It is said that Song Yun, a man from Beihai, was a man of strong character who valued honor, serving as the captain of a squad in Shimen Prefecture. Towards the end of the Daye era under Emperor Yang of Sui, a bandit named Yang Hou led a rebellion against Beihai County. Song Yun followed the county's army to suppress the rebellion. He went out on horseback to scout the enemy and was captured by Yang Hou. Yang Hou intended to use Song Yun to coerce the people in the city into surrendering, so he had him shout to the city, saying that the county army had been defeated and they should surrender quickly. Song Yun pretended to agree.
When they reached the city, he suddenly shouted: "I am Song Yun, sent to scout the enemy, unfortunately captured, not because I was unable to defeat them! Now the imperial army has arrived and will be here shortly! The bandits are few and weak; they will soon be eliminated, so there is no need to worry!" Yang Hou, furious, silenced Song Yun with his knife and dragged him away, striking him as they went. Song Yun cursed Yang Hou as he was being dragged along: "You old bandit, how dare you insult loyal and righteous men? You’re digging your own grave!" Before he could finish his words, Yang Hou ordered Song Yun's waist to be chopped off. The people in the city witnessed this scene, and not a single one could hold back tears or refrain from beating their chests; their morale soared even higher. Beihai County was ultimately saved.
Later, Emperor Yang of Sui dispatched Guo Zijian, a household official, to defeat Yang Hou, and Yang Hou was defeated. Emperor Yang of Sui, upon learning of Song Yun's sacrifice for his country, deeply regretted it and memorialized him to the court, posthumously bestowing upon him the titles of Grand Master of Ceremonies and the local magistrate of Beihai County.
Historical records comment: Ancient people believed that the world is the greatest, while individual lives are insignificant. While living is important, it is less significant than righteousness. Some deaths carry more weight than Mount Tai because living is meant to uphold righteousness; some lives are lighter than a feather's weight because only in death can one truly align with righteousness. However, death is irreversible, and life happens only once, thus maintaining integrity in any situation is the most challenging. The scale of rebellion by Yang Liang, Xuan Gan, and Li Mi has taken shape, with a fierce spirit. Huangfu Dan, You Yuan, and Feng Ciming fearlessly faced danger, facing death as if it were a homecoming, bravely sacrificing themselves in the name of righteousness. Dugu Sheng, Yuan Wendo, Lu Chu, and Yao Junsu, do they not know that fate cannot be defied, and human efforts cannot change the course of events? They willingly accept the punishment of death to uphold their unwavering loyalty. Although their merits did not save the country or prevent disaster, compared to those who live in fear, their integrity transcends heaven and earth, even reaching the underworld. Xuduo and Shanhui embody the virtues of gentleness and humility, while Ziyi and Songyun exemplify the heroism of sacrificing themselves for righteousness. Indeed, there are loyal ministers even in times of national chaos!
