Qin Shubao
It is not known when Qin Shubao was born, but it was known that he was from Qi Province (齊州, roughly modern Jinan, Shandong). He became a soldier under the service of the major general Lai Hu'er () during the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui. When Qin's mother died, Lai, extraordinarily, sent a messenger to mourn her death, and when Lai's secretary found this odd, Lai responded, "This man is brave and fierce, and he is also full of ambition and integrity. One day he will gain his own honors, and I cannot treat him as if he were base."