Yu Zhongwen (于仲文, 545–613) was a politician and general of Northern Zhou and the Sui dynasty. His courtesy name was Cimu (次武), and he was a native of Luoyang in Henan Commandery. He entered public service during the Northern Zhou period and, during the rebellion of [[Yuchi Jiong]], successfully carr
Born~Died 545 ~ 612Last edited Oct 15, 2026, 2:51 PM
Governor of Angu → Governor of Dong Commandery → Grand Army Commissioner of Henan → Deputy Commander of the Crown Prince's Guard → Grand General of the Right Wing Guard
Yu Zhongwen (于仲文, 545–613) was a politician and general of Northern Zhou and the Sui dynasty. His courtesy name was Cimu (次武), and he was a native of Luoyang in Henan Commandery. He entered public service during the Northern Zhou period and, during the rebellion of Yuchi Jiong, took charge of the Henan region and successfully carried out its suppression. After the founding of the Sui dynasty, he remained active in both domestic administration and military affairs and earned the trust of Emperor Wen and Emperor Yang. He took part in the Second Goguryeo–Sui War, led a detached force to within reach of the Goguryeocapital, Pyongyang, and then suffered a crushing defeat at the Salsu River while withdrawing. He left behind writings and poetry, but only two of his poems survive.
Life
Early life
He was clever from a young age and fond of diligent study. At the age of nine, when Yuwen Tai, who then controlled the government of Western Wei, asked him what was in his books, he answered that one should serve one's ruler as one serves one's father (資父事君),1 which greatly impressed Yuwen Tai. He studied the I Ching and the Book of Rites, and as he grew up he was known for his exceptional talent and high spirit, with great ambitions, and those around him called him the "famous young lord" (名公子).
While serving as Governor of Angu (安固), he resolved a matter that the prefectures and commanderies had long been unable to settle. Two households, the Ren (任) and Du (杜) families, each lost a , and when one was found, both claimed it as their own. Han Bojun (韓伯儁), of Yizhou, said that Yu Zhongwen had been clever since childhood and could resolve it. Yu Zhongwen had each of the two men drive their herds forward. The cow then went toward the Ren family's herd. He also made a small wound on the cow, and the Ren man sighed in lament while the Du man remained calm. In the end, he rebuked the Du man and held him to .
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Despite having committed a crime, Shizhou Cishi Qu Dushang (屈突尙), who was safe because of his friendship with Yuwen Hu, was also thrown into prison. For this, he received praise from the local people as one who "does not bow to the powerful and makes perfectly clear judgments." Before long, he was enfeoffed as Duke of Yanshou (延壽郡公) with the title Yuzheng Xiadafu (御正下大夫), and his fief reached 3,500 households. After several battles in which he also distinguished himself, he received the title Yitong Sansi (儀同三司). From the time of Emperor Xuan onward, he served as Governor of Dong Commandery.
Yuchi Jiong's rebellion
In 580 (second year of the Daxiang era), when Yang Jian (later Emperor Wen of Sui) rose to Chancellor as regent and took full control of power, Yuchi Jiong (尉遲迥), Duke of Shu (蜀國公) and Zongguan of Xiangzhou (相州總管, present-day Anyang, Henan), rose in rebellion.23 Yuchi Jiong dispatched Tan Rang (檀讓) to secure the Henan area. Yu Zhongwen refused Yuchi Jiong's overtures, and was attacked by his subordinate Yuwen Wei (宇文威). He counterattacked and inflicted a heavy defeat, killing more than 500 men. For this achievement, he was promoted to Kaifu yitong sansi.
Yuchi Jiong then sent Yuwen Zhou (宇文胄) as well. Yuwen Zhou and Yuwen Wei came by two routes and attacked again, and the momentum of their assault greatly shook his soldiers. He encouraged them and fought on, but could not hold out, and was forced to leave his wife and children behind, escape through the west gate with only some sixty cavalry, and break through the encirclement. Seventeen of his men died, but he barely shook off the pursuit of the rebels and reached the capital, Chang'an. Yuchi Jiong then had Yu Zhongwen's childrenkilled. Yang Jian consoled him and bestowed 500 bolts of silk and 200 taels of gold upon him. He also promoted him to Grand General and appointed him Commander-in-Chief of the Henan Expedition Force (河南道行軍總管), ordering him to subjugate Tan Rang. He joined forces at Yongqiao (永橋) with Wei Xiaokuan (韋孝寬), who was then holding off Yuchi Jiong.
Pacification of Henan
To the east of Bianzhou (汴州, present-day Kaifeng, Henan), at Nita (倪塢), he defeated Liu Ziang (劉子昂) and Liu Yude (劉浴德). He pressed on toward Liang Commandery, and near Liaodi (蓼隄), seven li away, he encountered Tan Rang, who was holding the position with tens of thousands of men. His officers said that his troops had come from afar and were exhausted, so victory would be difficult. However, Yu Zhongwen urged his men to eat their meal and then fought. He first persuaded them to fight with the weaker soldiers and then feigned defeat, so that Tan Rang fell into complacency. He then attacked simultaneously from the left and right with his elite troops, capturing more than 5,000 men and killing 700. When his officers asked him the secret of his victory, he smiled and replied, "My soldiers are all people of Shandong. I could not bear to leave their hometowns in turmoil for so long, so we advanced quickly. We rode the momentum, and that is why we won."
Without pausing, he advanced on Liang, and Liu Ziakuan (劉子寬) abandoned his walled town and fled. He pursued and captured or killed several thousand more of them. He then recaptured Caozhou (曹州, present-day Shandong) and seized its Cishi, Li Zhongkang (李仲康). He also swiftly launched a surprise attack on Chengwu (城武), where Tan Rang had stationed the remnants of his forces, and took it.
Shi Pilo (席毗羅), who was at Pei County (沛縣), intended to attack Xuzhou (徐州) with 100,000 men. His base was Jinxiang (金鄕). Yu Zhongwen falsely disguised himself as an envoy of Shi Pilo and told Xu Shanjing (徐善淨), the lord of Jinxiang, that Tan Rang would come to Jinxiang the next day to bestow Yuchi Jiong's orders and rewards. The following day, he selected his nimble soldiers, raised Yuchi Jiong's banners, and advanced. When Xu Shanjing, deceived, prepared to welcome them, he seized him and took the town. His officers urged him to kill the people within the town, but he rejected their request, saying that he must be lenient so that Shi Pilo's soldiers would voluntarily submit. People praised Yu Zhongwen's virtue.
Shi Pilo, trusting in the vastness of his forces, looked down on Yu Zhongwen and came to Jinxiang. Yu Zhongwen set up his formation with his back to the town and hid an ambush force in the hemp fields. When the two armies engaged, the ambush force burst out, beat drums, and shouted, and Shi Pilo's army scattered, with many drowning as they plunged into the Shu River (洙水). The corpses were so numerous that the water could not flow. In the end, he captured Tan Rang and beheaded Shi Pilo, sending all of them to the capital. With this, Henan was pacified. Yang Jian summoned Yu Zhongwen, held a banquet for him, and treated him with great courtesy. He bestowed upon him more than 1,000 bolts of silk and ten female entertainers, and appointed him Grand Pillar of State (柱國) and Grand Commissioner of the Henan Grand Army Headquarters (河南道大行臺).
Favor under Emperors Wen and Yang
In 581 (first year of the Kaihuang era),3 shortly after Yang Jian had founded the Sui dynasty, he was implicated in the affair of his uncle Yu Yi (于翼) and imprisoned, but he submitted a memorial to clear himself and was released together with others. Afterward, he led troops and stationed them at Bailang (白狼), a fortress guarding against the Göktürks. The following year, as Commander-in-Chief of the Army (行軍元帥), he attacked the Göktürks and killed more than 1,000 of them. Then, following the Jin River (金河), he sent Commanders (總管) such as Xin Mingjin (辛明瑾), Yuan Pang (元滂), He Lanzhi (賀蘭志), Lü Chu (呂楚), and Duan Xie (段諧), together with 20,000 soldiers, from the Shengle Road (盛樂道) to Mount Naxie (那頡山), while he himself guarded the north of the river. The Khagan saw the orderly majesty of this formation and withdrew without fighting. He led 5,000 elite cavalry across the mountains in pursuit but failed to catch them.
At that time, the documents of the Department of State Affairs were cumbersome, and officials often used deceitful schemes, so Emperor Wen had Yu Zhongwen supervise them. Because he detected a great many irregularities with clear judgment, the emperor was pleased and gave him generous rewards. He was also entrusted with digging a canal (漕渠) along the Wei River and contributed to the transport of grain by water.
In 588,4 when Emperor Wen raised troops to destroy the Chen dynasty and unify China, he served as Grand Commander under Yang Jun (楊俊), Prince of Qin (秦王), leading the naval forces from Zhangshan (章山, present-day Zhongxiang, Hubei) to strike Hankou. In 589, when Xunfa Shang (荀法尚), Governor of Yingzhou (郢州) of Chen, Tan Facheng (誕法澄), lord of Lushan, and Deng Shami (鄧沙彌) and others surrendered, he confiscated their weapons. In 590,4 Gao Zhihui (高智慧) rose in rebellion in Jiangnan (江南). He again served as Grand Commander and took part in the suppression. At this time, the army lacked grain because the price of grain had soared, which was due to Yu Zhongwen having sold it privately. For this, he was dismissed, but the following year his rank was restored, and he stationed troops at Mayi (馬邑, present-day Shanxi) to defend against the Göktürks.
When Yang Guang (later Emperor Yang), then Prince of Jin (晉王), took note of Yu Zhongwen's talent, he petitioned Emperor Wen to have him assist Yang Guang's military affairs. In 600,4 when the Göktürks invaded the frontier, he led the vanguard under Yang Guang, the commander-in-chief, defeated them decisively, and returned. Soon after, when Yang Guang became Crown Prince, Yu Zhongwen also became Deputy Commander of the Crown Prince's Guard (太子右衛率). In 604 (fourth year of the Renshou era), when Yang Guang ascended the throne, the following year5 he was transferred to Grand General of the Right Wing Guard (右翊衛大將軍) and was in charge of selecting civil and military officials. He also accompanied campaigns against the Tuyuhun (吐谷渾), and he was promoted to Guanglu Grand Master (光祿大夫), receiving great trust from Emperor Yang.
Second Goguryeo–Sui War
In 612 (eighth year of the Daye era), he also took part in Emperor Yang's Second Goguryeo–Sui War. Among the 24 armies, he commanded the Left Twelfth Army6, the Lelang Road (樂浪道) army, and went to Wugu Castle (烏骨城). In the sixth month (lunar calendar), he was selected as one of the nine armies of the detached force that was to attack Goguryeo's capital, Pyongyang, directly, and advanced together with Yuwen Shu and others.7 He deliberately selected several thousand emaciated horses and donkeys and placed them at the rear, and while marching east, when Goguryeo troops raided the baggage train, he instead counterattacked and defeated them.
When he reached the Yalu River, Goguryeo general Eulji Mundeok feigned surrender and came into the camp. Because he had received a secret order from Emperor Yang to capture King of Goguryeo or Eulji Mundeok if they came, he tried to seize him, but Yu Shilong (裕仕隆), Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs (尙書右丞), who was accompanying the army as a commissioner for consolation, insisted on dissuading him and had him return. Soon after, he regretted this and called for him to come back, but Eulji Mundeok did not follow and crossed the river. Yu Zhongwen selected elite cavalry and crossed the river in pursuit, winning every battle. Thereupon, Eulji Mundeok sent Yu Zhongwen a poem mocking him, titled ["Poem to Yu Zhongwen"](Poem to Yu Zhongwen).8 Even though Yu Zhongwen sent a reply attempting to win him over, Eulji Mundeok burned his camp and fled.
Since Eulji Mundeok had escaped and the army's provisions were exhausted, Yuwen Shu proposed that they return. However, Yu Zhongwen angrily insisted on pursuit, saying that if they returned now, what face would they have before the emperor. Yuwen Shu also raised his voice, but since Emperor Yang had earlier said that Yu Zhongwen had a plan and told them to listen to his opinion, he reluctantly followed. In the seventh month (lunar calendar), they advanced to just short of Pyongyang, but in the end they withdrew with starving soldiers and no notable gains. Even so, they maintained their formation and returned in square formation, but while crossing the Salsu River (present-day Cheongcheon River) they were ambushed and suffered a crushing defeat, with only about 2,000 men returning.7
Emperor Yang was furious and demoted all the defeated generals to commoners. Accordingly, the other generals shifted the blame onto Yu Zhongwen, who had insisted on pursuit, and he alone was excluded from the pardon. Yu Zhongwen fell ill from anger and grief, and when his condition grew severe he was allowed to be released, but soon after he died at home. He was 68 years old.
Book of Sui, vol. 1, Annals no. 1, Gaozu Yang Jian (upper). ↩↩2
Book of Sui, vol. 2, Annals no. 2, Gaozu Yang Jian (lower). ↩↩2↩3
Book of Sui, vol. 3, Annals no. 3, Emperor Yang Guang (upper), first year of the Daye era. ↩
Book of Sui, vol. 4, Annals no. 4, Emperor Yang Guang (lower), eighth year of the Daye era. ↩
Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 181, Sui Annals no. 5, Emperor Yang, eighth year of the Daye era. ↩↩2
The Samguk Sagi states that the poem was sent when the Sui army had come close to Pyongyang. Samguk Sagi, vol. 44, Biographies no. 4, Eulji Mundeok. ↩
Yu Zhongwen (于仲文, 545–613) was a politician and general of Northern Zhou and the Sui dynasty. His courtesy name was Cimu (次武), and he was a native of Luoyang in Henan Commandery. He entered public service during the Northern Zhou period and, during the rebellion of Yuchi Jiong, took charge of the Henan region and successfully carried out its suppression. After the founding of the Sui dynasty, he remained active in both domestic administration and military affairs and earned the trust of Emperor Wen and Emperor Yang. He took part in the Second Goguryeo–Sui War, led a detached force to within reach of the Goguryeocapital, Pyongyang, and then suffered a crushing defeat at the Salsu River while withdrawing. He left behind writings and poetry, but only two of his poems survive.
Life
Early life
He was clever from a young age and fond of diligent study. At the age of nine, when Yuwen Tai, who then controlled the government of Western Wei, asked him what was in his books, he answered that one should serve one's ruler as one serves one's father (資父事君),1 which greatly impressed Yuwen Tai. He studied the I Ching and the Book of Rites, and as he grew up he was known for his exceptional talent and high spirit, with great ambitions, and those around him called him the "famous young lord" (名公子).
While serving as Governor of Angu (安固), he resolved a matter that the prefectures and commanderies had long been unable to settle. Two households, the Ren (任) and Du (杜) families, each lost a cow, and when one was found, both claimed it as their own. Han Bojun (韓伯儁), Zhangshi of Yizhou, said that Yu Zhongwen had been clever since childhood and could resolve it. Yu Zhongwen had each of the two men drive their herds forward. The cow then went toward the Ren family's herd. He also made a small wound on the cow, and the Ren man sighed in lament while the Du man remained calm. In the end, he rebuked the Du man and held him to account.
Despite having committed a crime, Shizhou Cishi Qu Dushang (屈突尙), who was safe because of his friendship with Yuwen Hu, was also thrown into prison. For this, he received praise from the local people as one who "does not bow to the powerful and makes perfectly clear judgments." Before long, he was enfeoffed as Duke of Yanshou (延壽郡公) with the title Yuzheng Xiadafu (御正下大夫), and his fief reached 3,500 households. After several battles in which he also distinguished himself, he received the title Yitong Sansi (儀同三司). From the time of Emperor Xuan onward, he served as Governor of Dong Commandery.
Yuchi Jiong's rebellion
In 580 (second year of the Daxiang era), when Yang Jian (later Emperor Wen of Sui) rose to Chancellor as regent and took full control of power, Yuchi Jiong (尉遲迥), Duke of Shu (蜀國公) and Zongguan of Xiangzhou (相州總管, present-day Anyang, Henan), rose in rebellion.23 Yuchi Jiong dispatched Tan Rang (檀讓) to secure the Henan area. Yu Zhongwen refused Yuchi Jiong's overtures, and was attacked by his subordinate Yuwen Wei (宇文威). He counterattacked and inflicted a heavy defeat, killing more than 500 men. For this achievement, he was promoted to Kaifu yitong sansi.
Yuchi Jiong then sent Yuwen Zhou (宇文胄) as well. Yuwen Zhou and Yuwen Wei came by two routes and attacked again, and the momentum of their assault greatly shook his soldiers. He encouraged them and fought on, but could not hold out, and was forced to leave his wife and children behind, escape through the west gate with only some sixty cavalry, and break through the encirclement. Seventeen of his men died, but he barely shook off the pursuit of the rebels and reached the capital, Chang'an. Yuchi Jiong then had Yu Zhongwen's childrenkilled. Yang Jian consoled him and bestowed 500 bolts of silk and 200 taels of gold upon him. He also promoted him to Grand General and appointed him Commander-in-Chief of the Henan Expedition Force (河南道行軍總管), ordering him to subjugate Tan Rang. He joined forces at Yongqiao (永橋) with Wei Xiaokuan (韋孝寬), who was then holding off Yuchi Jiong.
Pacification of Henan
To the east of Bianzhou (汴州, present-day Kaifeng, Henan), at Nita (倪塢), he defeated Liu Ziang (劉子昂) and Liu Yude (劉浴德). He pressed on toward Liang Commandery, and near Liaodi (蓼隄), seven li away, he encountered Tan Rang, who was holding the position with tens of thousands of men. His officers said that his troops had come from afar and were exhausted, so victory would be difficult. However, Yu Zhongwen urged his men to eat their meal and then fought. He first persuaded them to fight with the weaker soldiers and then feigned defeat, so that Tan Rang fell into complacency. He then attacked simultaneously from the left and right with his elite troops, capturing more than 5,000 men and killing 700. When his officers asked him the secret of his victory, he smiled and replied, "My soldiers are all people of Shandong. I could not bear to leave their hometowns in turmoil for so long, so we advanced quickly. We rode the momentum, and that is why we won."
Without pausing, he advanced on Liang, and Liu Ziakuan (劉子寬) abandoned his walled town and fled. He pursued and captured or killed several thousand more of them. He then recaptured Caozhou (曹州, present-day Shandong) and seized its Cishi, Li Zhongkang (李仲康). He also swiftly launched a surprise attack on Chengwu (城武), where Tan Rang had stationed the remnants of his forces, and took it.
Shi Pilo (席毗羅), who was at Pei County (沛縣), intended to attack Xuzhou (徐州) with 100,000 men. His base was Jinxiang (金鄕). Yu Zhongwen falsely disguised himself as an envoy of Shi Pilo and told Xu Shanjing (徐善淨), the lord of Jinxiang, that Tan Rang would come to Jinxiang the next day to bestow Yuchi Jiong's orders and rewards. The following day, he selected his nimble soldiers, raised Yuchi Jiong's banners, and advanced. When Xu Shanjing, deceived, prepared to welcome them, he seized him and took the town. His officers urged him to kill the people within the town, but he rejected their request, saying that he must be lenient so that Shi Pilo's soldiers would voluntarily submit. People praised Yu Zhongwen's virtue.
Shi Pilo, trusting in the vastness of his forces, looked down on Yu Zhongwen and came to Jinxiang. Yu Zhongwen set up his formation with his back to the town and hid an ambush force in the hemp fields. When the two armies engaged, the ambush force burst out, beat drums, and shouted, and Shi Pilo's army scattered, with many drowning as they plunged into the Shu River (洙水). The corpses were so numerous that the water could not flow. In the end, he captured Tan Rang and beheaded Shi Pilo, sending all of them to the capital. With this, Henan was pacified. Yang Jian summoned Yu Zhongwen, held a banquet for him, and treated him with great courtesy. He bestowed upon him more than 1,000 bolts of silk and ten female entertainers, and appointed him Grand Pillar of State (柱國) and Grand Commissioner of the Henan Grand Army Headquarters (河南道大行臺).
Favor under Emperors Wen and Yang
In 581 (first year of the Kaihuang era),3 shortly after Yang Jian had founded the Sui dynasty, he was implicated in the affair of his uncle Yu Yi (于翼) and imprisoned, but he submitted a memorial to clear himself and was released together with others. Afterward, he led troops and stationed them at Bailang (白狼), a fortress guarding against the Göktürks. The following year, as Commander-in-Chief of the Army (行軍元帥), he attacked the Göktürks and killed more than 1,000 of them. Then, following the Jin River (金河), he sent Commanders (總管) such as Xin Mingjin (辛明瑾), Yuan Pang (元滂), He Lanzhi (賀蘭志), Lü Chu (呂楚), and Duan Xie (段諧), together with 20,000 soldiers, from the Shengle Road (盛樂道) to Mount Naxie (那頡山), while he himself guarded the north of the river. The Khagan saw the orderly majesty of this formation and withdrew without fighting. He led 5,000 elite cavalry across the mountains in pursuit but failed to catch them.
At that time, the documents of the Department of State Affairs were cumbersome, and officials often used deceitful schemes, so Emperor Wen had Yu Zhongwen supervise them. Because he detected a great many irregularities with clear judgment, the emperor was pleased and gave him generous rewards. He was also entrusted with digging a canal (漕渠) along the Wei River and contributed to the transport of grain by water.
In 588,4 when Emperor Wen raised troops to destroy the Chen dynasty and unify China, he served as Grand Commander under Yang Jun (楊俊), Prince of Qin (秦王), leading the naval forces from Zhangshan (章山, present-day Zhongxiang, Hubei) to strike Hankou. In 589, when Xunfa Shang (荀法尚), Governor of Yingzhou (郢州) of Chen, Tan Facheng (誕法澄), lord of Lushan, and Deng Shami (鄧沙彌) and others surrendered, he confiscated their weapons. In 590,4 Gao Zhihui (高智慧) rose in rebellion in Jiangnan (江南). He again served as Grand Commander and took part in the suppression. At this time, the army lacked grain because the price of grain had soared, which was due to Yu Zhongwen having sold it privately. For this, he was dismissed, but the following year his rank was restored, and he stationed troops at Mayi (馬邑, present-day Shanxi) to defend against the Göktürks.
When Yang Guang (later Emperor Yang), then Prince of Jin (晉王), took note of Yu Zhongwen's talent, he petitioned Emperor Wen to have him assist Yang Guang's military affairs. In 600,4 when the Göktürks invaded the frontier, he led the vanguard under Yang Guang, the commander-in-chief, defeated them decisively, and returned. Soon after, when Yang Guang became Crown Prince, Yu Zhongwen also became Deputy Commander of the Crown Prince's Guard (太子右衛率). In 604 (fourth year of the Renshou era), when Yang Guang ascended the throne, the following year5 he was transferred to Grand General of the Right Wing Guard (右翊衛大將軍) and was in charge of selecting civil and military officials. He also accompanied campaigns against the Tuyuhun (吐谷渾), and he was promoted to Guanglu Grand Master (光祿大夫), receiving great trust from Emperor Yang.
Second Goguryeo–Sui War
In 612 (eighth year of the Daye era), he also took part in Emperor Yang's Second Goguryeo–Sui War. Among the 24 armies, he commanded the Left Twelfth Army6, the Lelang Road (樂浪道) army, and went to Wugu Castle (烏骨城). In the sixth month (lunar calendar), he was selected as one of the nine armies of the detached force that was to attack Goguryeo's capital, Pyongyang, directly, and advanced together with Yuwen Shu and others.7 He deliberately selected several thousand emaciated horses and donkeys and placed them at the rear, and while marching east, when Goguryeo troops raided the baggage train, he instead counterattacked and defeated them.
When he reached the Yalu River, Goguryeo general Eulji Mundeok feigned surrender and came into the camp. Because he had received a secret order from Emperor Yang to capture King of Goguryeo or Eulji Mundeok if they came, he tried to seize him, but Yu Shilong (裕仕隆), Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs (尙書右丞), who was accompanying the army as a commissioner for consolation, insisted on dissuading him and had him return. Soon after, he regretted this and called for him to come back, but Eulji Mundeok did not follow and crossed the river. Yu Zhongwen selected elite cavalry and crossed the river in pursuit, winning every battle. Thereupon, Eulji Mundeok sent Yu Zhongwen a poem mocking him, titled ["Poem to Yu Zhongwen"](Poem to Yu Zhongwen).8 Even though Yu Zhongwen sent a reply attempting to win him over, Eulji Mundeok burned his camp and fled.
Since Eulji Mundeok had escaped and the army's provisions were exhausted, Yuwen Shu proposed that they return. However, Yu Zhongwen angrily insisted on pursuit, saying that if they returned now, what face would they have before the emperor. Yuwen Shu also raised his voice, but since Emperor Yang had earlier said that Yu Zhongwen had a plan and told them to listen to his opinion, he reluctantly followed. In the seventh month (lunar calendar), they advanced to just short of Pyongyang, but in the end they withdrew with starving soldiers and no notable gains. Even so, they maintained their formation and returned in square formation, but while crossing the Salsu River (present-day Cheongcheon River) they were ambushed and suffered a crushing defeat, with only about 2,000 men returning.7
Emperor Yang was furious and demoted all the defeated generals to commoners. Accordingly, the other generals shifted the blame onto Yu Zhongwen, who had insisted on pursuit, and he alone was excluded from the pardon. Yu Zhongwen fell ill from anger and grief, and when his condition grew severe he was allowed to be released, but soon after he died at home. He was 68 years old.