It is said that the ancients taught, "Filial piety is the foundation of virtue," "Filial piety and brotherly respect reach the heavens," this is truly one of the most important principles in life! But nowadays, people's hearts have become less traditional; fewer people practice filial piety, just like Confucius' students who, despite returning home in luxury, do not forget their roots, like poets who yearn for their humble origins. While alive, one must practice filial piety, and even in death, one should express their sorrow. If one can touch the hearts of fish, birds, and beasts, that would be truly remarkable! Those who consistently care for their parents, often better than others, are rising above worldly concerns. This book chronicles the acts of filial piety by Zhao Yan and others.
Zhao Yan, courtesy name Shuqi, was a native of Tianshui. His father, Wen, once served as a Sima under Yang Nandang. When the Fu family rebelled, Zhao Yan was taken by his wet nurse to flee to Shou Chun, and only returned to his hometown at the age of fourteen. He was deeply filial, personally tending to his parents' daily needs and preparing their meals. Later, when the court implemented austerity measures in the capital, servants began stealing rice to sell. Zhao Yan discovered this and reprimanded the servants severely, ordering them to keep the coarse rice husks. Once, while sending his son Ying to Jizhou for his wedding, someone accidentally found a sheep on the way, and Zhao Yan only learned of it after thirty miles, ordering the sheep to be returned to its original place. Another time, passing by a house, the host treated him to mutton soup, but upon learning it was made from a stolen sheep, Zhao Yan firmly refused to eat it. He also had someone buy plowshares, and when he had six left, he had them returned to the seller. The seller was very grateful, but Zhao Yan insisted on not accepting anything and ordered the plowshares to be left there and walked away. He began his career as a Sima in Yanzhou and was later promoted to Deputy General of Tuancheng Town. Upon returning to the capital, he became the Chief Historian under the Prince of Huainan. At that time, the court had strict regulations prohibiting the burial of the deceased in their hometowns without passing through checkpoints. Zhao Yan was unable to bury his parents in their hometown for over thirty years. Every time there was a sacrifice, he was consumed by grief, dedicating himself entirely to the offerings. During festivals, he would not accept congratulations from his children and grandchildren. Even when he was over sixty years old, his filial piety only grew stronger. He lamented the swift passage of time and the continued delay in relocating his parents' graves, so he went on a hunger strike, refusing to eat any delicious food, only consuming wheat. He passed away at the age of eighty. After the capital was moved to Luoyang, his son Ying and others relocated his parents to their hometown for burial.
Zhao Yan's younger brother, Zhao Xu, courtesy name Binyu, was skilled in music and famous for his singing, eventually rising to the position of Inspector of Qinzhou.
Chang Sunlü is from Dai County. His mother, because of her drinking, was scolded by his father in anger, accidentally struck her with a cane, resulting in her death. His father was arrested by the county and was facing a severe punishment. Chang Sunlü wrote a letter to the Minister saying, "My parents quarreled, originally without any malice, but due to an accident, a disaster occurred all of a sudden. Now my mother has just passed away and not yet been buried, my father could be executed at any time. I have five younger siblings, all of whom are still very young. I am the eldest, fifteen years old this year, with a four-year-old sister. We rely on each other for survival and cannot make it on our own. If my father is executed, our entire family will be left homeless. I ask to trade my life for my father's so that these young children can survive." The Minister reported this to Emperor Gaozu, saying, "Chang Sunlü is filial to his father and caring towards his younger siblings; this situation is truly sympathetic." Emperor Gaozu granted a special pardon for his father's death sentence, but exiled him to a remote area instead.
Qifu Bao was a member of the Gao Che people. His father served as an imperial attendant during the reign of Emperor Xianzu and also held the position of Minister of Livestock, being granted the title of Marquis of Ningguo. His father was loyal and prudent, always staying close to the emperor and responsible for conveying imperial edicts. The emperor granted his father a palace maid from the Zong family of Henan. After the Zong family maid died, he was given another palace maid from the Shen family, who was the daughter of Shen Tan, the left commander of the Crown Prince of Song, and his sister. More than a year later, Qifu Bao's father died, and Shen raised Qifu Bao as her own. Shen was strict by nature and often scolded and beat Qifu Bao, but he remained filial and respectful, without ever complaining. Qifu Bao inherited his father's marquisate, which was automatically downgraded to a count according to regulations, and later gradually rose to the position of Left General. Whenever he received salaries or rewards, whether public or private, he would report them thoroughly. Later, he was appointed as a general in the town of Shanshan. When Shen was over eighty years old, Qifu Bao personally built a cart and assisted her, and Shen happily followed him. After Shen's death, Qifu Bao resigned from his official position and returned Shen's coffin to Luoyang. He later returned to his original position and also served as Southern General before passing away.
Sun Yide was from Le'an County. His mother was murdered, and although he was young, Sun Yide took revenge for her. After returning home, he cried at his mother's coffin, waiting for the county official to handle the matter. Emperor Gaozu and Empress Dowager Wen recognized his filial piety despite his young age, and since he did not flee to evade responsibility, they granted him a special pardon.
Dong Luosheng was from Dai County. During his mourning period, he observed the mourning rites too strictly, prompting the emperor to order the secretary Zhong San Wen Shaobo to deliver a decree to comfort him, urging him to temper his grief and not to be too sorrowful in order to preserve his filial piety. The emperor also ordered his relatives to encourage and comfort him, so he wouldn't lose his composure from overwhelming sadness.
Yang Yin hails from Xiangyuan County. He lost his father at the age of three and was raised by his uncle. When his mother passed away at the age of ninety-three, Yang Yin was already seventy-five. He was overwhelmed with grief, mourning more than what is customary. After the three-year mourning period ended, he still regretted not having fulfilled his filial duties to his father in time, so he donned the coarsest mourning clothes, lived on simple meals, and vowed to mourn for the rest of his life. For a full thirteen years, his sorrow never faded, and over three hundred neighbors wrote to commend his filial piety. Local officials petitioned the court to honor his filial acts, restore his family's status, and erect a memorial arch for him as a filial son. The court issued a decree, creating a special compilation in his honor, recognizing his supreme filial behavior, and granting him a nominal position.
Yan Yuanming was from Anyi, in the Hedong region. He was very filial from a young age, and his filial acts were widely known in the village. In the fifth year of Taihe, he was appointed as the governor of Beisui County. Because he had to serve in another place, far from his mother, Yan Yuanming was deeply saddened, and his mother also missed her son so much that she cried so much that her vision blurred. Yan Yuanming sorrowfully pleaded to return home to care for his mother. As soon as he saw his mother, her eyes lit up. The Inspector Lu Shouwen reported this matter to the court, which recognized the Yan family for their filial piety, excusing them from taxes and forced labor, allowing them to care for their mother in peace until her old age. After his mother passed away, Yan Yuanming finished his mourning period, but he always remembered his mother in his heart. On every anniversary of her death, he was overcome with sadness, and his neighbors could hear his cries. He had a harmonious relationship with his brothers, with a clear sense of respect for ages, and although they lived in poverty, they found happiness in their simple life. In the end, the brothers grew old together, their hair turning gray, and walked together into their twilight years.
Yishi County also has a man named Linghu Shi, who lost their father at a young age along with his three brothers. For more than ten years, they have mourned their father and demonstrated filial piety by caring for their mother, which has earned them a good reputation in the village. They work diligently in farming, save up food, and are generous and charitable without being stingy.
In Hedong Commandery, there are 750 people including Yang Feng, who together with others wrote a letter praising the filial piety of the Huangfu brothers, Le Hu. Even though they faced hardships while serving in the military, the Huangfu brothers, Le Hu, are of noble character, and their devotion to their adoptive father is truly commendable.
In Xiaohuang County of Dong Commandery, the Dong Tuhun brothers are very devoted to their parents, with three generations living together in harmony. In the early years of the Jingming era, Wang Ning, the Grand Envoy of the Capital, requested that the court commend their filial piety, and the court approved it.
Wu Xida, from Wenxi in Hedong, had his parents murdered when he and his two brothers were very young. They cried for their parents all year round, and their neighbors were moved by their sorrow. When they grew up, they avenged their parents and later moved to Yong'an for safety. The brothers lived harmoniously, supporting and respecting one another for over forty years. Even in years of poor harvests, when they struggled to put food on the table, they would always put out whatever they had to welcome passing guests. Whenever someone in the village passed away, they would actively offer their carriage and horses to help with the funeral. Whenever there were lonely or impoverished neighbors, they would not hesitate to give away their clothes and share their food to help. More than five hundred people from the village went to the prefecture to praise the brothers for their good deeds. The magistrate, recognizing the good reputation of the Xida brothers in the village, specially awarded a plaque of "Governor of Bohai" to Xida's father. Later, Xida wanted to relocate his father's grave but could not find it, searching everywhere without success. He cried day and night, calling out to the deities. Suddenly, the ground beneath him collapsed, revealing his father's epitaph. He then moved the graves of nine ancestors from his great-grandfather down through three generations, spending all his family assets without asking anyone for help, feeling even more heartbroken and worn out than when his parents passed away. Local officials reported to the court, which ordered a monument to be placed at their doorstep and exempted them from corvée labor to honor their devotion to their parents.
Now, here’s another story. Cui Chengzong from Qizhou, whose father served as an official in Hanzhong during the Song Dynasty, buried his mother there after her death. Later, when Qingzhou and Xuzhou came under the Northern Wei, he was cut off from Hanzhong. Cui Chengzong was deeply filial; he traveled thousands of miles, facing dangers, to secretly carry his mother's coffin back to the capital. Sun Huiwei, the Yellow Gate Minister, upon hearing this, said, "I see in this person the virtues of integrity and honor!" Thus, he paid his respects with the highest ceremonies, as if he were an old friend of Cui Chengzong.
Wang Xusheng was from Jing County in Xingyang. After his stepmother passed away, he could barely stand, relying on a cane during his mourning period. By the end of the funeral, he had lost all his hair. Local officials reported this to the court, and Emperor Shizong ordered a memorial tablet to be erected at his doorstep, exempting him from corvée labor.
Li Xianda was from Yangzhai in Yingchuan. After his father died, he did not eat or drink for seven days, losing all his hair and becoming extremely weak. For six years, he lived next to the cemetery, constantly crying, nearly wasting away. The provincial governor, Prince Gao Yang Yong, reported this to the court, and Empress Dowager Ling ordered a memorial tablet to be erected at his doorstep.
Finally, there is the story of Zhang Sheng, who was from Xingyang. After his parents passed away, he lost all his hair while mourning, did not eat or drink, and coughed up several liters of blood. The court ordered a memorial tablet to be erected at his doorstep.
Cang Ba was from Jing County in Xingyang. After his mother passed away, he did not eat or drink for five days, coughing up several liters of blood, growing thin and haggard from overwhelming grief, gaining the villagers' admiration. Local officials reported this to the court, and the emperor ordered a memorial tablet to be erected at his doorstep.
Wang Chong, courtesy name Qianyong, was born in Yangxia Yongqiu. He and his brothers were all known for their filial piety. He personally worked the fields to support his elderly parents. Later, he became a chief clerk in the town of Liangzhou Zhen Nanfu. After his mother passed away, he could barely stand with the help of a cane, and he had lost all his hair. Before the burial, the coffin was laid temporarily on the west side of the house. Wang Chong stayed by the coffin, weeping day and night, and even the pigeons flocked to him. Among them was a small bird with black feathers and eyes, about the size of a sparrow, that stayed under Wang Chong's eaves and never left. When his mother's funeral was over, he encountered his father's funeral, grieving excessively, beyond what was customary. That year, a fierce wind and hailstorm swept through Yangxia, resulting in the death of all birds and animals in its path and destroying vegetation. However, when the storm reached Wang Chong's fields, it stopped, and his ten acres of crops remained unscathed. Once the storm passed his fields, it resumed its rampage. Everyone said that Wang Chong's filial piety had moved the heavens. Even after the mourning period ended, Wang Chong continued to reside near the grave. A lush, unknown grass sprouted in front of his house, with very rich stems and leaves. In winter, a crow nested on his roof and hatched three chicks. When the young crows fully feathered, they were gentle and unafraid of humans. Local officials caught wind of this and came to investigate in person. The local government reported the incident to the imperial court, and a monument was erected at his doorstep.
Guo Wengong was a native of Pingyao in Taiyuan. He served as the magistrate of Taiping County. In his seventies, his parents passed away in quick succession. Guo Wengong was very filial and lived beside his grandparents' grave, kneeling in reverence every morning and evening. He went barefoot, carrying soil to mound their graves, persisting through both cold and heat for many years, which drew sighs from those who witnessed it. The Minister of Rites at the imperial court reported to the court and erected a tablet at his door.
The historian said: "Only filial piety can move heaven and earth and resonate throughout the world. However, there are many ways to begin showing respect and expressing grief, but the fundamental purpose is the same. Those who are very clever naturally possess the virtue of filial piety; ordinary people can also achieve filial piety through effort. Once they become famous, their virtues are the same. People like Zhao Yan, some come from noble families and cultivate their filial hearts through the teachings of Confucian propriety; others come from ordinary families and are not driven by external rewards or encouragement to show filial piety. Some carry soil to mound graves, while others grieve excessively at the expense of their own health. While they may stray from the rites established by their ancestors, their actions still reveal their benevolent character."
