In 550 AD, Gao Yang, the general of the Northern Dynasties in the Eastern Wei Dynasty, forced Emperor Xiaojing of the Eastern Wei Dynasty to abdicate and established the Northern Qi Dynasty. The following year, Emperor Xiaojing and his three sons were poisoned. One year there was a solar eclipse, and Gao Yang was worried that his throne would be lost. He asked a confidant, "Wang Mang took Liu's world, why did he take it back later?" The confidant said, "Your Majesty, this is Wang Mang's own fault: he didn't kill all the Liu family." Gao Yang immediately started killing people: he killed 25 members of the direct royal family named Yuan (formerly Tuoba) in the Eastern Wei Dynasty, and none of them survived.
When the news came, Yuan of the Eastern Wei Dynasty was very afraid and quickly gathered to discuss countermeasures. A county magistrate named An said: At present, the only way to save their lives is to ask permission to leave Yuanshi County and change their names to Gao. Jing yuan Ann's cousin, jing yuan Hao, is firmly opposed. He said, "How can we abandon this clan and take refuge in his surname to save our lives? A gentleman would rather die than die! I would rather die than change my surname. "
The metaphor of "it is better to die than to die" means to sacrifice for integrity.
(From Beiqi Book? Jing yuan An Chuan ")