Cui Hao was born into a noble family in the north, and was a cousin of Lu Xuan, a noble family in Fanyang. Even by marriage, they are all members of the gentry family. His seventh-generation ancestor Cui Lin, during the Cao Wei Dynasty of the Three Kingdoms, worshiped Sikong and was granted the title of Marquis of Anyang Township. The great-grandfather Cui Yue was the chief historian of Situ You of the later Zhao Shihu. His grandfather Cui Qian was the minister of Huangmen of Later Yan Dynasty. His father, Cui Hong, was known as the child prodigy of Jizhou. In the early Northern Wei Dynasty, he was promoted to Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and was given the title of Duke Baima. But Cui Hao was more talented than his father. He was less good at literature. He was well-read in classics and history. He was familiar with the yin and yang of mystical phenomena, and the words of hundreds of schools of thought. He studied the classics and meanings intensively. No one at that time could catch up with him. He was Naouro when he was underage.

During the Tianxing period, he was appointed secretary and then as a writer. Tuobagui often asked him to follow him because he was good at calligraphy. In his later years, Tuoba Gui was very dignified. Most of the officials in the palace and provinces were punished for minor mistakes. Everyone fled to avoid the immediate disaster. Cui Hao was diligent and diligent alone, sometimes not returning home all day long. Tuobagui found out and asked someone to bring him royal porridge. Cui Hao is loyal, diligent in his duties, and does not change his duties for the sake of poverty. This is the case in most cases.

In 409 AD (the first year of Yongxing), Tuoba Gui was killed by his son Tuoba Shao. Emperor Tuoba Si of the Ming Yuan Dynasty came to the throne at the beginning of his reign. He worshiped Cui Hao as a doctor and offered him the title of Wuchengzi. He often taught scriptures to Emperor Ming and Yuan. Whenever they went to the countryside to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth, Cui and his son would ride in Xuanjin chariots, which made people envious of them.

Tuoba Si was good at yin and yang. In 414 AD (the first year of Shengrui), he listened to Cui Hao's lectures on "The Book of Changes" and "Hong Fan·Five Elements Biography" and was very impressed. Cui Hao was ordered to divine good and bad luck, refer to astronomy, and solve doubts. Cui Hao combined the way of heaven with human affairs, conducted a comprehensive investigation, summarized its main points, and used them to predict various disasters, auspicious changes, and many changes. At this time, a rabbit appeared in the harem. After asking the guard, the rabbit could not come in at all. Tuoba Si felt it was strange and ordered Cui Hao to speculate whether it was an ominous sign. Cui Hao believed that it was a good sign when neighboring countries paid tribute to their concubines. The next year, Yao Xing really donated a woman. In 415 AD (the second year of Shengrui), Pingcheng (now Datong City, Shanxi Province), the capital of Wei State, suffered from successive frosts and droughts, poor harvests in autumn, and grain shortages. Many people in Yunzhong and Dai counties starved to death. In September, Taishi Ling Wang Liang and Su Tan told Emperor Ming Yuan: "Pingcheng has been suffering from frost and drought for many years. Some people observed the sky and said that there must be a catastrophe. We might as well move the capital from Pingcheng to Yecheng (today's Linzhang County, Hebei Province). ”

Tuoba Si consulted the ministers, Cui Haohe Te went to Zhou Dan and said to Emperor Ming and Yuan: “In my opinion, moving the country’s capital to Ye will temporarily relieve the famine in this autumn, but it will not last long. People in Dongzhou (the states east of the Taihang Mountains) have always believed that the Wei State has a vast territory, rich resources, and a large population and livestock. If the capital is moved now, the eastern states will not be able to allocate many people, and the Xianbei and Han people will live together in the wild mountains and forests. , The climate is not adapted to the situation, and diseases are prevalent, which will make people depressed when they know the real situation, and they will easily have the idea of ????scorning and bullying the Xianbei people. At the same time, the Rouran and other tribes in the north will also seize the opportunity. , Pingcheng was in danger of falling into the hands of the enemy. At that time, I wanted to return to the army to rescue, but because of the Hengshan Daitu, I was afraid that it would be too late. If the capital was not moved for a while, even if there was an uprising in Shandong, they could still ride southward and show off their power, and people would not know the truth. This is the long-term strategy of the country to control the Central Plains. Besides, by next spring there will be enough grass, cheese, and apples to support the coming autumn, and the situation will be better. "

After hearing this lofty argument, Tuoba Si felt that it was very reasonable, but he asked Cui Hao uneasily: "If we can't wait until the coming autumn, or if the crops are not ripe in the coming autumn, what will happen? What should we do?" Cui Hao suggested: "Your Majesty can send the poorest households to the states for food. If the crops still fail in the autumn, we will think of other ways."< /p>

Tuoba Si followed Cui Hao's advice, so he selected a group of the poorest households and went to the prefectures for food, namely Ding, Xiang, and Ji prefectures in Shandong, and ordered each Han household to rent 50 meters of rice. Stone to feed these poor people. Emperor Ming and Yuan accepted his words, so he selected some poor households to go to Ding, Xiang, and Hebei for food, and the local warehouses were opened for relief. In the autumn of the next year, the harvest was good, the people were prosperous, people's hearts were stable, and the country had overcome the difficulties. Emperor Ming Yuan was very happy and gave each of them a concubine, a set of imperial clothes, fifty pieces of silk, and fifty pounds of cotton. In August of 416 AD (the first year of Taichang), Liu Yu, the Taiwei of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, launched a northern expedition to the Later Qin Dynasty, advancing both by land and water. The Jin army was in turmoil, and the later Qin army retreated in succession.

In March of 417 AD (the second year of Taichang), Liu Yu led his navy from Huai and Si into Qinghe, preparing to go westward up the Yellow River. In order to successfully march into Guanzhong, Liu Yu sent people to make a false road to Wei . Tuoba Si convened the ministers to discuss countermeasures. The ministers of the Northern Wei and Manchu dynasties objected, believing that Liu Yu's move must be aimed at Wei, and troops should be sent to prevent Liu Yu's army from marching westward along the river. Only Cui Hao stood up and objected: "Rouran is constantly intruding on me, and the country is short of food. It is not appropriate for us to send troops to meet the enemy. If we send troops to the south, the northern invaders will attack; if we send troops to save the north, the east will be in danger again. Therefore, it is better to Taking advantage of Liu Yu, allowing him to enter the pass, and then blocking his return route is like fighting a tiger in Bianzhuang, waiting for the two tigers to fight before taking action, and you can kill two birds with one stone."

Tuoba Si can kill two birds with one stone. Worried about falling into Liu Yu's plan, he ultimately did not agree to Cui Hao's suggestion, and sent Sun Song, the commander-in-chief, to lead 100,000 cavalrymen to the north of the Yellow River, and sent thousands of cavalry to the north bank of the Yellow River to follow and monitor Liu Yu's army heading west. Liu Yu's advance was blocked, so in April he formed the "Queyue Formation" with chariots, crossbowmen and spearmen. The Wei army attacked with 30,000 cavalry and returned in defeat. Abogan and others were killed.

When Tuoba Si heard about the disastrous defeat of the Wei army, he regretted it endlessly and wished he could use Cui Hao's plan.

When Liu Yu's army came to Tongguan, Tuoba Si asked Cui Hao for advice. Cui Hao replied: "In the past, Yao Xing was so famous that he had no practical use. His son Yao Hong fell ill again, and everyone betrayed his relatives and left. Liu Yu took advantage of people's danger. , The soldiers are brave, and in my opinion, victory is certain." Tuoba Si asked: "How does Liu Yu's military ability compare with Murong Chui?" Cui Hao said: "Liu Yu is stronger. "Taizong asked: "What kind of strong method can you tell me?" Cui Hao said: "Murong Chui borrowed the capital of his father's second generation to become a king. He was already noble at birth. People of the same kind are like nocturnal moths going to the fire. With a little effort. , Liu Yu stood up from the cold jungle, without a foot of land as capital, and without a single soldier to call upon. He fought hard to annihilate Huan Xuan, captured Murong Chao in the north, and defeated Lu Xun and others in the south. , usurped the power of Jin and took charge of the country. If Liu Yu pacified Yao Hong and came back, it was inevitable that the people of Rong and Yi lived together in Qin, which was a country of tigers and wolves, and Liu Yu could not defend it well. Customs are different, and human sentiments are hard to change. If you want to teach Jingyang in the Three Qin Dynasty, it is like trying to fly without wings, or trying to walk without feet. If you leave troops to guard it, you will definitely be helping the enemy. "A good man can rule the country for a hundred years, and he can defeat the weak and kill them. Now the Qin people are difficult to control. How can Liu Yu do it in one or two years? We can temporarily control the army and guard the territory until they return." The land of Qin will eventually belong to our country. We can just sit back and wait." Tuoba Si said: "Liu Yu has entered the pass and cannot advance or retreat. I will send elite cavalry to attack Pengcheng and Shouchun in the south. How can Liu Yu stand on his own?" Cui Hao said: "Now that the two bandits in the northwest have not been destroyed, your Majesty cannot lead the six armies personally. Although the army is strong, there are no generals like Han Xin and Bai Qi who have the talent to govern the country. But if you don't have the ability to make progress, you are not Liu Yu's opponent. I think it's not too late." Tuoba Si smiled and said, "I already know what you are thinking about."

Cui Hao said, "I think it's not too late." I have privately commented on recent figures, but I dare not keep it from Your Majesty. For example, Wang Meng governed the country, it was Fu Jian's Guan Zhong; Murong Xuangong assisted the young master, it was Murong Wei's Huo Guang; Liu Yu pacified the rebellion, it was Sima Dezong's Cao Cao. Tuoba Si said: "What do you think of the late emperor?" Cui Hao said: "How can a small person see the vastness of the sky? Even so, Taizu hired simple people from Mobei to go south to the Central Plains to change the wind. The custom spreads all over the world, and he should be ranked with Fuxi and Shennong. How can I respect his reputation as a minister? "Tuoba Si said: "What about Qu Bei?" Cui Hao said: "Qu Bei's family and country were destroyed, and he was left alone. He was appointed as an official by the Yao family. He did not want to build a party to strengthen his neighbors and avenge his shame, so he became angry with Xixui, betrayed Yao Xing, rebelled against the villain, had no big strategy, was cruel and tyrannical, and will eventually be destroyed. " Tuoba Si was very happy, and the two talked until midnight. Tuoba Si gave him ten glasses of royal wine and one tael of water essence and salt, and said: "I taste what you said, just like this salt and wine, so I am with you." "Xiang." In AD 418 (the third year of Taichang), the comet left the mouth of Tianhe, entered Taiwei, passed through Beidou, passed Ziwei in the middle, invaded Tianshu, and lasted for more than eighty days before it was destroyed in the Han Dynasty. Tuoba Si also summoned the Confucian and sorcerers and asked: "Today the world is not unified, the four sides are facing each other, and the disaster will be answered in which country? I am very scared. Everyone should try their best to speak out and don't hide anything." Everyone recommended Cui Hao. response. Cui Hao said: "The ancients said that all disasters and disasters are caused by people. If people have no fault, monsters and monsters will not appear. Therefore, when people fail below, disasters will be seen above, and heavenly events will be constant. It has not changed for a hundred generations. The "Book of Han" records that before Wang Mang usurped the throne, the coming and going of comets was the same as today. In the country, the ruler was humble and the subordinates were orderly. , had been bullied for many generations, so Huan Xuan forced him to seize power, and Liu Yu held power. It was a sign that the Jin Dynasty would be destroyed and Liu Yu would usurp power." No one could say anything different from Cui Hao. Come. Tuoba Si was convinced.

In 420 AD (the fifth year of Taichang), Liu Yu deposed Sima Dewen and established himself as emperor. Nanbian Town presented Liu Yu's letter of amnesty to Yuan Dynasty. At that time, Tuoba Si went to the Southeast Xilu Pond to shoot birds. After hearing about this, he galloped to call Cui Hao and said to him: "In previous years, you said that the divination of comets came true. Today I believe in the way of heaven."

< p>At the beginning, Cui Hao's father was seriously ill. Cui Hao cut his nails and hair. He prayed to the Big Dipper in the courtyard at night, prayed for his father's life, and asked to take his father's place. He kowtowed until blood flowed. It hasn't stopped for more than a year, and almost no one in the family knows. When his father passed away, the mourning ceremony was held with all rites, and people at that time praised him very much. Cui Hao attacked Duke Baima. Cui Hao was responsible for court etiquette, fine writing, policy edicts, and military and state secretaries. Cui Haoneng was a commentator and was not good at writing articles. He only paid attention to the rhetoric of systems, laws and classics. Make family sacrifice methods, arrange the order of the five rituals, formulate the etiquette of steaming and tasting, the festival of abundance and frugality, and the principles are clear and impressive. The books of Lao and Zhuang, who were not good-natured, would throw them away after reading no more than a few dozen lines at a time, saying: "These pretentious and false statements are not humane and must not have been written by Lao Tzu. Lao Dan practices etiquette and justice, and Zhong Ni If you follow him, you won't write a book that corrupts the etiquette and messes with the teachings of the previous king. This is what Yuan Sheng said was in the family basket and should not be publicized in the royal court. Tuoba Si often suffered from ailments and saw strange things. , so he sent his eunuchs to ask Cui Hao secretly: "The Spring and Autumn Annals said: The stars are dipping into the Big Dipper, and all the monarchs of the seven kingdoms will be in trouble. Today the sun is eclipsing the stomach, and all the light is on the division between Zhao and Dai. I am already ill." It has lasted for several years, but medical treatment has not caused much damage. I am worried that if it fails, I am still young, what will I do? You plan for me in a hundred years.

Cui Hao said: "Your Majesty, you have a prosperous spring and Autumn period, your career is at its peak, you can eliminate disasters with virtue, and you will be fine soon." Moreover, the way of heaven is mysterious and lofty, and it may disappear or respond. In the past, Song Jing cultivated his virtue after seeing disasters, and Yinghuo retreated. I hope that your majesty will put away all the worries, keep peace, receive blessings from the emperor, and not use foolish words to damage the holy grace. As a last resort, please tell me nonsense. Since the imperial dynasty sanctified Longxing, no crown prince was established, so starting from the Yongxing period, the country and the country were almost in danger. The East Palace should be built early today, and the ministers who are loyal, virtuous, and trusted by His Majesty should be selected to serve as masters, and the ministers on the left and right who are loyal to His Majesty should serve as guests and friends. . In this way, your majesty can enjoy leisurely leisurely activities, live in peace, nourish your life, and practice medicine. Your Majesty, after a hundred years, the country will become the ruler and the people will have their own people. The evil people will have no choice but to give up and give up. There will be no loopholes to exploit. This is a rule for all eternity, a general guideline to avoid disaster. Now the emperor's eldest son, Tao, is about to turn twelve years old. He is smart, smart, kind, gentle, and well-connected. Now he has ascended to the position of crown prince. It is a blessing for the world. It is determined by etiquette to establish a son to grow up. If you have to wait until they are all adults before choosing a heir, and you go against the family relationship, it will lead to the disaster of walking on frost and ice. Since ancient times, ancient books have rarely recorded the rise and fall of life and death without this. "

Tuoba Si accepted Cui Hao's opinion, so he asked him to inform the ancestral temple and ordered Tuoba Tao to be the deputy king of the country and sit in the main hall to listen to the government. Situ Chang Sun Song and Shanyang Gong Xi Jin , Beixin Public Security Bureau are both on the left side, sitting in the east compartment facing west; Cui Hao, Taiwei Mu Guan, and Sanqi Changshi Qiudui are on the right side, sitting in the west compartment facing east, and all the officials perform their duties and obey Tuoba Si. He took refuge in the West Palace and secretly observed him. He was very happy to hear his decision on the government affairs. He said to the ministers on the left and right: "The eldest grandson Songsu De, an old minister, has served in four dynasties and has made great contributions to the country; Xi Jin is famous for his quick wit and wisdom. ; An Tong is well versed in common sentiments and is skilled in government affairs; Mu Guanda is knowledgeable in political dignitaries and knows my intentions; Cui Hao is knowledgeable and knowledgeable, and is good at meetings between heaven and man; Qiu Dui is of no great use, but he is dedicated and rigorous in official affairs. With these six people as assistants, I and you can travel around the world, fight against rebellion and bring peace to the people, so that we can work hard in the world. The ministers reported difficult issues from time to time, and Tuoba Si said: "This is not something I know. It should be decided by your king." " In 422 AD (the seventh year of Taichang), Liu Yu died. Tuoba Si wanted to capture Luoyang, Hulao, and Huatai. Cui Hao said: "Your Majesty does not care about Liu Yu usurping the throne and accepts his tributes and envoys. Liu Yu also served His Majesty. Unfortunately, he died today. We take advantage of his mourning to attack them. Even if we succeed, it will be disgraceful. "Spring and Autumn" says: The Jin State scholar Beggar led his army to invade the Qi State. When he heard that the Marquis of Qi had died, he withdrew his army. A gentleman regards not cutting down mourning as a great gift, and believes that kindness is enough to impress a filial son, and righteousness is enough to impress the princes. Nowadays, the country cannot decide Jiangnan in one fell swoop. It should send people to offer condolences to the people, to save their loneliness and weakness, to pity their disasters, to spread righteousness to the world, and to make virtue and good deeds refer to these. In this way, rare things such as thorns, thorns, gold, ivory, and feathers will be taught and can come to you without asking. Liu Yugang died, but his party members are still there. When we are on the scene, they must fight together. In this way, we may not be able to succeed. It is better to deal with it slowly and wait for the enemy to have internal strife. If the powerful ministers in their country fight for power, troubles will surely arise. Then we order the generals to go out to fight, and we can seize the land of Huaibei without laboring.

Tuoba Si insisted on the southern expedition and questioned Cui Hao: "Liu Yu destroyed his country because of Yao Xing's death. I will attack him after Liu Yu's death. Why not?" Cui Hao insisted: "When Yao Xing died, the two sons had a dispute, and Liu Yucai attacked them." Tuoba Si was furious and refused to listen to Cui Hao, so he sent Xi Jin to attack the south. The ministers discussed: "Should we attack the city first?" Or grab the territory first? Xi Jin said: "Please attack the city first." Cui Hao said: "The southerners are good at defending the city. Fu Jian attacked Xiangyang and persisted for many years." Today, we use the power of a big country to attack its small city. If we don't capture it in time and weaken the army, the enemy will slowly come in and attack. I weaken the enemy's elite, which is a dangerous approach. It is better to divide the army and seize the territory as far as the Huaihe River, appoint officials to guard and collect the rented grain. On the contrary, Huatai and Hulao are to the north of our army. The hope of rescue from the south is cut off, and we must flee eastward along the river. Otherwise, it will become something in the palm of our hands. "Gongsun Biao requested to attack the city first. Xi Jin and others crossed the Yellow River and attacked Huatai first. They persisted for a long time and asked for reinforcements. Tuoba Si was angry and personally patrolled the south. He worshiped Cui Hao as the governor of Xiangzhou and added Dr. Zuo Guanglu. Follow the army to plan the plan.

When Tuoba Si returned from his car, Cui Hao followed him on a tour of Xihe and Taiyuan. Cui Hao climbed to the top of the high slope, looked down at the rolling water of the Yellow River, and looked at the mountains and rivers. He was very excited. So he discussed with his colleagues the rights and wrongs of the five counties, and examined the gains and losses of Emperor Qin Shihuang and Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Everyone was deeply impressed by his ancient knowledge of governance. Tianshi Kou Qianzhi talked with Cui Hao and listened to his discussion of ancient governance. The traces of chaos often last from night to day, with a serious expression and never tired. Then he praised and said: "Your words are very good and can be implemented. You can also be called today's Gao Yao." But people in the world cannot understand your words deeply because they are noble, distant and humble. So he said to Cui Hao: "I live in seclusion and do not engage in worldly affairs. Suddenly I heard the instructions from the gods, asking me to practice Confucianism at the same time, assist the true king of Taiping, and continue the imperial line that has been cut off for thousands of years." However, I am ignorant of the ancients and am confused about the situation. Please write a code of kings' governance for me and discuss its main points. " Cui Hao then wrote more than 20 articles, which pushed up the Taichu period and eliminated the traces of the changes in the Qin and Han Dynasties. The general idea was to restore the fifth level of counties and counties first. In November of 423 AD (the eighth year of Taichang), Tuoba Tao ascended the throne. , was Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty. The left and right officials hated Cui Hao's integrity and ostracized and slandered him.

Although Tuoba Tao knew his talent, he had to accept the opinions of the public, so he dismissed Cui Hao and let him go home and live leisurely as a duke. If there were any problems, he would be summoned for advice. Cui Hao's skin is slender and white, just like a beautiful woman. He was quick-tempered and good at strategy. He often compared himself with Zhang Liang, saying that he was better than him in ancient times. Since he was relaxing at home, he planned to practice the art of taking food to nourish his body. Kou Qianzhi had the "New Sutra of Recording Pictures in Shen Zhong", so Cui Hao worshiped him as his teacher.

During the Shiguang period, he was promoted to the title of Duke Cui Haodong and worshiped him as Taichang Qing. At that time, they were discussing the crusade against Helianchang. All the ministers thought this was a difficult task. Only Cui Hao said: "Since the past years, the Yinghuo star has once again guarded the Yulin star, and they have formed a hook, which predicts the demise of Qin. And this year, the five stars are all coming out of the east. This is a sign that is conducive to the Western Expedition. Heaven is in harmony with the people. The time has come. Don't miss this opportunity." Tuoba Tao then ordered Xi Jin and others to attack the Puban area, and he personally led his light cavalry to surprise Helianchang's capital. , returned with a great victory. Later, Tuoba Tao wanted to conquer Helianchang again. When he arrived at Tongwan City, he gathered troops and horses and pretended to retreat. He Lianchang came with a loud noise, advanced in conflict, and spread the camp into two wings. At that time, the wind and rain came from the southeast, the sand and dust were violent, and the sky and the earth were dark. The eunuch Zhao Ni said to Tuoba Tao: "Now the wind and rain are coming from behind the enemy army. Come, our army is facing the wind and sand, while the enemy is carrying the wind and sand. The sky will not help me, and the soldiers are very hungry. I hope that your majesty will lead the troops to avoid them and make a big move in the future." Cui Hao scolded him and said: "This is. What's the matter! How can there be any change if we come thousands of miles away to win? The rebel army cannot stop now and is far away from the rear. It is more suitable for our troops to attack in secret and take advantage of them to attack them. The method of wind lies in people's plans, what rules can we follow?" So Tuoba Tao redeployed and counterattacked with all his strength. Xia's army finally couldn't hold on and the whole army collapsed. He Lianchang had no time to run into the city, so he fled to Shangbang. After conquering ten thousand cities, Tuoba Tao decided to concentrate his efforts to attack Rouran in order to get rid of the threat from Rouran in the north and the Song Dynasty in the south. The ministers were worried that the Song army would take the opportunity to advance northward and tried their best to dissuade them. Only Taichang Cui Hao strongly agreed. He said with confidence: "Liu Song's vitality has not recovered since Liu Yu's death and he does not pose a direct threat to me." In our great cause of unifying the north, we must first attack the powerful states in the north, Xia Kingdom and Xixiao (Rouran). The Xia Kingdom has been defeated by me, its vitality has been severely damaged, and its strength has been exhausted. It is a matter of time before the Xia Kingdom is destroyed. The Creeper is arrogant, arrogant, and often utters arrogant words. I haven't seriously damaged it yet, so I must mobilize elite troops to take advantage of the opportunity when the Creeper is arrogant and underestimates the enemy. With lightning speed, we can drive straight into the Creeper's territory to catch it by surprise and attack it unprepared. You will definitely win by then! ”

So the ministers recommended Taishi to order Zhang Yuan and Xu Bian to come forward to dissuade him. When Zhang Yuan was young, he had dissuaded Fu Jian from the southern expedition, but Fu Jian refused to accept it, and he was defeated. He became famous for a while. Tuoba Tao ordered a debate in court. Zhang Yuan's reason was: "It was already the year of the Three Yins, and Taibai was in the west, so he could not raise his troops, otherwise he would definitely fail." Cui Hao responded tit-for-tat and said: "Yang means kindness and Yin means punishment. Therefore, when there is a solar eclipse, the monarch must accumulate virtue, and when there is a lunar eclipse, he must pay attention to punishment." The emperor used criminal law, and those who committed crimes were bound and executed. For enemy countries that committed serious crimes, they should use armored soldiers to destroy them. To send troops to attack the guilty country today is to strengthen the punishment. I observed the celestial phenomena and found that in recent years the moon has been moving and covering the Pleiades, and it still does so now. This shows that within three years the emperor will destroy the kingdom of Yatou Star. Rouran and Gaoche are both members of the Yatou Star. I hope Your Majesty will not hesitate. Zhang Yuan and others were so ashamed that they could not speak, and argued: "Rouran is an uncertain thing far away in the wilderness." If we get their land, we can't cultivate it and harvest food, and if we get their people, we can't treat them as subjects. Moreover, they come and go quickly and move irregularly, making it difficult to capture and completely subdue them. Why is it so urgent to mobilize a large number of troops to attack them? "

Cui Hao said: "If Zhang Yuan and Xu Bian talk about astronomy, it is still their duty. As for human affairs and the current situation, I am afraid they cannot understand it accurately. This is a commonplace statement since the Han Dynasty, but it is totally unrealistic to apply it today. Why? Rouran was originally a vassal in the north of our country, but later betrayed it and left. Today we are going to murder the culprits of the rebels and take back the good people so that they can serve our country and they will not be useless. Everyone in the world is convinced that Zhang Yuan and Xu Bian have a deep understanding of astronomy and can predict success or failure. Then, I would like to ask them, are there any signs of defeat before Tongwan City is conquered? If you don't know, you are incompetent; if you know but don't say it, you are disloyal to His Majesty. At that time, He Lianchang, the former ruler of Xia, was present. Zhang Yuan and others felt that they could not do anything right because they had no previous words. Tuoba Tao was very happy and said to the ministers: "I have decided." It is indeed believable that ministers who have subjugated their country cannot conspire with them. "

In order to dispel Tuoba Tao's final doubts, Cui Hao added: "Liu Yilong's current emperor and ministers are not comparable to Liu Yushi. If they dare to come, like a pony, a calf fighting a tiger and a wolf, what should they be afraid of? 'Nowadays, Rouran's custom is to spread out herding in summer, and in autumn the livestock are fat and concentrated, and when the weather is cold, they go south to capture them. If they are unexpected, they will attack in large numbers, and they will definitely succeed. I am afraid that the generals will not go deep and they will not be able to win completely.' "Cui Hao's eloquent words and verbal battles with the ministers finally convinced Tuoba Tao to completely dispel his doubts and determined to attack Rouran in a big way.

This expedition, based on Cui Hao's strategy of "surprise and attack the unprepared", indeed achieved a crucial victory. Rouran's main force was defeated and proposed peace. From then on, it was no longer the main threat to the Northern Wei Dynasty. Just as Cui Hao worried, when the Wei army entered Zhuoya Mountain, the generals were afraid of an ambush and persuaded Foli to stop advancing. In July, the Wei army reorganized. Later, I got information and if I advance for two days, I can wipe out all the remaining troops. Tuoba Tao regretted it endlessly. In 432 AD (the first year of Yanhe), Tuoba Tao destroyed Beiyan again. On the road to unifying the north, only Beiliang in the northwest corner was left to survive.

In 439 AD (the fifth year of Taiyan), Tuoba Tao discussed the matter of attacking Liang. The ministers opposed it, especially Li Shun, who objected the most. Li Shun served as Tuoba Tao's special envoy to the north. He has been to Liang 12 times and knows the situation in Beiliang well. He also predicted in front of Tuoba Tao that the Juqu clan in Northern Liang was not far from being defeated. However, this man was greedy for money and was gradually bribed by the Juqu family of Northern Liang with a lot of money. Tuoba Tao wanted to take action against Beiliang several times before, but was dissuaded by Li Shun. This time he saw that Tuoba Tao was very determined, so he had to make up a lie and said: "From the west of Wenyu River to Guzang, the ground is full of dry rocks, and there are absolutely no water plants. The locals said, 'On Tianti Mountain south of Guzang City, there are The snow is several feet deep. In spring and summer, the snow melts and flows down from the mountains to form rivers. The local residents divert the snow water into canals to irrigate their farmland. If the people of Liangzhou hear that our army is arriving, they will definitely do so. If we cut off the mouth of the canal and let the water drain out, our troops and horses will have no water to use. The land within a hundred miles of Guzang will be barren of water, so our troops and horses will not be able to stay for a long time."

Cui Hao retorted: "The Book of Han Geography" said: Liangzhou's livestock products are the richest in the world. If there are no water and grass there, how can the livestock breed? In addition, the Han Dynasty will never build cities or set up counties on land without water and grass. "Besides, after the ice and snow in the mountains melt, it can only soak the land and collect the dust. How can we dig channels to irrigate the farmland?" Li Shun said angrily, "I have heard it with my own eyes." "See, what qualifications do you have to argue with me?" Cui Hao said sharply: "You accepted a monetary bribe and just wanted to speak for others. Do you think I can be deceived by you without seeing it with my own eyes?"

Later, Tuoba Tao decided to lead an army to attack personally. When he saw the lush water and grass outside Guzang City, he hated Li Shun very much and said to Cui Hao: "What you said back then has really come true today." Cui Hao He replied: "I dare not tell the truth, I have always been like this." However, Li Shun did not repent and accepted bribes three years later when he was ordered to reward ministers. Tuoba Tao was furious and executed Li Shun for both crimes. . In addition to the above incidents, Cui Hao made many ingenious plans and made extraordinary achievements in the wars such as quelling Xue Yongzong, Gai Wu's rebellion, conquering the Tuwugu tribe, Tuyuhun, and the southern expedition against Liu Song.

Tuoba Tao once said to Cui Hao: 'You are very intelligent, experienced my grandfather and my father, and have been loyal to you for three generations, so I value you particularly. I hope that if you have something to think about, speak out and help me manage the world. Sometimes I have a bad temper, and I may not be able to adopt your suggestions, but after thinking about it, I always feel that what you said makes sense." He also pointed at Cui Hao and said to the newly surrendered Gaoche chiefs: "Don't look at it. This man was extremely frail and his hands were not strong enough to tie a chicken, but what he had in his chest was far better than a soldier in armor. But when I was hesitant before going into battle, he was the one who made me make up my mind, and I always won a great victory. This is all his credit! "He once summoned all the ministers and ordered: "In the future, any major military and state plans that you cannot decide on should first consult Cui Hao for his opinions before they can be implemented.' "Tuoba Tao not only trusted Cui Hao, but was also very close to him. He sometimes went to Cui Hao's home to ask him for advice. Cui Hao was in a hurry to receive the emperor and had no time to make exquisite food, so he brought out home-cooked dishes. Tuoba Tao was always happy. Eat it when you are happy. Cui Hao enters the palace to see you, and the location is not limited to the court. You can enter and exit the bedroom. During Tuoba Tao's suppression of the Gai Wu uprising, Cui Hao once saw the monks hiding weapons. Cui Hao believed in Taoism. Destroy the Buddha. Tuoba Tao therefore ordered the closure of the Chang'an Samurai, burned the temples, and destroyed the Buddha statues. This was known as the "Three War Disasters" in history. Kou Qian begged Cui Hao to stop the destruction of the Buddha because he killed too many monks. Instead of listening, he strongly advised Tuoba Tao to intensify his efforts to crack down on Buddhism. At that time, "there were no more Samanas in the territory", and there were complaints from both the government and the public. After Cui Hao came to power, he attempted to organize, distinguish and regulate the hierarchy of clans according to the traditional ideas of Han aristocratic families.

In September of 431 AD (the third year of Shengen), Cui Hao "wanted to rectify the products and clearly distinguish the surnames and clans." His cousin Lu Xuan dissuaded him and said: "Everyone wants to create and establish things." There is a time; how many people are willing to do this? Please think twice." But Cui Hao refused, thus offending many Xianbei nobles.

Cui Hao's younger brother Cui Tian married his daughter to Wang Huilong. The Wang family was from a large family in Taiyuan and had inherited the nose from generation to generation. They were known as the "King of Xiao" in Jiangdong. When Cui Hao met Wang Huilong, as soon as he saw his nose, he said: "He is indeed a son of the Wang family, what a noble son!" He also praised his handsome appearance many times to the Xianbei princes in the court. Situ Chief Sun Song was very unhappy after hearing this, and complained to Emperor Taiwu, saying that Wang Huilong had returned from the south, and Cui Hao's admiration for the southerners was "meaning to ridicule the nationalization."

Tuoba Tao was furious and sent Cui Hao to reprimand him. Cui Hao took off his hat and kowtowed, and blamed himself for a while before being forgiven. When the prince Tuoba Huang was in charge of the country, Cui Hao relied on his talent and Tuoba Tao's favor to dominate the government. At one time, dozens of people from Ji, Ding, Xiang, You, and five states were recommended, and they all started their careers as county guards.

Tuoba Huang said to Cui Hao: "The talents recruited earlier were also selected as state and county officials. They have held this position for a long time, but their hard work has never been rewarded by the court. They should be supplemented as county officials first." They should obey the order and let the newly recruited people serve as officials. Moreover, the prefects and county magistrates should be responsible for the people who have experienced the world." Cui Hao persisted in his opinion and finally sent out the people he recommended. At that time, when Gao Yun, the minister of Zhongshu and the leading author of the book, knew about it, he said to Guan Tian, ??the doctor of the East Palace: "I'm afraid a disaster is inevitable. In order to satisfy his selfish motives, which may not be correct, he will fight against powerful people in the court. What will he use to win?" Protect yourself!"

But the direct cause of Cui Hao's death was the "State Letter" incident.

In December of 439 AD (the fifth year of Taiyan), Tuoba Tao ordered Cui Hao to supervise the secretarial affairs as Situ, Gao Yun, the minister of Zhongshu, and Zhang Wei, the minister of Sanqi, to participate in the affairs. Continued Compilation of national history. Tuoba Tao told them that writing national history must be based on actual records. In accordance with this request, Cui Hao and others collected materials from Wei's previous generations and compiled a national history of Wei. At that time, Tuoba Tao's purpose of compiling the history of the country was originally only to be left to the descendants of the royal family. However, after the completion of the "Records of the State", Shi Minzhan and Xi Biao, who were involved in the work, suggested that the "Records of the State" should be engraved on stone to show the straight pen, and at the same time the "Five Classics" annotated by Cui Hao should be engraved. Min Zhan and Xi Biao were clever and charming, and usually flattered Cui Hao to win Cui Hao's favor. Their suggestions were adopted by Cui Hao and Tuoba Huang also expressed their appreciation. So, three miles east of the Temple of Heaven, a forest of steles for the "Book of China" and "Comments to the Five Classics" were built, with a radius of 130 paces, and it took three million people to complete. Because "Guoji" is written in a straight line, it describes the history of the Tuoba clan in detail and without any taboos. It also directly writes some early history of the Tuoba clan that no one wants to know. The stone tablet was erected next to the main road, which aroused discussion among passers-by. When the Xianbei nobles saw it, they were all angry. They went to Tuoba Tao to complain, accusing Cui Hao of intending to bring evil to the country. Tuoba Tao ordered the arrest of Cui Hao and his secretary Lang Li, and examined the charges. After Cui Hao was arrested, he admitted that he had accepted bribes. In fact, he had no idea what crime he had committed. When Tuoba Tao interrogated him personally, he was confused and unable to cope.

On July 5, 450 AD (Jihai, June of the 11th year of Zhenjun Taiping), Emperor Taiwu executed Cui Hao. When he was being sent to the south of the city for execution, "dozens of guards peed (urinated) on it, and their screams and groans could be heard on the way. Since the death of the chief minister, no one has been killed like this." At the same time, all the secretaries and officials below were also killed. The Cui family in Qinghe, both far and near, and their in-laws, the Lu family in Fanyang, the Guo family in Taiyuan, and the Liu family in Hedong were all exterminated. Known in history as the "Prison of National History"

The northern gentry suffered a heavy blow in the "Prison of National History". Liu Xun and others from the Song Dynasty said: "The Tuoba clan took advantage of the decline of the Later Yan Dynasty to encroach on Bing and Ji, and caused bloodshed for more than thirty years, and China was finally settled. At the beginning, Gongqing Fangzhen was the chief of the old tribe, although he participated in The old clans of Zhao and Wei are often destroyed by suspicion." They pointed out the contradiction between the Xianbei nobles and the Zhao and Wei clans, which was quite insightful. Cui Hao was the victim of this contradiction, and the "Prison of National History" was just an excuse.

Not long after, Emperor Taiwu visited Yin Mountain in the north and regretted killing Cui Hao.

At that time, Li Xiaobo, Duke of Xuancheng, Shangshu of the North, died of illness. Tuoba Tao said: "What a pity for Li Xuancheng!" Then he said: "I made a mistake, Cui Situ is a pity, Li Xuancheng is a pity!"