Huang Qiao, courtesy names Huang Qiaoshan and Renjing, literary name Qinggang, was also known as Huang Yue. He was respectfully referred to as Qiao Gong or Qiaoshan Gong by his descendants. Huang Qiaoshan was the eldest son of Xi Gong. His ancestors came to Fujian from Gushi in Guangzhou, Henan. Huang Qiaoshan was born on the 15th day of the 4th month in the 13th year of Xiantong (AD 872). He passed away on 10th day of the 11th month in the 3rd year of Guangshun, at the age of 82, and was buried in a hill in his hometown.

Huang Qiaoshan was born to be a calm and intelligent man. He worked his way to become the Deputy Minister of Public Works. Huang Qiaoshan had three wives - Shangguan Shi, Wu Shi and Zheng Shi and 21 sons.

Formed a militia to pacify the people

During the last years of the Tang dynasty, the eunuchs were in power. Floods and locusts occurred everywhere, resulting in severe famine in the country. However, the government was unable to provide any relief to the people. There were widespread disorders and bandit gangs ravaged the countryside and attacked cities. The country was in chaos and the people were living in misery. Huang Qiaoshan was twenty years old then. He made donations to provide aid to the people. He also helped organize a militia to protect his hometown and the disaster victims, bringing stability to everyone.

News of his courage reached the Prince of Longxi, Li Keyong, who appointed Huang Qiaoshan as a battalion leader. During the 2nd year of Qianning (AD 895), Wang Xingyu, Li Maozhen and Han Jian launched attacks on the capital Changan. Huang Qiaoshan joined Li Keyong in the battle in Binzhou. Wang Xingyu was killed. Li Keyong, riding on the victory, went after Li Maozhen and Han Jian. At this time, Emperor Zhaozong chose to believe in Zhu Wen, and stopped Li Keyong from going after the rebels. Li Keyong was conferred as the Prince of Jin, and Huang Qiaoshan was promoted to be the Marquis of a Thousand Households, in charge of the military affairs of Jiang, Zhe and two Guang.

In the 3rd year of Qianning (896), Maozhen staged another rebel again. The rebelling army came close to Changan, forcing Emperor Zhaozong to flee to Huazhou. Li Keyong led his army to the rescue. Huang Qiaoshan was again promoted to be the Deputy Minister of Public Works as a result of the battle. Since then, Huang Qiaoshan observed that although the Prince of Jin served the country loyally and wholeheartedly, Emperor Zhaozong still listened to slanders from Zhu Wen. He refused to trust the loyal barbarians, but trusted Zhu Wen who was an ambitious and traitorous man. Huang Qiaoshan thus remarked that the dynasty was doomed.

In the 1st year of Guanghua (900), Liu Jishu, the eunuch, put Emperor Zhaozong under house arrest in Shaoyang College, and forced him to yield the throne to his son, Li Yu, the Crown Prince. In the first year of Tianfu (901), Han Quanhui forced Emperor Zhaozong to Fengxiang. In the 1st year of Tianyou (904), Zhu Wen coerced Emperor Zhaozong to relocate his capital to Luoyang, and destroyed the palace and royal buildings in Changan. In Luoyang, Zhu Wen killed Emperor Zhaozong, and declared Crown Prince Zhu as Emperor Ai.

When Huang Qiaoshan heard that the Tang dynasty was overthrown, he grieved and refused food for several days. He refused to be involved in the power struggle and started planning for his retirement from politics.

During the 3rd year of Tianyou (906), the Prince of Jin sent his army to Youzhou to rescue Liu Rengong. They joined forces to launch an attack on Zhu Wen. In the following year, Zhu Wen killed Emperor Ai, thus ending Tang and starting the Liang dynasty. Zhu Wen was known as Emperor Taizu of Liang.

Hide one’s capacities and stay away from politics

In the 1st month of the 2nd year of Kaiping of the Liang dynasty (908), Li Keyong, the Prince of Jin, died, and was succeeded by his son Li Cunxu, who was known as the Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang. Li Cunxu continued to launch campaigns against Liang. He sent his men to ask Huang Qiaoshan for assistance. However, Huang Qiaoshan declined. He retired at the age of 35. In his 15 years of military life, Huang Qiaoshan traveled to many places in China. He witnessed how ministers killed the rulers and how sons killed their fathers during the Tang and five dynasties. With endless wars and long periods of political unrest, the people lived in unbearable hardships. Huang Qiaoshan felt that the political situation was beyond rectification. He warned his sons to stay away from politics.

Huang Qiaoshan founded the Heping Academy after his retirement. He engaged famous and capable Confucians to teach the young people. The academy helped to produce a lot of talented people for the Song dynasty, including Huang Ruji, Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices; Huang Lǚ, Imperial Minister; Huang Bosi, the Head of the Archival Bureau; Huang Zhang, the magistrate of Tai County; Huang Han, Hengyang magistrate; Huang Mu, an official at the Ministry of Public Works and many others. Heping was thus known for the numerous scholars and talents. Huang Qiaoshan wrote a poem, entitled The Four Seasons, to describe his peaceful and contented retirement life.

Spring
Flower pedals fall over the the broken bridge and in the stream underneath, while the orioles sing in the large back yard; The sun slowly warms the stream, which flows to far away places beyond the horizon.

Summer
In the hot sun, the street seems so long; the warm breeze carries the soothing fragrance of lilies; The books on the desk are decorated with green colour, while the southern window is shaded by banana leaves.

Autumn
Yellow corolla flowers bloom below the stairs; red osmanthus dance in the autumn breeze in the front yard; It's hard for anybody to leave their books or beds; the moon slowly rises in the east.

Winter
The ancient trees are almost lost in the mist; the plum flowers basking in the moon. Snow gathered in the patio last night, reflecting the white morning sunlight at the window screen.

Disperse his family members, bring up his children properly

Huang Qiaoshan retired to his hometown for 5 years. He experienced severe social chaos and turbulence. He witnessed the rise and fall of 5 dynasties and 11 rulers. 8 rulers were killed and robed of their reign. He firmly believed that the best way for the family’s survival in the time of uncertainty was to disperse his family members. In the 1st year of Guangshun of Later Zhou (951), Huang Qiaoshan, who was in his eighties then, held a banquet where he invited his fellow clansmen. At the banquet, he gathered all his family members and instructed his 18 younger sons and their families to move out and live separately. He said, “Everyone prayed for prosperity, longevity and more male offsprings. However, Yao held that ‘longevity meant more troubles, more men meant more fear’. How I wish that the 21 of you could stay with me till I die. But, I can’t keep all of you at our hometown. You should seek your own development in other places. In my years of military life, I have traveled to almost half of China, setting foot on Fujian, Guangzhou, Zhejiang and other places. These places were once beautifully decorated with fertile fields, but they are now uncultivated. As long as you’re willing to cultivate the land, it’ll become your happy home. Only the eldest son from each of my wife will remain here. The rest of you should move out to different places.”

His sons replied, “As the saying goes, ‘one stocks up grains against famine, and rears sons for help in old age’. Father, you’re now 80 years old. We should stay by your side everyday. How can we leave you to go to faraway places? What good is it to rear so many children?”

Qiaogong remarked, “Gather together is no better than disperse. It is not safe for everyone to stay together peacefully at the same place for a long time. This is my fear.”

His fellow clansmen also commented, “The fish in the pond is no better than the cranes in the clouds. The current situation is ever-changing. Your consideration is comprehensive and profound. Why must you emulate the baby drinking milk, and seek food from the mother? ”

Qiaogong explained, “Wise men think alike. Clever birds choose their tress when they nest.” He then distributed his property equally, and edited the family genealogy. He gave each of his sons a copy of the family genealogy, stressing that “the genealogy detailed the origin of our family. From the genealogy, we know that our ancestors came from Guangzhou, and our clansmen are dispersed in Suicheng, Heping, Zhongcheng, Zhuli and Kantou. Keep the family genealogy safe, and preserve the heritage of the scholarly family. When we meet each other in the future, we should treat each other with kindness.” Finally, he gave a poem to all his children:

Mount the horse and leave for a faraway place where you can settle down to continue the lineage of our heritage.

Once you leave this place, this is no longer your home; wherever you settle down, make it your new hometown.

From morning till night, do not forget your father's advice; and remember to pray to your ancestors during Spring and Autumn.

Although wealth is predestined by heaven, 21 of you must uphold our ancestral pride.

His three wives also each composed a poem, collectively known as the Poems of the Three Mothers.

The poem of Shangguan Shi:
The talented Qiao master had three wives, Shangguan Shi, Wu Shi and Zheng Shi and 21 sons. Build a career, raise a family, and leave the homeland. Do come back home to visit the relatives.

The poem of Wu Shi:
We probably would not be able to meet again in my lifetime. Your task is to spread the family tree. Whether in wealth or in poverty, when you meet each other, you must remember that you are from the same family.

The poem of Zheng Shi:
I pray that heaven will bless all of you, the 21 sons of Guan, Wu and Zheng, in the different towns.You leave the hometown as instructed by your father. You should work hard to bring prosperity to the family and society.

In (AD 952), the sons of Huang Qiaoshan and their families set out to live in 18 different places where they established their own lineages. They returned to their hometown to visit their parents and relatives. Huang Qiaogong felt comforted by them. On 10th day of the 11th month in the 3rd year (AD 953), Huang Qiaoshan passed away peacefully, with no pain or illness, at the age of 82. He was buried in a hill of in his hometown. A tablet was erected at his tomb. The horizontal text was “Deputy Minister of Public Works of the Tang dynasty”, while the vertical text was “Died in the 8th month of the 44th year of Qianlong, tomb of our late father, name Qiaoshan, family name Huang. Respectedly erected by his 21 sons and his descendants.”

In 1986, the tomb was reconstructed with funding from the eldest sons organisations in Shaowu City. The inscription on the tablet was the original inscription made in the 44th year of Qianlong, and was listed as one of the cultural heritage sites protected by Shaowu on 15 April 1986.

Huang Qiaoshan’s wife, Shangguan Shi’s courtesy name was Miaoxiu. She was born on the 28th day of the tenth month of the 12th year of Xiantong of Emperor Tang Yizong, and passed away on the 23rd day of the fourth month of the 12th year of Tianfu of Emperor Han Gaozu of the Later Han at the age of 76. She was buried behind Juechan temple. A tablet was erected at her tomb. She gave birth to seven sons, namely He, Mei, Xun, Gai, Chu, Gui and Yang.

Wu Shi’s courtesy name was Miaoxiang. She was born on the sixth day of the seventh month of the fifth year of Qianfu of Emperor Xizong of the Tang dynasty, and passed away on the 30th day of the third month of the first year of Xiande of Emperor Zhou Shizong, at the age of 78. She was buried at Dashugang. Wu Shi gave birth to seven sons, namely Zheng, Hua, Qu, Lu, Fu, Lin, and Tang.

Zheng Shi’s courtesy name was Miaoji. She was born on the fifth day of the seventh month of the first year of Guangming of Emperor Xizong of the Tang dynasty, and passed away on the second day of the tenth month of the second year of Jianlong of Emperor Song Taizu, at the age of 83. She was buried at Ji’an Niulanke. A tablet was erected at her tomb. Zheng Shi also gave birth to seven sons, namely Fa, Tan, Cheng, Yan, Yun, Jin and Ceng.