Qi Jun, with the courtesy name Piao Xian, was from Luoyang, Henan. His family had a distinguished lineage; his grandfather Qi Chen once served as the governor of Bingzhou. Qi Jun held official positions during the Zhuang Emperor's reign and rose through the ranks to become the governor of Cangzhou. The local officials and people all respected and liked him. Before long, he was appointed as the Grand Minister of Imperial Sacrifices.
After Erzhu Shilong and others were killed, King Qixianwu arrived in Luoyang and stationed at Mangshan. The emperor summoned civil and military officials, including commoners, and said, "Erzhu Rong was too cruel, defying the mandate of heaven. I raised troops in Xindu and have already dealt with those criminals. Now I intend to support a wise and virtuous person to make the Wei Dynasty prosperous again. Who can take on the heavy burden of the state and fulfill the will of heaven and the people?" The emperor emphasized repeatedly, but no one dared to respond. At this moment, Qi Jun stood up and said, "To be a monarch, one must be thoughtful, wise, and benevolent. King Guangling never spoke a word out of place during times of chaos. From the perspective of human relations, although he was supported by Erzhu Rong to ascend to the throne, he is the wise and virtuous ruler of our time!" King Qixianwu was very pleased and agreed with Qi Jun's opinion. At this time, the Minister of the Yellow Gate, Cui Quan, his expression shifted, and said to Qi Jun, "If King Guangling becomes emperor, he cannot inherit and promote the rules of the Wei Dynasty, nor can he bestow blessings upon the world. How can such a person be deemed wise and virtuous? If you want to call him wise and virtuous, you have to wait until he becomes a great king!" At that time, Gao Ganyong, Wei Langen, and others also supported Cui Quan's opinion, so the Emperor was appointed. Later, the Emperor behaved improperly, and King Qixianwu remembered Qi Jun's words and deeply regretted his decision.
Not long after, Qi Jun was appointed as the Deputy Censor-in-Chief. On the road, he encountered the Minister of State, Jia Xiandu. Jia Xiandu, relying on his great achievements and high status, deliberately allowed his entourage to overshadow Qi Jun's, which visibly angered Qi Jun. Later, he directly went to the palace to complain to the emperor. After that, Qi Jun was promoted again, eventually reaching the positions of Cavalry General, Left Minister of Rites, and Equivalent to Three Departments.
Qi Jun was very skilled at flattery and adept at reading the emperor's intentions, maintaining good relations with Hu Si Chun and He Ba Sheng. Hu Si Chun wanted to frame Qi Jun, and the emperor ordered Qi Jun to go to Jinyang. King Xian of Qi summoned civil and military officials to discuss matters with Qi Jun, who made his case but ultimately had to back down. Qi Jun was quite shrewd. He Ba Sheng, while stationed in Jingzhou, passed by Qi Jun's place and took the opportunity to visit Qi Jun's mother. Qi Jun intentionally displayed his worn-out felt mat and quilt to He Ba Sheng, which led He Ba Sheng to give Qi Jun some money. Later, Qi Jun was later appointed as the Minister of Personnel and once again served as the Governor of Cangzhou. After being recalled by the court, he served as Deputy Lieutenant and was granted the title of Count of Zhangwu County. Subsequently, he was appointed as the Governor of Yinzhou, where he eventually died. After his death, he was posthumously granted the title of Minister of Works and given the posthumous title of Wen Zhen.
His son, Hong Shi, styled Chen Zheng, served as an aide to the Minister and also held the position of County Magistrate in Wei County. This person particularly loved drinking and had a fondness for women, exhibiting highly inappropriate behavior. Ultimately, he died in office.
Shan Wei, styled Zhongcai, is from Luoyang, Henan. His family has illustrious ancestors. His grandfather, named Qiang, was strikingly handsome, standing over eight feet tall, and was capable of drawing a five-stone bow. He served as a court official in a significant capacity and once accompanied Emperor Xianzhu on a hunting trip to Fangshan, where two foxes suddenly appeared in front of the emperor. The emperor ordered his grandfather to shoot them, and within a hundred paces, both foxes were hit! Later, his grandfather was promoted to the position of Minister of Personnel. His father, Zhizhi, served as the county magistrate of Yingling. Shan Wei studied various classics under Wang Hui, a local teacher, while accompanying his father in the county. His father later became the governor of Jinming.
When Emperor Suzong first ascended the throne, Yuan Kuang served as the Deputy Censor-in-Chief and appointed Shan Wei as an assistant censor. Just five days after entering the Censorate, Shan Wei found an opportunity to initiate an impeachment. At that time, Shan Wei was responsible for the Shenwu Gate, and his wife's uncle, the captain of the Yulin Guard, had assaulted an official on duty at the palace gate. Shan Wei immediately filed a memorial to impeach his uncle. Yuan Kuang agreed with his decision and quickly reported the memorial. Later, Shan Wei was appointed as an assistant teacher at the Imperial Academy and then promoted to a junior official and court judge.
At that time, the world was peaceful, and it was not easy to be promoted; many of those in line for promotions never got their chance. When rebellions broke out in the six towns and Longxi, Commander Yuan Cha wanted to enlist the sons of poor families to convey the edict and appease the rebels. Consequently, hundreds of descendants of governors and officials were eager to make a name for themselves. To address this chaos, Yuan Cha proposed establishing a merit-based system so that these individuals could be assigned based on their qualifications and backgrounds. From then on, people in the north were assigned official positions. Shan Wei wrote a memorial lauding Yuan Cha's achievements. Yuan Cha was initially unfamiliar with Shan Wei and asked the chamberlain Anfeng Wang Yanming and Huangmen Lang Yuan Shun, who both recommended Shan Wei. Yuan Cha then had the official Yuan Qin introduce Shan Wei, appointing him as a secretary in the Ministry of Personnel, which was later renamed. He was also tasked with compiling the "Records of Daily Activities." Later, the official Yuan Shun, who oversaw official selections, recommended Shan Wei to become an advisor.
That scoundrel Er Zhu Rong harmed many court officials, but Wei was exceptionally upright, which allowed him to escape disaster. Later, when Emperor Zhuang took the throne, he promoted Wei to assistant chamberlain.
Earlier, Wei had gone on a business trip with several others, including Yi Caolang Yuan Sheng, Tuntian Lang Li Yanxiao, Waibing Lang Li Huan, and Sangong Lang Wang Yanye, with Wei trailing behind. On the way, they encountered a nun who glanced at them and sighed, saying, "These people share the same fate; they will die on the same day." Then she told Wei, "In the future, you will be very close to the emperor and can become a good official." As it turned out, Yuan Sheng and the other four were all killed in Heshan; the nun's words turned out to be true. Shortly after, Wei was promoted to the position of literary official.
After the former Northern Wei Emperor ascended to the throne, Wei was appointed as the General of Andong, the Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat, and continued as a compiler. When Erzhu Zhao attacked Luoyang, the officials scattered, but the custodian of the national records, Gao Faxian, secretly buried the historical books, so they were preserved. Wei felt that he had made a contribution and requested the emperor to reward him. He ingratiated himself with Erzhu Shilong and was eventually granted the title of Count of Dong'a County, while Gao Faxian only received a baron title. Later, Wei was promoted to the position of Palace Attendant.
During the early reign of Emperor Xiaojing, Wei was appointed as the Grand General of Wei, the Prefect of the Palace Secretariat, and also in charge of the daily records. Later, he continued to serve as a compiler and eventually died in office. He was posthumously appointed as the General of Chariots and Cavalry, the Supervisor of the Imperial Household, the Commander, and the Inspector of Youzhou, and posthumously granted the title of Duke Wenzhen.
After Deng Yuan, Cui Chen, Cui Hao, Gao Yun, Li Biao, and Cui Guang in the national history, many others subsequently contributed to the writing and recording. Qi Jun and Wei flattered Crown Prince Wang Tianmu and Erzhu Shilong, arguing that the national history should be entrusted to talented individuals like them and not to others. So Qi Jun and Wei took over the compilation of the national history. They merely copied the old records without contributing anything original. Therefore, from Cui Hong's death until Wei's own death, many significant events from that twenty-year period went unrecorded, and later historians could not find any basis. The gaps in the national records were entirely due to Wei's actions.
He seems calm and composed on the surface, but in fact, he is competitive and ambitious at heart. He had a good relationship with Qi Jun when they were young, but later, due to fame and fortune, they became bitter rivals. He also formed factions with Yu Wenzhong and others, which made many honest people fear him at that time. However, he developed a greater passion for studying history and literature as he grew older. His younger brother died young, and Wei raised his sister-in-law and nephew, living with them for over twenty years, forming a strong bond. He wasn't materialistic; after he died, his house was sold off to cover his funeral expenses, and his wife and kids struggled to get by, which left many friends feeling sorry for him. His eldest son, Ang, inherited his noble title.
Liu Renzhi, styled Shanjing, was from Luoyang, Henan. His ancestors moved to Luoyang to live. His father, Liu Ertou, is mentioned in the "Biography of the Imperial Clan." Liu Renzhi had integrity and ambition from a young age, had skimmed through some historical texts, and was skilled in both regular and cursive script, and was quite good at writing. The Inspector General Yuan Zhao took notice of him and brought him on as an inspector.
During the reign of the Deposed Emperor, he also served as a Court Attendant and had Er Zhu Shilong's full trust. When Emperor Xiaowu came to power, he was appointed as a literary official and concurrently served as the Minister of the Central Secretariat, but he wasn't really suited for that role, and historical records do not mention anything he wrote. Later, he was sent to serve as the General of the Guard and the Governor of Xiyanzhou, where he performed relatively well and gained considerable fame. He passed away in the second year of Wuding, and the court posthumously granted him the titles of General of the Guard, Minister of Personnel, and Governor of Qingzhou, and he was given the posthumous title of Jing.
On the surface, Liu Renzhi exuded the air of an elder, but in reality, he was cunning. When receiving guests, he deliberately set out broken beds and shabby bedding, served plain tea and rice, and wore old clothes to give the appearance of poverty, in order to diminish the status of his guests. He was skilled at currying favor with those in power and adept at political maneuvering. Often in public, he would deliberately criticize a corrupt official or champion a poor person to boast, showcase his cleverness, and mock the ignorant. The uninformed praised him, saying he was fair and capable, but in reality, this was a gross exaggeration. He was particularly cruel, overseeing the construction of city walls in Jinyang, and when there was a slight delay, he beat the former governor of Yinzhou, Pei Yuan, and the governor of Bingzhou, Wang Chuo. Even Emperor Wu of Qi criticized him harshly for this. Although he enjoyed literature, he was notoriously strict with his subordinates. If the format of official documents was incorrect, he would beat them; if their speech did not rhyme correctly, they would also be punished, leaving officials and citizens unable to tolerate him. However, he had a passion for literature and history and respected talented individuals. He had a good relationship with General Feng Yuanxing, and even after Feng Yuanxing passed away, Liu Renzhi frequently visited his family and generously supported them. Because of this, he was respected by the people of that time.
Yuwen Zhongzhi was also from Luoyang, Henan. His ancestors were distant kin of the Southern Xiongnu Chanyu, having occupied the eastern region for generations before relocating to the capital. His grandfather, Yuwen Asheng, was General of Annan and Duke of Baxi. His father, Yuwen Kan, died while serving as Senior Imperial Secretary.
Qi Jun was a man who quite enjoyed studying history and literature, and he wrote excellent articles. Later, he became a Doctor of the Imperial Academy. During the Tianping era, he was promoted to the position of Deputy Minister of the Central Secretariat. At that time, there was a man named Pei Boma, who also worked in the same department and always looked down upon him, even nicknaming him "Black Yu" because Qi Jun had darker skin. Later, the court assigned him to help compile the national history. During the Yuanzhang period, he also served as a regular attendant to the court and followed Zheng Boyou to serve as an envoy to Xiao Yan. In the Wuding era, he became the General of Annan and the Right Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, continuing his work on history. Not long after, due to some issues, he was dismissed from his position.
Qi Jun particularly valued fame and fortune. After becoming a minister, several years passed, and when he heard that the Ministry of Personnel was going to select a Right Minister, everyone participating in the selection had to take an exam. Qi Jun also went to take the exam. After being appointed as the Right Minister, he was overjoyed, and his pride swelled so much it seemed he could touch the sky; he even wore a smug and disdainful expression, and those who understood the situation laughed at him behind his back. As a result, he later lost his official position, feeling deeply frustrated, and he fell ill and died.
His grave is located on Jun Mountain.
Historical records note that Qi Jun experienced ups and downs in his official career, with both his position and character being quite unstable. While Ren was somewhat cunning at heart, he handled interpersonal relationships well; while Qi Jun had great talent in literature and history, he lacked a good reputation for his character. It can be seen that being a perfect person is indeed quite difficult!
