《北史·列传·卷三十三》
现在，婴儿就要被弃置在山壑中，将被丢放在水火中，而却因为怕麻烦不去拯救他们，难道是婴儿们对慈母所期望的吗？ 太后说 ：天下的黎民百姓，难道有这样艰难困苦吗？ 
齐被重创，奔而退，小剑大剑贼亦捐城西走，益州平。灵太后玺书慰劳，赐骅骝马一匹，宝剑一口。
“Now, the child is about to be abandoned in the ravines and left in the midst of fire and water, yet because you fear trouble, you will not save them. Is that really what the child would expect of its mother?” The empress dowager said, “Surely the people of the realm are not suffering such hardship and misery?”