《周书·本纪·卷四》
等到孝闵帝被废，明帝即皇帝位后，对功臣恭敬有礼，对亲族亲厚和睦，遵循恭敬节俭之道，崇尚文儒，勤勉不倦有帝王的品德。
及乎迎宣黜贺，入纂大宗，而礼貌功臣，敦睦九族，率由恭俭，崇尚文儒，亹亹焉其有君人之德者矣。
Emperor Xiaowen, after he had deposed Emperor Xiaoming and ascended to the throne, treated his meritorious subjects with respect and courtesy and treated his relatives in a warm and harmonious fashion. He followed the path of respect for scholarship and frugality, and he was diligent and never tired. He possessed the virtues of a great ruler.