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隋書卷七十二列傳第三十七
Book of Sui, Volume 72, Biographies 37
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○孝義
Filial Piety and Righteous Conduct
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《孝經》云：「夫孝，天之經也，地之義也，人之行也。」 《論語》云：「君子務本，本立而道生。 孝悌也者，其為仁之本與！」 《呂覽》云：「夫孝，三皇、五帝之本務，萬事之綱紀也。 執一術而百善至，百邪去，天下順者，其唯孝乎！」 然則孝之為德至矣，其為道遠矣，其化人深矣。 故聖帝明王行之于四海，則與天地合其德，與日月齊其明。 諸侯卿大夫行之于國家，則永保其宗社，長守其祿位。 匹夫匹婦行之于閭閻，則播微烈于當年，揚休名於千載。 此皆資純至以感物，故聖哲之所重。 田翼、郎方貴等，闕稽古之學，無俊偉之才，並能任其自然，情無矯飾。 篤於天性，勤其四體，竭股肱之力，盡愛敬之心，自足膝下之歡，忘懷軒冕之貴。 不言之化，人神通感。 雖或位登臺輔，爵列王侯，祿積萬鐘，馬逾千駟，死之日，曾不得與斯人之徒隸齒。 孝之大也，不其然乎！ 故述其所行，為《孝義傳》。
The Classic of Filial Piety says: "Filial piety is Heaven's constant law, Earth's rightful duty, and the proper way of human conduct. The Analects says: "The gentleman devotes himself to the root; once the root is firmly set, the Way arises from it. Are not filial piety and brotherly respect the very root of benevolence!" The Lüshi Chunqiu says: "Filial piety was the essential duty of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, the governing thread running through every undertaking. Grasp this single practice and every virtue follows, every vice falls away, and the world comes into harmony — what could it be but filial piety!" Filial piety, then, is the highest of virtues, the farthest-reaching of ways, and the deepest in its power to transform human hearts. When sage emperors and enlightened kings put it into practice across the realm, their virtue joins that of Heaven and Earth, their radiance equals that of sun and moon. When feudal lords, ministers, and grand masters practice it within their domains, they secure their ancestral altars in perpetuity and keep their rank and emoluments for generations. When ordinary men and women practice it in village and lane, they leave a modest mark in their own lifetime and win a noble name that shines a thousand years hence. All draw on utter sincerity to move others, which is why sages and wise men have always prized it. Men such as Tian Yi and Lang Fanggui had no training in classical learning and no towering gifts, yet each could follow his inborn nature without artifice or pretense. Deeply rooted in natural affection, they toiled with hands and feet, poured out every ounce of strength, and gave their whole hearts in love and reverence — finding full contentment in their parents' presence and never giving a thought to rank and emolument. Their wordless influence moved both men and spirits alike. Even those who reached the highest offices, held princely titles, piled up stipends by the ten thousand piculs, and kept stables of more than a thousand horses — on the day they died they were not fit to be counted among the attendants of such men. How vast is the power of filial piety — is it not exactly so! I have therefore set down their deeds in the "Biographies of Filial Piety and Righteous Conduct."
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○陸彥師
Lu Yanshi
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陸彥師，字雲房，魏郡臨漳人。 祖希道，魏定州刺史。 父子彰，中書監。 彥師少有行檢，為邦族所稱。 長而好學，解屬文。 魏襄城王元旭引為參軍事。 以父艱去職，哀毀殆不勝喪。 與兄卬廬于墓次，負土成墳。 公卿重之，多就墓側存問，晦朔之際，車馬不絕。 齊文宣聞而嘉歎，旌表其閭，號其所住為孝終裡。 中書令河間邢邵表薦之，未報，彭城王浟為司州牧，召補主簿。 後曆中外府東閣祭酒。 兄卬當襲父始平侯，以彥師昆弟中最幼，表讓封焉。 彥師固辭而止。 時稱友悌孝義，總萃一門。 遷中書舍人，尋轉通直散騎侍郎。 每陳使至，必令高選主客，彥師所接對者，前後六輩。 曆中書黃門侍郎，以不阿宦者，遇讒，出為中山太守，有惠政。 數年，徵為吏部郎中。 周武平齊，授載師下大夫。 宣帝時，轉少納言，賜爵臨水縣男，奉使幽、薊。 俄而高祖為丞相，彥師遇疾，請假還鄴。 尉迥將為亂，彥師微知之，遂委妻子，潛歸長安。 高祖嘉之，授內史下大夫，拜上儀同。 高祖受禪，拜尚書左丞，進爵為子。 彥師素多病，未幾，以務劇疾動，乞解所職，有詔聽以本官就第。 歲餘，轉吏部侍郎。 隋承周制，官無清濁，彥師在職，凡所任人，頗甄別於士庶，論者美之。 後復以病出為汾州刺史，卒官。
Lu Yanshi, styled Yunfang, was a native of Linzhang in Wei commandery. His grandfather Xidao had been governor of Dingzhou under Wei. His father Zizhang had served as Director of the Secretariat. From youth Yanshi conducted himself with propriety and was praised throughout his clan and neighborhood. As he matured he took to learning and became adept at literary composition. Yuan Xu, Prince of Xiangcheng under Wei, took him on as a staff officer. When his father died he left office; his grief was so extreme that he nearly perished in mourning. He and his elder brother Ang lived in a mourning hut beside the tomb, carrying earth by hand to raise the burial mound. High officials held him in esteem; many came to the graveside to pay their respects, and on the first and fifteenth of each month the stream of carriages never stopped. When Emperor Wenxuan of Qi heard of this he expressed his admiration, erected an honorific marker at his lane, and named his neighborhood Filial Mourning Lane. Xing Shao of Hejian, Director of the Secretariat, recommended him by memorial, but before any response arrived Chou, Prince of Pengcheng and governor of Sizhou, summoned him to serve as chief clerk. He later held the post of Libationer of the Eastern Pavilion in both the central and outer administrations. His brother Ang was due to inherit their father's marquisate of Shiping; because Yanshi was the youngest brother, Ang petitioned to yield the fief to him. Yanshi firmly refused, and the matter was dropped. The age praised their brotherly devotion and filial righteousness, virtues that seemed to concentrate in a single family. He was promoted to Attendant of the Secretariat and soon after transferred to Gentleman of the Palace in Regular Attendance. Whenever envoys from Chen arrived, the court always selected the most distinguished men to receive them — Yanshi handled such duties for six missions in succession. He served as Attendant Gentleman of the Yellow Gate at the Secretariat; because he refused to curry favor with eunuchs he was slandered and sent out as governor of Zhongshan, where his rule was marked by kindness. Several years later he was recalled to serve as Director in the Ministry of Personnel. When Emperor Wu of Zhou conquered Qi, he was appointed Grand Master of the Palace for Carriage Masters. Under Emperor Xuan he became Junior Remonstrator, was enfeoffed as Baron of Linshui county, and was dispatched on a mission to You and Ji. Before long Gaozu became Chancellor; Yanshi fell ill and requested leave to return to Ye. When Wei Jiong was preparing to rebel, Yanshi had some inkling of it; he abandoned wife and children and stole back to Chang'an. Gaozu praised him, appointed him Grand Master of the Palace in the Secretariat, and granted him the rank of Senior Yitong. When Gaozu took the throne he was appointed Left Assistant Director of the Secretariat and raised in rank to Viscount. Yanshi had long been in poor health; before long the strain of office aggravated his illness, and he petitioned to resign; an edict allowed him to retain his title and retire home. A year later he was transferred to Vice Director of the Ministry of Personnel. The Sui followed Zhou institutions, in which offices carried no distinction of pure versus impure rank; in office Yanshi carefully distinguished gentry from commoners in every appointment he made, and commentators praised him for it. Later, again on account of illness, he was sent out as governor of Fenzhou, where he died in office.
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○田德懋
Tian Demao
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田德懋，觀國公仁恭之子也。 少以孝友著名。 開皇初，以父軍功賜爵平原郡公，授太子千牛備身。 丁父艱，哀毀骨立，廬於墓側，負土成墳。 上聞而嘉之，遣員外散騎侍郎元志就吊焉。 復降璽書曰：「皇帝謝田德懋。 知在窮疾，哀毀過禮，倚廬墓所，負土成墳。 朕孝理天下，思弘名教，復與汝通家，情義素重，有聞孝感，嘉歎兼深。 春日暄和，氣力何似？ 宜自抑割，以禮自存也。」 並賜縑二百匹，米百石。 復下詔表其門閭。 後曆太子舍人、義州司馬。 大業中，為給事郎、尚書駕部郎，卒官。
Tian Demao was a son of Rengong, Duke of Guanguo. From youth he was renowned for filial devotion and brotherly affection. At the start of the Kaihuang era, on account of his father's military merit he was enfeoffed as Duke of Pingyuan commandery and appointed Attendant of the Thousand Oxen for the Crown Prince. When his father died his grief wore him to skin and bone; he lived in a mourning hut beside the tomb and carried earth by hand to raise the burial mound. When the emperor heard of this he expressed his approval and sent Yuan Zhi, Attendant Gentleman of the Scattered Cavalry in Extraordinary Service, to offer condolences. He also sent an imperial letter: "The Emperor addresses Tian Demao. We know you are in deep affliction, that your grief exceeds the proper measure of mourning, that you dwell in a hut at the graveside and have built the mound with your own hands. I govern the realm through filial principle and seek to spread moral teaching; our families are moreover joined by marriage and our bond has always been close — hearing of your filial devotion, my admiration and compassion are profound. The spring days are mild — how is your strength holding up? You should restrain your grief and preserve yourself according to the rites. He also bestowed two hundred bolts of silk and a hundred piculs of grain. An edict was also issued to honor his household with a public commendation. He later served as Attendant of the Crown Prince and as Administrator of Yizhou. During the Daye era he served as Gentleman of the Palace Gate and as Director of the Carriage Office in the Secretariat, and died in office.
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○薛濬
Xue Jun
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薛濬，字道賾，刑部尚書、內陽公胄之從祖弟也。 父琰，周渭南太守。 濬少喪父，早孤，養母以孝聞。 幼好學，有志行，尋師于長安。 時初平江陵，何妥歸國，見而異之，授以經業。 周天和中，襲爵虞城侯，歷納言上士、新豐令。 開皇初，擢拜尚書虞部侍郎，尋轉考功侍郎。 帝聞濬事母至孝，以其母老，賜輿服機杖，四時珍味，當時榮之。 後其母疾，濬貌甚憂瘁，親故弗之識也。 暨丁母艱，詔鴻臚監護喪事，歸葬夏陽。 于時隆冬極寒，濬衰絰徒跣，冒犯霜雪，自京及鄉，五百餘里，足凍墜指，瘡血流離，朝野為之傷痛。 州裡賵助，一無所受。 尋起令視事，濬屢陳誠款，請終喪制，優詔不許。 及至京，上見其毀瘠過甚，為之改容，顧謂群臣曰：「吾見薛濬哀毀，不覺悲感傷懷。」 嗟異久之。 濬竟不勝喪，病且卒。 其弟謨時為晉王府兵曹參軍事，在揚州，濬遺書與謨曰：
Xue Jun, styled Daoyin, was a younger cousin of Zhou, Duke of Neiyang, who had served as Minister of Punishments. His father Yan had been governor of Weinan under Zhou. Jun lost his father in childhood and was orphaned young; he supported his mother and became renowned for filial devotion. From childhood he loved learning and showed strength of character; he went to Chang'an in search of a teacher. Jiangling had just been pacified; He Tuo had returned from captivity, saw him and was struck by his promise, and instructed him in the classics. During the Tianhe era of Zhou he inherited the marquisate of Yucheng and served as Senior Clerk of the Remonstrance Bureau and as magistrate of Xinfeng. At the start of Kaihuang he was promoted to Vice Director of the Parks Office in the Secretariat and soon transferred to Vice Director of the Bureau of Evaluations. When the emperor heard that Jun served his mother with utmost devotion, and because his mother was elderly, he bestowed a carriage, robes, a staff, and seasonal delicacies — an honor greatly envied at the time. When his mother later fell ill, Jun grew so haggard with worry that relatives and friends scarcely recognized him. When his mother died, an edict ordered the Director of Guests to oversee the funeral, and he returned to bury her at Xiayang. It was the depths of winter and bitterly cold; Jun wore mourning garments and went barefoot through frost and snow from the capital to his home, more than five hundred li; his feet froze until his toes fell off, his wounds bled freely — court and countryside alike were stricken with grief for him. He accepted none of the condolence gifts offered by his district and neighbors. He was soon recalled to resume office; Jun repeatedly petitioned in all sincerity to complete the full mourning period, but gracious edicts would not allow it. When he reached the capital, the emperor saw how grievously he had wasted away, and his expression changed; turning to the assembled ministers he said: "When I see Xue Jun's grief and emaciation, I cannot help but feel sorrow pierce my heart. He sighed and marveled for a long while. In the end Jun could not survive his grief; he fell ill and was near death. His younger brother Mo was then a staff officer in the Military Affairs Section of the Prince of Jin's household in Yangzhou; Jun left a letter for Mo that read:
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吾以不造，幼丁艱酷，窮遊約處，屢絕簞瓢。 晚生早孤，不聞《詩》《禮》，賴奉先人貽厥之訓，獲稟母氏聖善之規，負笈裹糧，不憚艱遠，從師就業，欲罷不能。 砥行厲心，困而彌篤，服膺教義，爰至長成。 自釋耒登朝，於茲二十三年矣。 雖官非聞達，而祿喜逮親，庶保期頤，得終色養。 何圖精誠無感，禍酷薦臻，兄弟俱被奪情，苫廬靡申哀訴。 是用扣心泣血，隕氣摧魂者也。 既而創巨釁深，不勝荼毒，啟手啟足，幸及全歸。 使夫死而有知，得從先人於地下矣，豈非至願哉。 但念爾伶俜孤宦，遠在邊服，顧此恨恨，如何可言。 適已有書，冀得與汝面訣，忍死待汝，已曆一旬。 汝既未來，便成今古，緬然永別，為恨何言。 勉之哉，勉之哉！
Fortune has never favored me; in youth I suffered bitter hardship, wandered in poverty and want, and often went without even a single meal. Born late and orphaned young, I had no training in the Odes and Rites; I relied on the teachings my forebears left me and on my mother's wise and gentle guidance; I shouldered my books and packed my provisions, unafraid of hardship and distance, followed teachers to pursue my studies, and could not bring myself to stop. I honed my conduct and steeled my resolve; hardship only deepened my steadfastness; I held the teachings close to my heart until I came of age. From the time I left the fields for court service, twenty-three years have passed. Though my office was not one of high distinction, my stipend at least reached my kin; I hoped they would live to a ripe old age and that I might support them to the end of their days. Who could have imagined that my utmost sincerity would move nothing, that calamity would strike in succession, that both brothers would be forced from mourning, and that in our mourning hut we could not give full voice to our grief! For this I beat my breast and weep blood; my breath fails and my soul is shattered. Then the wound grew vast and the anguish unbearable; with hands and feet whole, I am fortunate at least to return intact. If the dead have awareness, I shall join my forebears in the realm below — what greater wish could I have? Yet I think of you, alone and adrift in office on the distant frontier — at this thought my regret is beyond words. I have just sent a letter, hoping to bid you farewell in person; I have clung to life waiting for you — ten days have already passed. You have not come; what was present is now past; this distant eternal parting — what words can express my regret? Press on! Press on!
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書成而絕，時年四十二。 有司以聞，高祖為之屑涕，降使齎冊書弔祭曰：「皇帝諮故考功侍郎薛濬：於戲！ 惟爾操履貞和，器業詳敏，允膺列宿，勤謇克彰。 及遘私艱，奄從毀滅。 嘉爾誠孝，感於朕懷，奠酹有加，抑惟朝典。 故遣使人，指申往命，魂而有靈，歆茲榮渥。 嗚呼哀哉！」 濬性清儉，死之日，家無遺資。 濬初為童兒時，與宗中諸兒遊戲於澗濱。 見一黃蛇有角及足，召群兒共視，了無見者。 濬以為不祥，歸大憂悴。 母逼而問之，濬以實對。 時有胡僧詣宅乞食，濬母怖而告之，僧曰：「此乃兒之吉應。 且是兒也，早有名位，然壽不過六七耳。」 言終而出，忽然不見，時咸異之。 既而終於四十二，六七之言，於是驗矣。 子乾福，武安郡司倉書佐。
When the letter was finished he died; he was forty-two years old. The authorities reported it; Gaozu wept for him and sent an envoy bearing a patent of condolence that read: "The Emperor addresses the late Vice Director of Evaluations Xue Jun: Alas! Your conduct was pure and harmonious, your talent and achievement refined and keen; you truly matched the stars in their courses; diligence and integrity shone forth in you. When you met with private bereavement, you were suddenly consumed by grief. I praise your sincere filial devotion, which moves my heart; the offerings I send exceed the usual measure, yet this too accords with court precedent. Therefore I send an envoy to convey this charge; if your soul has awareness, receive this honored grace. Alas, how mournful! Jun was by nature pure and frugal; when he died his household had nothing left behind. When Jun was a boy he played with the other children of the clan beside a stream. He saw a yellow serpent with horns and feet and called the other boys to look, but none of them could see it. Jun took this as an ill omen and returned home deeply troubled and haggard. His mother pressed him until he told her; Jun answered truthfully. A foreign monk came to the house to beg food; Jun's mother, frightened, told him what had happened; the monk said: "This is an auspicious sign for your son. Moreover, this boy will win fame and office early in life, yet his years will not exceed sixty or seventy. When he had finished speaking he departed and suddenly vanished; everyone at the time found it extraordinary. He later died at forty-two, and the monk's words about sixty or seventy were thus fulfilled. His son Qianfu served as a clerk in the granary office of Wu'an commandery.
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○王頒
Wang Ban
13
王頒，字景彥，太原祁人也。 祖神念，梁左衛將軍。 父僧辯，太尉。 頒少俶儻，有文武幹局。 其父平侯景，留頒質於荊州，遇元帝為周師所陷，頒因入關。 聞其父為陳武帝所殺，號慟而絕，食頃乃蘇，哭泣不絕聲，毀瘠骨立。 至服闋，常布衣蔬食，藉槁而臥。 周明帝嘉之，召授左侍上士，累遷漢中太守，尋拜儀同三司。 開皇初，以平蠻功，加開府，封蛇丘縣公。 獻取陳之策，上覽而異之，召與相見，言畢而歔欷，上為之改容。 及大舉伐陳，頒自請行，率徒數百人，從韓擒先鋒夜濟。 力戰被傷，恐不堪復鬥，悲感嗚咽。 夜中因睡，夢有人授藥，比寤而創不痛，時人以為孝感。 及陳滅，頒密召父時士卒，得千餘人，對之涕泣。 其間壯士或問頒曰：「郎君來破陳國，滅其社稷，讎恥已雪，而悲哀不止者，將為霸先早死，不得手刃之邪？ 請發其丘壟，斷櫬焚骨，亦可申孝心矣。」 頒頓顙陳謝，額盡流血，答之曰：「其為帝王，墳塋甚大，恐一宵發掘，不及其屍，更至明朝，事乃彰露，若之何？」 諸人請具鍬鍤，一旦皆萃。 於是夜發其陵，剖棺，見陳武帝須並不落，其本皆出自骨中。 頒遂焚骨取灰，投水而飲之。 既而自縛，歸罪於晉王。 王表其狀，高祖曰：「朕以義平陳，王頒所為，亦孝義之道也，朕何忍罪之！」 舍而不問。 有司錄其戰功，將加柱國，賜物五千段，頒固辭曰：「臣緣國威靈，得雪怨恥，本心徇私，非是為國，所加官賞，終不敢當。」 高祖從之。 拜代州刺史，甚有惠政。 母憂去職。 後為齊州刺史，卒官，時年五十二。 弟頍，見《文學傳》。
Wang Ban, whose courtesy name was Jingyan, came from Qi in Taiyuan. His grandfather Shennian served as Left Guard General of Liang. His father Sengbian held the rank of Grand Commander. As a youth Ban was spirited and bold, possessing both literary and military talent. His father subdued Hou Jing and left Ban as a hostage in Jingzhou; when Emperor Yuan was overrun by Zhou armies, Ban crossed into the Guanzhong region. When he heard his father had been killed by Emperor Wu of Chen, he cried out and collapsed; after the space of a meal he revived, wept without stopping, and wasted away until only bone remained. When the mourning period ended, he habitually wore plain cloth and ate simple food, sleeping on straw. Emperor Ming of Zhou praised him, summoned him, and appointed him Left Attendant Senior Master; he was promoted to Governor of Hanzhong and soon made Pillar of State, Third Rank. At the beginning of the Kaihuang era, for his merit in pacifying the barbarians he was granted the privilege of an open office and enfeoffed as Duke of Sheqiu county. He submitted a plan for conquering Chen; the emperor read it and was struck by it, summoned him for an audience, and when he had finished speaking both men sobbed—the emperor's expression changed entirely. When the great campaign against Chen was launched, Ban volunteered to take part, leading several hundred men to cross the Yangtze by night with Han Qin's vanguard. He fought fiercely and was wounded; fearing he could not fight again, he sobbed in grief. In the night he fell asleep and dreamed someone gave him medicine; when he woke his wound no longer hurt—people at the time attributed this to filial devotion moving Heaven. When Chen fell, Ban secretly gathered more than a thousand of his father's former soldiers and wept before them. Some of the stalwarts among them asked Ban: "Young master, you came to destroy Chen and extinguish its altars of state—your revenge is already fulfilled—yet your grief never ends. Is it because Baxian died too soon and you could not kill him with your own hand? Please open his tomb mound, break open the coffin, and burn his bones—that too would fulfill your filial devotion." Ban kowtowed again and again in apology until his forehead bled, and answered: "He was an emperor; his tomb precinct is vast. I fear that digging for a single night would not reach the corpse, and if we wait until dawn the deed would be exposed—what then could we do?" The men offered to bring hoes and spades, and in one day all assembled. That night they opened the mausoleum and split the coffin. Chen Emperor Wu's beard had not fallen away at all—its roots still grew from the bones. Ban then burned the bones, took the ashes, mixed them in water, and drank them. He then bound himself and surrendered to take blame before the Prince of Jin. The prince reported what had happened. Emperor Gaozu said: "I conquered Chen in the name of righteousness. What Wang Ban did belongs to the way of filial devotion and righteousness as well—how could I bear to punish him!" He pardoned him and took no further action. The authorities recorded his battle achievements and proposed to make him a Grand Pillar of State and grant him five thousand rolls of goods. Ban firmly declined: "Through the state's awesome authority I was able to settle my grievance; my heart was bent on private revenge, not on serving the state. The offices and rewards you would bestow I dare not accept." The emperor agreed. He was appointed Governor of Daizhou and governed with notable benevolence. He left office upon his mother's death. He later served as Governor of Qizhou and died in office at the age of fifty-two. His younger brother Yi is treated in the "Literary Writings" biography.
14
○楊慶
Yang Qing
15
楊慶，字伯悅，河間人也。 祖玄，父剛，並以至孝知名。 慶美姿儀，性辯慧。 年十六，齊國子博士徐遵明見而異之。 及長，頗涉書記。 年二十五，郡察孝廉，以侍養不行。 其母有疾，不解襟帶者七旬。 及居母憂，哀毀骨立，負土成墳。 齊文宣帝表其門閭，賜帛三十匹，綿十屯，粟五十石。 高祖受禪，屢加褒賞，擢授儀同三司，版授平陽太守。 年八十五，終於家。
Yang Qing, whose courtesy name was Boyue, came from Hejian. His grandfather Xuan and his father Gang were both renowned for utmost filial piety. Qing was handsome in bearing and clever by nature. At sixteen the Qi erudite of the National University Xu Zunming saw him and was struck by his qualities. When he grew up he applied himself considerably to letters and record-keeping. At twenty-five the commandery nominated him as Filial and Incorrupt, but he declined to go because he was caring for his parents. When his mother fell ill he did not unfasten his collar or belt for seventy days. During mourning for his mother he grieved until only bone remained and carried earth to build the tomb mound himself. Emperor Wenxuan of Qi honored his household gate, granting thirty bolts of silk, ten bales of cotton, and fifty piculs of grain. When Emperor Gaozu took the throne he repeatedly rewarded him, promoted him to Pillar of State, Third Rank, and appointed him Governor of Pingyang. He died at home at the age of eighty-five.
16
○郭俊
Guo Jun
17
郭俊，字弘乂，太原文水人也。 家門雍睦，七葉共居，犬豕同乳，烏鵲通巢，時人以為義感之應。 州縣上其事，上遣平昌公宇文弼詣其家勞問之。 治書御史柳彧巡省河北，表其門閭。 漢王諒為并州總管，聞而嘉歎，賜兄弟二十餘人衣各一襲。
Guo Jun, whose courtesy name was Hongyi, came from Wenshui in Taiyuan. His clan lived in harmony—seven generations under one roof. Dogs and pigs nursed from the same mother, crows and magpies shared nests, and people of the time took this as a sign stirred by their righteousness. The prefecture and county reported this to the court; the emperor sent Duke of Pingchang Yuwen Bi to visit their home and offer condolences and praise. The investigating censor Liu Yu, while touring Hebei, honored their household gate. Prince of Han Yang Liang, as chief commander of Bingzhou, heard of this, sighed in admiration, and gave each of the more than twenty brothers a suit of clothing.
18
○田翼
Tian Yi
19
田翼，不知何許人也。 性至孝，養母以孝聞。 其後母臥疾歲餘，翼親易燥濕，母食則食，母不食則不食。 母患暴痢，翼謂中毒，遂親嘗惡。 及母終，翼一慟而絕，其妻亦不勝哀而死，鄉人厚共葬之。
Tian Yi—no one knows where he came from. He was utterly filial by nature and was known for the way he cared for his mother. Later his mother lay ill for more than a year. Yi personally tended her comfort, changing bedding for dry or damp; when his mother ate he ate, when she did not eat he did not eat. His mother suffered sudden dysentery. Yi feared poison and personally tasted her foul discharges. When his mother died, Yi cried out once and collapsed. His wife too died of grief, and the villagers gave them a shared burial with full honors.
20
○紐回
Niu Hui
21
紐回，字孝政，河東安邑人也。 性至孝，周武成中，父母喪，廬於墓側，負土成墳。 廬前生麻一株，高丈許，圍之合拱，枝葉鬱茂，冬夏恆青。 有烏棲其上，回舉聲哭，烏即悲鳴，時人異之。 周武帝表其閭，擢授甘棠令。 開皇初卒。
Niu Hui, whose courtesy name was Xiaozheng, came from Anyi in Hedong. He was utterly filial. During the Wucheng era of Zhou, when his parents died, he lived in a hut beside the tomb and carried earth to build the mound. Before his hut a hemp plant grew to about one zhang in height, its trunk spanning a full arm's grasp, its foliage lush—it stayed green winter and summer. A crow perched on it. When Hui cried aloud the crow at once answered with mournful cries, and people found it extraordinary. Emperor Wu of Zhou honored his neighborhood and promoted him to Magistrate of Gantang. He died early in the Kaihuang era.
22
子士雄，少質直孝友，喪父，復廬於墓側，負土成墳。 其庭前有一槐樹，先甚鬱茂，及士雄居喪，樹遂枯死。 服闋還宅，死樹復榮。 高祖聞之，歎其父子至孝，下詔褒揚，號其所居為累德里。
His son Shixiong was by nature simple, upright, filial, and friendly. When his father died he again lived in a hut beside the tomb and carried earth to build the mound. A locust tree before his courtyard had been very lush, but when Shixiong entered mourning it withered and died. When mourning ended and he returned home, the dead tree flourished again. When Emperor Gaozu heard this he sighed at the father and son's utmost filial piety, issued an edict of praise, and named their dwelling Accumulated Virtue Lane.
23
○劉士俊
Liu Shijun
24
劉士俊，彭城人也。 性至孝，丁母喪，絕而復蘇者數矣。 勺飲不入口者七日，廬於墓側，負土成墳，列植松柏。 狐狼馴擾，為之取食。 高祖受禪，表其門閭。
Liu Shijun was from Pengcheng. He was utterly filial. During mourning for his mother he fainted and revived several times. For seven days he took neither spoon nor drink. He lived in a hut beside the tomb, carried earth to build the mound, and planted pines and cypresses in rows. Foxes and wolves grew tame and familiar, and he brought them food. When Emperor Gaozu took the throne he honored Shijun's household gate.
25
○郎方貴
Lang Fanggui
26
郎方貴，淮南人也。 少有志尚，與從父弟雙貴同居。 開皇中，方貴嘗因出行遇雨，淮水泛長，於津所寄渡，船人怒之，撾方貴臂折。 至家，其弟雙貴驚問所由，方貴具言之。 雙貴恚恨，遂向津毆擊船人致死。 守津者執送之縣官，案問其狀，以方貴為首，當死，雙貴從坐，當流。 兄弟二人爭為首坐，縣司不能斷，送詣州。 兄弟各引咎，州不能定，二人爭欲赴水而死。 州狀以聞，上聞而異之，特原其罪，表其門閭，賜物百段，後為州主簿。
Lang Fanggui was from Huainan. In youth he had high aspirations and lived together with his cousin Shuanggui. During the Kaihuang era Fanggui was once caught in rain while traveling. The Huai rose in flood, and at a ferry he sought passage; the boatman in anger beat him until his arm was broken. When he reached home his cousin Shuanggui asked in alarm what had happened, and Fanggui told him the whole story. Shuanggui, burning with rage, went to the ferry and beat the boatman to death. The ferry guards seized them and sent them to the county magistrate. After investigating, they found Fanggui the principal offender—liable to death—and Shuanggui an accomplice—liable to banishment. The two cousins each insisted he was the principal offender. The county could not decide and sent them to the prefecture. Each blamed himself; the prefecture still could not decide, and both vied to throw themselves into the water and die. The prefecture reported this to the throne. The emperor heard and was moved, specially pardoned their crimes, honored their household gate, and granted a hundred rolls of goods. Fanggui later served as chief clerk of the prefecture.
27
○翟普林
Zhai Pulin
28
翟普林，楚丘人也。 性仁孝，事親以孝聞。 州郡辟命，皆固辭不就，躬耕色養，鄉鄰謂為楚丘先生。 後父母疾，親易燥濕，不解衣者七旬。 大業初，父母俱終，哀毀殆將滅性。 廬於墓側，負土為墳，盛冬不衣繒絮，唯著單縗而已。 家有一烏犬，隨其在墓，若普林哀臨，犬亦悲號，見者嗟異焉。 有二鵲巢其廬前柏樹，每入其廬，馴狎無所驚懼。 大業中，司隸巡察，奏其孝感，擢授孝陽令。
Zhai Pulin was from Chuqiu. He was benevolent and filial by nature and was known for how he served his parents. He firmly declined every summons from the commandery and prefecture, farmed the fields himself while keeping his parents in comfort, and his neighbors called him the Master of Chuqiu. Later when his parents fell ill he personally tended their comfort, changing bedding for dry or damp, and did not change his clothes for seventy days. At the beginning of the Daye era both parents died, and his grief so wasted him that he nearly destroyed himself. He lived in a hut beside the tomb and carried earth to build the mound. In the depth of winter he wore no silk padding—only a single layer of mourning hemp. The family had a black dog that followed him to the tomb. When Pulin wept in mourning the dog mourned and howled as well, and those who saw it sighed in wonder. Two magpies had built a nest in the cypress before his mourning hut; whenever they came inside they were perfectly tame and showed not the slightest fear. In the Daye reign, a Metropolitan Inspector on circuit reported his moving filial piety to the throne, and he was appointed magistrate of Xiaoyang.
29
○李德饒
Li Derao
30
李德饒，趙郡柏人人也。 祖徹，魏尚書右丞。 父純，開皇中為介州長史。 德饒少聰敏好學，有至性，宗黨咸敬之。 弱冠為校書郎，仍直內史省，參掌文翰。 轉監察御史，糾正不避貴戚。 大業三年，遷司隸從事，每巡四方，理雪冤枉，褒揚孝悌。 雖位秩未通，其德行為當時所重。 凡與交結，皆海內髦彥。 性至孝，父母寢疾，輒終日不食，十旬不解衣。 及丁憂，水漿不入口五日，哀慟嘔血數升。 及送葬之日，會仲冬積雪，行四十餘里，單縗徒跣，號踴幾絕。 會葬者千餘人，莫不為之流涕。 後甘露降於庭樹，有鳩巢其廬。 納言楊達巡省河北，詣其廬吊慰之，因改所居村名孝敬村，裡為和順裡。 後為金河長，未之官，值群盜蜂起，賊帥格謙、孫宣雅等十餘頭，聚眾於渤海。 時有敕許其歸首，謙等懼不敢降，以德饒信行有聞，遣使奏曰：「若使德饒來者，即相率歸首。」 帝於是遣德饒往渤海慰諭諸賊。 行至冠氏，會他盜攻陷縣城，德饒見害。
Li Derao was from Bai in Zhao commandery. His grandfather Che had served as Right Assistant Director of the Secretariat under Wei. His father Chun had been Administrator of Jiezhou during the Kaifu reign. From youth Derao was quick-witted and devoted to learning, with a nature of utmost sincerity, and his entire clan held him in esteem. At his capping he was made Collator and also served on duty in the Secretariat, helping manage official documents. He was transferred to Investigating Censor and pursued corrections without sparing the noble and powerful. In the third year of Daye he was promoted to Retainer of the Metropolitan Governor; on his tours through the realm he cleared wrongful convictions and commended filial sons and dutiful brothers. Though his office had not yet risen to the highest ranks, his conduct and virtue were deeply esteemed in his day. Everyone he befriended was among the foremost talents of the empire. He was utterly filial by nature; when his parents lay ill he would go whole days without food and for a hundred days would not change his clothes. When he entered mourning for his parents he took neither food nor drink for five days, and his grief drove him to vomit several sheng of blood. On the day of the burial it was deep mid-winter snow; he walked more than forty li in a single layer of mourning hemp, barefoot, wailing and stamping until he nearly died on the road. More than a thousand people attended the burial, and every one of them wept. Later sweet dew fell on the trees in his courtyard, and doves built a nest on his mourning hut. Nomarch Yang Da was inspecting Hebei; he came to the hut to offer condolences and renamed the village Filial Reverence Village and its lane Concord Lane. He was later appointed Magistrate of Jinhe but had not yet taken up the post when bandits swarmed everywhere; chiefs Ge Qian, Sun Xuanya, and more than a dozen others gathered their forces in Bohai. An edict then allowed them to surrender, but Qian and the others were afraid and did not dare submit; because Derao's integrity was widely known, they sent a memorial saying, "If Derao comes, we will all surrender together. The emperor then sent Derao to Bohai to comfort and persuade the bandits. When he reached Guanshi, another band of robbers stormed and took the county seat, and Derao was killed.
31
其弟德佋，性重然諾。 大業末，為離石郡司法書佐，太守楊子崇特禮之。 及義兵起，子崇遇害，棄屍城下，德佋赴哭盡哀，收瘞之。 至介休，詣義師，請葬子崇。 大將軍嘉之，因贈子崇官，令德佋為使者，往離石禮葬子崇焉。
His younger brother Denian was a man who held his promises sacred. At the end of the Daye reign he served as Legal Clerk of Lishi commandery, and Administrator Yang Zigong treated him with exceptional courtesy. When the righteous army rose, Zigong was killed and his body cast below the walls; Denian rushed there, wept his fill, and gathered and buried him. He went to Jiexiu, presented himself to the righteous army, and asked leave to bury Zigong properly. The great general praised this, posthumously granted Zigong an office, and appointed Denian envoy to return to Lishi and bury Zigong with full ceremony.
32
○華秋
Hua Qiu
33
華秋，汲郡臨河人也。 幼喪父，事母以孝聞。 家貧，傭賃為養。 其母遇患，秋容貌毀悴，須鬢頓改，州裡咸嗟異之。 及母終之後，遂絕櫛沐，發盡禿落。 廬於墓側，負土成墳，有人欲助之者，秋輒拜而止之。 大業初，調狐皮，郡縣大獵。 有一兔，人逐之，奔入秋廬中，匿秋膝下。 獵人至廬所，異而免之。 自爾此兔常宿廬中，馴其左右。 郡縣嘉其孝感，俱以狀聞。 煬帝降使勞問，表其門閭。 後群盜起，常往來廬之左右，咸相誡曰：「勿犯孝子。」 鄉人賴秋而全者甚眾。
Hua Qiu was from Linhe in Ji commandery. He lost his father in childhood and was famed for serving his mother with filial devotion. The family was poor, and he hired himself out as a laborer to support her. When his mother fell ill, Qiu's face wasted away and his beard and whiskers turned grey overnight; people throughout the district marveled and sighed. After his mother died he ceased combing and bathing, and his hair fell out until he was completely bald. He lived in a hut beside the tomb and carried earth to build the mound himself; whenever anyone offered to help, Qiu would bow and refuse. At the beginning of the Daye reign a levy for fox pelts was issued, and the commandery and county organized a great hunt. A rabbit was being chased; it fled into Qiu's hut and hid beneath his knees. When the hunters reached the hut they took it as a marvel and spared the rabbit. From then on the rabbit often lodged in the hut, tame at his side. The commandery and county praised his moving filial piety and all reported the matter to the throne. Emperor Yang sent envoys to console him and honored his household with an imperial marker. Later when bandits rose they often passed near the hut, and all warned one another: "Do not harm the filial son. A great many in the village owed their safety to Qiu.
34
○徐孝肅
Xu Xiaosu
35
徐孝肅，汲郡人也。 宗族數千家，多以豪侈相尚，唯孝肅性儉約，事親以孝聞。 雖在幼齒，宗黨間每有爭訟，皆至孝肅所平論之，為孝肅所短者，無不引咎而退。 孝肅早孤，不識父，及長，問其母父狀，因求畫工，圖其形像，構廟置之而定省焉，朔望享祭。 養母至孝，數十年，家人未見其有忿恚之色。 及母老疾，孝肅親易燥濕，憂悴數年，見者無不悲悼。 母終，孝肅茹蔬飲水，盛冬單縗，毀瘠骨立。 祖父母、父母墓皆負土成墳，廬於墓所四十餘載，被髮徒跣，遂以身終。
Xu Xiaosu was from Ji commandery. His clan numbered thousands of households, most of whom competed in luxury; only Xiaosu was frugal by nature and famed for serving his kin with filial devotion. Even as a child, whenever disputes arose within the clan everyone came to Xiaosu for judgment; whoever was found at fault by Xiaosu invariably admitted blame and withdrew. Xiaosu was orphaned early and never knew his father; when he grew up he asked his mother what his father had been like, engaged a painter to draw his likeness, built a shrine and placed the portrait there for morning and evening attendance, and offered sacrifice at the new and full moon. In caring for his mother he was utterly filial; for decades his household never once saw him show anger. When his mother grew old and fell ill, Xiaosu personally tended her bedding for dryness and damp, was wasted with care for years, and all who saw him were moved to grief. When his mother died, Xiaosu ate only vegetables and drank only water, wore a single layer of mourning hemp in the depth of winter, and his grief wasted him until only bone remained. For the tombs of his grandparents and parents he carried earth to build each mound, lived at the graves for more than forty years with hair unbound and barefoot, and died there at last.
36
其弟德備，聰敏，通涉五經，河朔間稱為儒者。 德備終，子處默又廬於墓側，奕葉稱孝焉。
His younger brother Debei was clever and thoroughly versed in the Five Classics; north of the Yellow River he was acclaimed as a true scholar. When Debei died, his son Chumo again lived in a hut beside the tomb, and generation after generation the family was famed for filial piety.
37
史臣曰：昔者弘愛敬之理，必籍王公大人，近古敦孝友之情，多茅屋之下。 而彥師、道賾，或家傳纓冕，或身誓山河，遂乃負土成墳，致毀滅性。 雖乖先王之制，亦觀過以知仁矣。 郎貴昆弟，爭死而身全，田翼夫妻，俱喪而名立，德饒仁懷群盜，德佋義感興王，亦足稱也。 紐回、劉俊之倫，翟林、華秋之輩，或茂草嘉樹榮枯於庭宇，或走獸翔禽馴狎於廬墓，非夫孝悌之至，通於神明者乎！
The historian remarks: In antiquity, spreading the doctrine of love and reverence depended on kings and great ministers; in the nearer past, the deepest filial piety and brotherly devotion flourished mostly under humble thatched roofs. Yet men such as Lu Yanshi and Xue Daozhen — one inheriting rank through generations, the other pledging himself to his sovereign as to mountains and rivers — still piled earth with their own hands until their bodies nearly broke, devotion carried to the edge of life itself. Though such conduct violated the measured norms of the sage kings, through excess one may yet discern the heart of humanity. The Lang cousins vied to die yet both lived; the Tian Yi couple died together yet won enduring fame; Derao's benevolence won over a host of bandits, Denian's loyalty moved the emperor who founded the dynasty — each story is praise enough. Men such as Niu Hui and Liu Shijun, Zhai Lin and Hua Qiu — in some, fine trees and flourishing grass mirrored life and death in the courtyard; in others, wild beasts and birds grew tame beside hut and grave. Can this be anything less than filial piety and fraternal devotion raised to the utmost, touching even the realm of spirits?