, he was grief-stricken and became thin like a skeleton, demonstrating great filial piety towards his mother, earning him widespread acclaim. As he grew older, he became brave and skilled in battle, strong, and developed a passion for reading both Sun Tzu's and Wu Qi's military treatises. As the reign of Da Tong of Wei drew to a close, he inherited the title of Marquis of Wuxiang. Emperor Taizu of Northern Zhou held him in high regard. Later, he served the son of Yuwen Hu, Yuwen Xun, and quickly gained esteem. Before long, he rose to the rank of commander.
During the reign of Emperor Ming of Northern Zhou, Du Zheng served as a senior palace attendant and gradually rose through the ranks to become Grand Commandant, and was later appointed as the Governor of Wuzhou. He accompanied Emperor Wu in pacifying the Qi state and was thus granted the title of Grand Commandant, with his peerage elevated to Duke of Pingyuan County, with a fief of one thousand households. He later returned to the court to serve as a Senior Official of the Merit Department. During the time when Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Jian, was Chancellor, Du Zheng was promoted to Kaifu. After Yang Jian proclaimed himself emperor, he further appointed Du Zheng as Kaifu, with his peerage elevated to Duke of Changguang Commandery, and subsequently appointed him as General of the Left Guard. He served as General of the Left Guard for several years, but resigned from his position due to the death of his mother and later resumed his post.
In the sixth year of the Kaihuang era, the Turks invaded the border, and the court ordered Prince Wei, Yang Shuang, to lead a large army on a northern expedition, appointing Du Zheng as the Commander-in-Chief and Chief of Staff. They reached Hechuan but returned without encountering the enemy. Du Zheng secretly presented a strategy to the emperor for attacking the Chen state, which the emperor greatly appreciated, and thus appointed him as the Commander-in-Chief to guard Xiangyang. Not long after, he died from illness at the age of fifty-five. Emperor Wen of Sui was deeply saddened to hear this and rewarded him with four hundred rolls of cloth, four hundred stones of rice, and posthumously bestowed upon him the title of "Xiang." His son, Du Kai, inherited his title and eventually rose to the position of Kaifu.
Du Zheng's younger brother, Du Su, also had great aspirations from a young age and was highly principled. During the early Kaihuang period of the Sui Dynasty, he served as an Imperial Cavalry Attendant and Prefect of Beidi.
Li Che, courtesy name Guangda, is a man from the Shuofang Yanlu people. His father, Li He, served as a pillar state general during the Kaihuang period. Li Che is strong and decisive, very capable, tall and imposing, with strong martial arts skills. The Grand Chancellor Yuwen Hu took a liking to him, valued him for his caution, integrity, and talent, and treated him exceptionally well. Yuwen Hu's son, the Duke of Zhongshan Yuwen Xun, became the Inspector of Puzhou, and Yuwen Hu allowed Li Che to follow him while keeping his original rank. Before long, Li Che was promoted to General of Chariots and Cavalry, with the rank of Equal to the Three Excellencies.
During the reign of Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou, Li Che accompanied the Crown Prince to battle the Tuyuhun and distinguished himself, being granted the title of Baron of Tongchang County with a fief of three hundred households. Later, he joined the Emperor in attacking Jinzhou. When the Emperor returned to the capital after the campaign, Li Che and Prince Qi Yuwen Xian camped at Jiqi Plain. Emperor Gao Wei of Northern Qi led a large army to attack, and Yuwen Xian led his troops west to evade the enemy's sharpness. Gao Wei sent his fierce general Helan Baozi to lead elite cavalry to pursue Yuwen Xian, leading to a confrontation north of Jinzhou City. Yuwen Xian's army was defeated, but Li Che, along with Yang Su, Yuwen Qing, and others, fought to the death to safeguard Yuwen Xian's forces. Later, he followed the Emperor to defeat the Northern Qi army north of the Fen River, captured Gaobi, took Jinyang, and captured Gao Ji in Jizhou. Li Che made significant contributions in these campaigns. Due to his previous merits, Li Che was promoted to Duke and was also granted the title of Duke of Caiyang County with a fief of one thousand households.
After Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Jian, ascended to the throne, Li Che followed Wei Xiaokuan in subduing Huainan, always charging at the forefront. After the subjugation of Huainan, Li Che was appointed as the Governor of Huaizhou, pacifying the newly surrendered people, and gained everyone's approval for his outstanding work. After Yang Jian proclaimed himself emperor, he bestowed the title of Kaifu upon Li Che and transferred him to be the Inspector of Yunzhou. Over a year later, Li Che was summoned back to the court to serve as the Left Guard General. Later, Prince Jin, Yang Guang, was stationed in Bingzhou, and the court carefully selected talented individuals in both civil and military affairs to serve as his assistants. The emperor considered Li Che an old minister, who had led troops in battle multiple times and had rich experience, so he assigned him to oversee military operations for Prince Jin and elevated him to the rank of Duke of Qian. At that time, Prince Shu, Yang Xiu, was stationed in Yizhou, and the emperor remarked to his courtiers, "If only we had someone with the literary talent of Wang Zishi and the martial prowess of Li Guangda!" It can be seen how highly the emperor regarded Li Che.
In the following year, the Turkic Khan, Sha Boli, invaded the border again, so the emperor appointed Wei Wangshuang as the Grand Marshal to lead the troops in battle, and also appointed Yang Che, the son of Yang Su, as the Chief of Staff, to march together. They encountered the Turkic forces on the White Road. At that time, the Chief of Staff, Li Chong, said to Wei Wangshuang, "Look, since the Zhou and Qi dynasties, the power in the Central Plains has been scattered, just like in the Warring States period. This situation has persisted for a long time. Every time the Turkic invade, our generals are only concerned with self-preservation; none of them dare to fight desperately. So the Turkic win more and lose less, and they increasingly look down on our army. Now Sha Boli has concentrated all the troops in the country, stationed in a strategic location; they are likely to be careless and underestimate us. If we send elite troops to launch a surprise attack, we can definitely win!" Seeing the wisdom in Li Chong's words, Wei Wangshuang decided to follow his advice.
Many generals thought this idea was too risky, but only Yang Che strongly supported it and actively volunteered to join the mission. So, Wei Wang Shuang and Li Chong led five thousand elite soldiers and launched a surprise attack, decisively defeating the Turkic army. Shabolue didn’t even have time to remove his golden armor before fleeing into the grass. Because of this great victory, Yang Che was promoted to Grand General. Shabolue was terrified and promptly came to pay tribute and pledge his allegiance. Before long, Shabolue was once again harassed by Aba Khan and quickly wrote a letter to the emperor for help. The emperor sent Yang Che as the marching commander with ten thousand elite soldiers to support him. When Aba Khan heard that Yang Che was coming, he hurriedly fled. Upon Yang Che's triumphant return to the imperial court, he continued to serve as the marching commander, stationed in Pingliang to guard against Turkic invasions, and was granted the title of Duke of Andao County. In the tenth year of Kaihuang, Yang Che was promoted again and became the Chief General of the State of Pillar.
Later, Prince Jin Yang Guang went to Huaihai as the governor, and Yang Che was appointed as the governor of Yangzhou and renamed as the Duke of Deguang County, and shortly thereafter was reappointed as Duke of Chengyang County. Later, the Turks launched another invasion, and Yang Che led the troops to battle once more, defeating them again. Unfortunately, later the Left Chief Minister Gao Feng committed a crime, and due to Yang Che's close ties with Gao Feng, the emperor became suspicious and no longer trusted him. Later, Yang Che voiced his grievances, and the emperor found out, invited him to the palace, hosted a banquet in the inner palace, and talked with him about the past. As a result, Yang Che was poisoned to death at this palace banquet. Even more tragically, during the Daye period, Yang Che's wife, Yuwen Shi, was falsely accused by his illegitimate son, Anyuan, of cursing the empero
Cui Peng, courtesy name Zipeng, was from Anping, Hebei. His grandfather, Cui Kai, was the Yinzhou Governor of Northern Wei; his father, Cui Qian, was the Governor of Jingzhou in Northern Zhou. Cui Peng lost his father at a young age, but he was very filial to his mother, earning a good reputation. He had a strong and resolute character, with great military talent, skilled in horseback riding and archery. He also excelled in understanding the "Zhou Guan" and "Shang Shu."
During the reign of Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou, Cui Peng served as a junior official and gradually rose to the position of a senior officer. When Yang Jian (Emperor Gaozu) became the Prime Minister, the Prince of Chen of the Zhou dynasty was sent to guard Qizhou. Yang Jian was worried that the Prince of Chen would rebel, so he sent Cui Peng with two cavalrymen to bring the Prince of Chen back to the court. When Cui Peng was thirty miles away from Qizhou, he pretended to be sick and stopped at a post station. He then sent someone to tell the Prince of Chen: "The Emperor has issued an edict to see you. I, Cui Peng, am seriously ill and cannot walk any further. I hope you can come to the post station to see me." Upon hearing this, the Prince of Chen became suspicious and brought many followers and cavalrymen to Cui Peng.
Cui Peng stepped out of the post station to greet him and saw that the Prince of Chen seemed uneasy. Worried that he would not cooperate, Cui Peng lied to the Prince of Chen, saying: "My lord, please avoid others. I need to speak with you privately about something important." The Prince of Chen then asked his followers and cavalrymen to move away. Cui Peng continued, saying: "I am going to read the imperial edict. My lord, please hastily dismount." The Prince of Chen quickly dismounted, and Cui Peng ordered his cavalrymen, "The Prince of Chen defies the imperial edict; arrest him!" The cavalrymen immediately seized the Prince of Chen and tied him up. Cui Peng loudly proclaimed: "The Prince of Chen has committed a crime. The imperial edict orders him to return to the court. None of you are to act rashly!" The Prince of Chen's followers were stunned and quickly fled.
Yang Jian was very happy to see that Cui Peng had brought Chen Wangchun back, so he appointed him as the Grand Master of Ceremonies. After Yang Jian became emperor, he promoted Cui Peng to the position of Supervisor of the Palace Gate and also appointed him as the Chief of the Right Guard Corps, granting him the title of Marquis of Anyang. Several years later, Cui Peng was promoted to General of Chariots and Cavalry Command, and shortly after to General of the Valiant Cavalry, responsible for the security of the imperial palace. He was cautious and meticulous, serving in the court for over twenty years. Every time the emperor held court, he would sit there all day without any sign of negligence, and the emperor held him in high regard.
The emperor often said to Cui Peng, "When you're on duty, I can sleep soundly." He once asked Cui Peng, "Your archery skills are outstanding; do you also study?" Cui Peng replied, "I have always liked 'The Rites of Zhou' and 'The Book of Documents.' Whenever I have free time, I can't bear to put them down." The emperor said, "Then tell me about them." Cui Peng discussed the importance of caution in the relationship between rulers and their subjects, and the emperor praised him repeatedly, with everyone present agreeing with his reasoning. Later, the emperor appointed Cui Peng as the Director of the Imperial Stables and then promoted him to General of the Guard.
During the reign of Tang Taizong, he once hosted a banquet in the Hall of Martial Valor to entertain envoys of the Turkic Khan. During the banquet, a pigeon suddenly started cooing from the rafters. The emperor immediately ordered Cui Peng to shoot it, and Cui Peng hit it with a single shot! The emperor was thrilled and rewarded him with ten thousand coins. Later, when the envoys returned to the Turkic Khan, they sent another request for General Cui to come meet with them. The emperor said, "This must be because Cui Peng's archery skills have become known in the Turkic Khanate, which is why they want to see him." So Cui Peng was sent to meet with them.
When he arrived in the Turkic lands, the Khan summoned many skilled archers, dozens of them, and then threw meat in the wilderness to attract eagles, allowing the archers to take their shots. As a result, most of them failed to hit their targets. At this point, the Khan then called upon Cui Peng to demonstrate his archery skills. Cui Peng shot several arrows in a row, each arrow hitting the bullseye, falling straight down upon release! The Turkic people looked at each other, all extremely impressed. The Khan kept Cui Peng for over a hundred days without letting him leave. Eventually, Emperor Taizong of Tang gifted him a wealth of silk and satin, which enabled his return home. During the Reign of Renshou, Cui Peng was appointed to the position of Duke of Anyang County, with a fief that included two thousand households.
After Emperor Yang of Sui ascended the throne, Cui Peng was promoted to Grand General of the Left. During Emperor Yang of Sui's journey to Luoyang, Cui Peng was tasked with protecting the rear guard. At that time, Prince Liang of Han had just been subdued, and his remnants were regrouping in various places. Emperor Yang of Sui commanded Cui Peng to lead tens of thousands of soldiers to suppress the rebellion in the Shandong region and also appointed him as the Inspector of Cizhou. Because Cui Peng was known for his integrity, Emperor Yang of Sui honored him with five hundred bolts of silk. Not long after, Cui Peng died at the age of sixty-three. Emperor Yang of Sui expressed his condolences and posthumously conferred upon him the title of Grand General and the posthumous title of "Su." His son Baode inherited his title.
Historical records indicate that individuals like Wang Changshu, some commanded regions while others served in the imperial army, all achieved great military feats, ultimately achieving fame and glory in their lifetimes, each with their own accomplishments. Yilou Qian had a broad mind, disregarding past enmities, and pleaded for the forgiveness of Gao Zun's crimes, truly embodying the spirit of a loyal subject! Cui Peng defended the court with an unassailable dignity, protecting against external threats, which truly merits praise!
