生平

崔浩出身于清河崔氏，是崔玄伯的长子，母亲卢氏是卢谌的孙女。和范阳高门卢玄是表兄弟。连姻皆士族。《魏书·崔浩列传》说他：「少好文学，博览经史。玄象阴阳，百家之言，无不关综，研精义理，时人莫及」，长相如美貌妇人，自比张良。崔浩曾仕北魏道武、明元、太武三帝，官高至司徒，是太武帝最重要的谋臣之一，对促进北魏统一北方做出了贡献。崔浩屡次力排众议，根据星象和人事判断时机，使太武帝得以依次成功击灭胡夏、灭北凉并出击柔然，这些军事行动使北魏得以解除来自北方和西北方的威胁。尤其是北凉的灭亡，使北魏打开了通往西域的商道。

北魏太武帝拓跋焘镇压盖吴起义的过程中，曾亲见寺僧藏匿武器，崔浩笃信道教，主张崇道废佛。北魏太武帝下令关闭长安沙门，焚烧寺院，捣毁佛像，为「三武灭佛」之一。寇谦之以杀僧过多，曾苦求崔浩，阻止灭佛行动，「一境之内，无复沙门」。但由于崔浩试图「齐整人伦，分明士族」，卢玄劝他：「夫创制立事，各有其时，乐为此者，讵几人也？宜其三思。」又敢于和太子争任官员，引起鲜卑贵族的不满。

神䴥二年（429年），崔浩与弟崔览、邓颖、晁继、黄辅等共同著述《国书》。太延五年（439年）崔浩因修「国史」不避忌讳，著作令史闵湛、郗标竟劝其刻史于石上，树在道路的两旁，费银三百万，高允曾预言：「闵湛所营，分寸之间，恐为崔门万事之祸。吾徒无类矣。」于是「北人咸悉愤毒，相与构浩于帝」，此事最终得罪了太武帝，被囚于木笼之内，「送于城南，使卫士数十人溲于其上，呼声嗷嗷，闻于行路。」太平真君十一年六月己亥（450年7月5日），崔浩被杀，其血族姻亲尽遭株连，牵连范阳卢氏、河东柳氏以及太原郭氏，「自宰司之被戮辱，未有如浩者」。

政治理想

《魏书‧崔浩传》提到崔浩「留心于制度、科律及经术之言。作家祭法，次序五宗，蒸尝之礼，丰俭之节，义理可观。性不好老庄之书。」这是东汉以来儒家大族的传统，后面又谓崔浩「上推太初，下尽秦汉变弊之迹，大旨先以复五等为本。」其中「五等」即是儒家士族的理想，《三国志》〈魏志‧陈留王奂传〉记载：「相国晋王奏复五等爵。」可见得崔浩与司马氏的理想相符。

崔浩选士是家世与人伦并进，在他心目中，能具备高官及儒学二条件之姓族，才是他理想的一等门第，透过选士，最终目的就是复兴儒家的五等爵制。《北史‧李欣》提到选助教时，崔浩「举其弟子箱子与卢度世、李敷三人应之。」他不选李欣是因为他出自范阳李氏，非高门大族，李敷出自赵郡李氏，卢度世出自范阳卢氏，皆出自高门。

死因

《魏书‧卢玄传》记载崔浩欲「齐整人伦，分明姓族」，卢玄曾经劝他「宜其三思」，崔浩的态度是「虽无异言，竟不纳。」

陈寅恪认为：「崔浩之死，或以为是华夷之辨的民族问题，或以为是佛道之争的宗教问题，其实不然，其主要原因应在社会阶级方面，即崔浩欲『齐整人伦，分明姓族』。终因国史之事罹祸。」

据万绳楠的 《陈寅恪魏晋南北朝史演讲录》所分析，华夷之辨实非崔浩致死之因，《宋书‧柳元景传》记载柳光世言：「虏主拓跋焘南寇汝、颍，浩密有异图，光世要河北义士为浩应。浩谋泄被诛，河东大姓坐连谋夷灭者甚众。」似崔浩有民族意识，其实不对，因为崔浩常为鲜卑出谋献策，对北魏帮助莫大，例如《魏书‧崔浩传》中记载他上谏阻止迁都，其中精确的分析利害：「今留守旧部，分家南徙，恐不满诸州之地……屈丐、蠕蠕必提挈而来，云中、平城则有危殆之虑，阻隔恒代千里之险，虽欲救援，赴之甚难，如此则声实俱损矣。」后又对南北朝情势做出准确的评估，说：「裕新死，党与未离，兵临其境，必相率拒战，功不可必，不如缓之，待其恶稔。如其强臣争权，变难必起，然后命将扬威，可不劳士卒，而收淮北之地。」对鲜卑可谓不遗馀力，《宋书‧柳元景传》说的偏袒南朝实则是崔浩依实际情势做的判断而已。且《魏书‧卢度世传》论及崔浩竟未提崔浩密有异图之事，《通鉴‧考异》司马光亦云：「《宋书‧柳元景传》与魏事不同，今从《后魏书》。」可见得柳光世之言，不过虚张华夷之见自托于南朝，不足为据。

至于佛道之争极可能是崔浩致死的原因之一，《魏书‧释老志》记载太武帝拓跋焘西征盖吴到长安，看到寺庙中多有兵器，怒曰：「此非沙门所用，当与盖吴通谋，规害人耳！」而崔浩本信天师道，遂「因进其说」，最后太武帝「诏诛长安沙门，焚破佛像。」太子拓跋晃与崔浩在宗教上是分歧的，他「素敬佛道。频上表，陈刑杀沙门之滥，又非图像之罪。」可是太武帝不愿买帐，反而变本加厉的下诏「有事胡神及造形像泥人、铜人者，门诛。」直到崔浩死后才「颇悔之」。在废佛问题上，崔浩与太子拓跋晃虽是冲突的，但拓跋晃所上的表文并未言及崔浩。

王船山《读通鉴论 卷十五 文帝》曰于崔浩以史被杀，而重有感焉。浩以不周身之智，为索虏用，乃欲伸直笔于狼子野心之廷，以速其死，其愚固矣。然浩死而后世之史益薉，则浩存直笔于天壤，亦未可没也。直道之行于斯民者，五帝、三王之法也，圣人之教也，礼乐刑政之兴废，荒隅盗贼之缘起，皆于史乎徵之，即有不典，而固可徵也。若浩者，仕于魏而为魏史，然能存拓拔氏之所繇来，详著其不可为君师之实，与其乘闲以入中国之祸始，俾后之王者鉴而知惧，以制之于早，后世之士民知愧而不屑戴之为君，则浩之为功于人极者亦伟矣。浩虽杀，魏收继之，李延寿继之，撰述虽薉，而诘汾、力微之薉迹犹有传者，皆浩之追叙仅存者也。

前乎此而刘、石、慕容、苻、姚、赫连之所自来佚矣；后乎此而契丹、女直、蒙古之所自出泯矣。刘、石、慕容、苻、姚、赫连之佚也，无史也；契丹、女直之泯也，蒙古氏讳其类，脱脱隐之也；然犹千百而存一也。宋濂中华之士，与闻君子之教，佐兴王以复中华者也，非有崔浩族诛之恐。而修蒙古之史，隐其恶，扬其美，其兴也，若列之汉、唐、宋开国之君而有馀休；其亡也，则若无罪于天下而不幸以亡也。濓史成，而天下之直道永绝于人心矣。濂其能无愧于浩乎？浩以赤族而不恤，濂以曲徇虞集、危素而为蒙古掩其腥秽，使后王无所惩以厚其防，后人无所魏以洁其身。人之度量相越，有如此哉！后之作者，虽欲正之，无征而正之，濂之罪，延于终古矣。

王船山则认为崔浩虽屈身仕索虏，而直书鲜卑猾夏，沐猴而冠，以主中原之经过，著其腥秽，以诫后世之人夷狄之害，以尽其职，实有功于中国。

家庭

弟弟

• 崔简，一名览，北魏大臣、书法家，历任中书侍郎、征虏将军，爵五等侯

• 崔恬，官至上党太守、平南将军、豫州刺史。封阳武侯，与崔浩一同被诛

夫人

• 河东柳氏，北魏折冲将军、河北郡太守、西陵男柳光世姐姐

• 太原郭氏，北魏并州别驾郭逸之女

• 太原郭氏，郭逸小女儿

During Emperor Daowus and Emperor Mingyuans reigns

It is not known when Cui Hao was born. He was the oldest son of the ethnic Han Cui Hong (崔宏), a high-level official under Emperor Daowu, who carried the title of Marquess of Baima. In Cui Hao's youth, he was said to have studied a broad number of books, but was particularly known for his literary abilities, as well as his astrological prophecies. The first historical reference to Cui Hao was in 409, when he was a low-level official in Emperor Daowu's administration. At that time, Emperor Daowu was often violent and arbitrary in his actions, because of poisoning from pills he received from alchemists, and the imperial officials often found excuses to stay away from him lest they be stricken by his anger. However, Cui Hong and Cui Hao were described as having served Emperor Daowu diligently despite this, and they were among the few officials who never received any punishment from him.

Later in November 409, Emperor Daowu was assassinated by his son Tuoba Shao (拓拔绍) the Prince of Qinghe, who then tried to take over the regime, but was defeated and killed by his older brother Tuoba Si the Crown Prince, who took the throne as Emperor Mingyuan. During Tuoba Shao's coup, he tried to get officials to follow him by awarding them with many things, but Cui Hong declined them all, and Cui Hong was therefore praised by Emperor Mingyuan and created the Duke of Baima. In 414, Cui Hao started teaching Emperor Mingyuan the mystical texts I Ching and Hong Fan (洪范), and because of this and the accuracy of a number of Cui Hao's predictions, Emperor Mingyuan began to trust him greatly. In 415, during the middle of a severe famine, it was at the advice of Cui Hao and Zhou Dan (周澹) that Emperor Mingyuan stopped the plan of moving the capital from Pingcheng (平城, in modern Datong, Shanxi) to Yecheng, as Cui and Zhou were concerned that moving the capital would quickly expose the Xianbei's numerical inferiority to the Han, leading to rebellions. Later that year, when an unusual astrological sign that portended the destruction of a state appeared, it was Cui Hao who made the prediction that it foretold Later Qin's destruction, and after Later Qin fell in 417, not only the emperor but the other officials became impressed at Cui Hao's abilities.

One matter at which Emperor Mingyuan did not listen to Cui Hao, however, was in his attempt to stop the Jin general Liu Yu from destroying Later Qin, as his wife Consort Yao was the Later Qin emperor Yao Hong's sister. In 416, when Liu Yu tried to advance his main fleet west on the Yellow River, Emperor Mingyuan ordered his army to harass the Jin fleet, against Cui's suggestion that doing so would make Northern Wei bear the brunt of Jin attack. Indeed, after some limited success in Northern Wei's harassment campaign, Liu Yu had his general Ding Wu (丁旿) land on the northern bank and deal Northern Wei a major defeat, before resuming the advancement. This ended Emperor Mingyuan's attempt to save Later Qin, and he regretted not listening to Cui in this matter. It was also around this time that Cui Hao made the perceptive observation that after Liu Yu destroyed Later Qin, he would return to the Jin capital Jiankang and usurp the throne, and that the troops that he left to hold Later Qin territory would become trapped. He also suggested that Northern Wei should be patient, and that one day the territory would be Northern Wei's. Pleased with Cui's analysis, Emperor Mingyuan awarded him wine and salt, stating to him, "Your words are just as like wine and salt, and therefore I want to share these with you." In 418, after another astrological sign appeared showing the end of a state, Cui publicly stated that it meant the end of Jin, and when Liu Yu seized the Jin throne in 419 and established Liu Song, Cui was shown to be correct. Also in 419, Cui Hao's father Cui Hong died. Cui Hao inherited his father's title of Duke of Baima.

In 422, Emperor Mingyuan suffered a major illness, apparently caused by medicines that alchemists had given him that were supposedly capable of extending lifespans. He consulted Cui Hao on what he should do to prepare for events after his death. Cui Hao predicted that he would recover, but advised him to create his oldest son, 14-year-old Tuoba Tao the Prince of Taiping, crown prince, and then transfer some of the authorities to the crown prince so that his own burdens could be lessened. The senior official Baba Song (拔拔嵩) also agreed, and Emperor Mingyuan created Tuoba Tao crown prince, and further had Crown Prince Tao take the throne to serve as the secondary emperor. He commissioned his key advisors Baba, Cui, Daxi Jin, Anchi Tong (安迟同), Qiumuling Guan (丘穆陵观), and Qiudun Dui (丘敦堆) to serve as the Crown Prince's advisor. From this point on, most matters, particularly domestic matters, were ruled on by Crown Prince Tao, while Emperor Mingyuan himself only ruled on important matters. It was at this time that Emperor Mingyuan made positive remarks about each of the officials that he so charged with advising the crown prince, and as to Cui Hao, he stated, "Cui Hao is exceptionally knowledgeable and able to discern the will of Heaven and men."

Later in 422, after Liu Yu's death, Emperor Mingyuan decided to launch a major attack on Liu Song. Cui Hao opposed this, believing that Liu Song could not be conquered. However, this was one instance that Cui only appeared to be partially correct, as the armies under Emperor Mingyuan were able to capture Liu Song's northern regions, directly south of the Yellow River, although Emperor Mingyuan's original lofty goal of destroying Liu Song was nowhere close to being met.

During Emperor Taiwus reign

In December 423, Emperor Mingyuan died, and Crown Prince Tao succeeded him as Emperor Taiwu. Immediately, many of the other officials, jealous of Cui Hao, made accusations against him. Not willing to go against the majority of officials, Emperor Taiwu relieved Cui of his posts and had him retire to his mansion as the Duke of Baima. However, because Emperor Taiwu also knew Cui to be intelligent and wise, he still often consulted Cui on important matters. During this time, Cui spent much time caring for his skin, and his skin was said to be so fair and beautiful that it was comparable to beautiful women's. He also compared his own intelligence to that of the famed Han dynasty strategist Zhang Liang, and further believed that his own knowledge surpassed that of Zhang.

It appeared to be around this time that Cui became a Taoist. Previously, Cui was said to dislike Daode Jing and Zhuangzi, the most important Taoist works, but he particularly despised Buddhism, believing it to be a religion of barbarians. After he met the Taoist monk Kou Qianzhi, who had reorganized the Taoist religious thoughts but received few adherents, he became a follower of Kou, and he made many petitions to Emperor Taiwu endorsing Kou's writings. Emperor Taiwu was impressed and became a Taoist and a follower of Kou as well, giving official approval to Kou's followers' proselytization of Taoism throughout his empire and approving a large amount of stipend for Kou's religious ceremonies.

Shandong, Hebei, Henan, Shaanxi, and Shanxi were where the Celestial Masters northern branch operated, while Louguan and Guanzhong Daoism developed around Henan, Shanxi and Shaanxi. Celestial Masters are not believed to be connected with stele founded in Shaanxi.

An anti Buddhist plan was concocted by the Celestial Masters under Kou Qianzhi along with Cui Hao under the Taiwu Emperor. The Celestial Masters of the north urged the persecution of Buddhists under the Taiwu Emperor in the Northern Wei, attacking Buddhism and the Buddha as wicked and as anti stability and anti family. Anti Buddhism was the position of Kou Qianzhi. There was no ban on the Celestial Masters despite the nofullfilment of Cui Hao and Kou Qianzhi's agenda in their anti Buddhist campaign.

By 426, Cui Hao was again a minister in Emperor Taiwu's administration, and it was at this time that Emperor Taiwu was considering a target for his armies. Cui Hao was among the ministers who suggested that he attack Xia, believing that Xia's cruel laws made it the obvious target, and Emperor Taiwu agreed. It was also around this time that Emperor Taiwu considered making the minister Li Shun (李顺), who was related to Cui by marriage, a major general. (Cui's younger brother was married to Li's sister, and his nephew was married to Li's daughter.) Cui believed Li to be frivolous and unsuitable and persuaded Emperor Taiwu of that belief. From this point on, Cui and Li became political enemies.

In 427, after fighting dangerously but with Cui at his side, Emperor Taiwu captured the Xia capital Tongwan (in modern Yulin, Shaanxi), forcing the Xia emperor Helian Chang to flee to Shanggui (上邽, in modern Tianshui, Gansu) and allowing Northern Wei to take more than half of Xia territory.

In 429, Emperor Taiwu commissioned Cui to continue writing Northern Wei's history, a project that had started under Emperor Daowu with the official Deng Yuan (邓渊) in charge. Cui engaged Deng Yuan's son Deng Ying (邓颖) to assist him. This project, however, would eventually have dire consequences for both Cui and Deng.

Also in 429, at the advice of Cui, and against the advice of all other officials and his wet nurse Nurse Empress Dowager Dou, Emperor Taiwu attacked Rouran. (Cui believed that further major conflicts with Liu Song were inevitable, and that Northern Wei must first deal Rouran a major defeat to avoid being attacked on both sides.) However, Cui did not accompany Emperor Taiwu on this campaign, although he did inform Kou, who was, that the main Rouran force must be found and destroyed. When Emperor Taiwu engaged Rouran and dealt it a major loss, but was unable to find its Mouhanheshenggai Khan, Yujiulü Datan, he did not want to advance any further in fear of a trap, and even when Kou informed him what Cui had said, he stopped the pursuit. Only later did he find out that he was actually close to Yujiulü Datan's position and could have easily found and destroyed Yujiulü Datan, and he regretted this greatly.

Around this time, for Cui Hao's contributions, Emperor Taiwu awarded him several high titles. Cui often observed the stars at night, and he soaked copper in vinegar. Whenever he would see something unusual, he would use the copper as a pen and write his findings on paper. Knowing this, Emperor Taiwu often visited Cui's house at night to consult him, and despite Cui's inability to serve him with gourmet food, Emperor Taiwu would often eat at least some of the food that Cui offered before returning to his palace. When new vassals, Gaoche chiefs, arrived in Pingcheng, he introduced Cui Hao to them, with this commentary:

:When you see this man, he looks thin and weak, unable to bend bows and unable to bear spears. However, the power in his heart is greater than a million soldiers. Often, I have desire to conquer but not the resolution to do so, and I am able to accomplish what I have because of the teaching of this gentleman.

In 430, when it appeared that Emperor Wen of Liu Song was about to attack, Northern Wei's southern defense forces suggested making a preemptory attack against Liu Song, but Cui Hao opposed it, pointing out that if the attack were not quickly successful, it risked causing Liu Song to counterattack across the Yellow River, endangering Northern Wei's existence. Rather, it was probably at Cui Hao's suggestion that, when Liu Song forces did attack later that year, Emperor Taiwu withdrew Northern Wei forces south of the Yellow River, judging that all Emperor Wen intended was to recapture the region south of the Yellow River, and that once the Yellow River froze in the winter Northern Wei could counterattack easily. It was definitely at Cui Hao's suggestion that despite the loss of territory to Liu Song at this time, Emperor Taiwu instead launched one final attack against Xia's emperor Helian Ding (Helian Chang's brother), seizing what remained of Xia territory and forcing Helian Ding to flee west, where he was captured by Tuyuhun's khan Murong Mugui (慕容慕璝) in 431. Meanwhile, even without Emperor Taiwu, Northern Wei forces were able to advance south in winter 430, quickly recapturing most of the territory that Liu Song had captured, and regaining all of it by spring 431.

In 431, for reasons not completely clear, Cui and Li Shun appeared to have had a reconciliation, at Cui recommended Li for a mission to Northern Liang, whose prince Juqu Mengxun had recently become a vassal. Upon Li's return, he reported Northern Liang's conditions in great detail, greatly encouraging Emperor Taiwu's plans to conquer Northern Liang. Believing Li to be capable, Emperor Taiwu also made him a major advisor, and Li and Cui appeared to resume their rivalry from this point on.

In late 431, against the advice of his nephew Lu Xuan (卢玄), Cui Hao began a plan to reexamine the ancestry of the officials, believing, as the prevailing thoughts were at the time, that the officials should be ranked in accordance with the honors that their clan had gained in the past. This brought much resentment against Cui. It was also at this time that, at Emperor Taiwu's orders, Cui Hao rewrote criminal laws to try to make the criminal justice system more lenient. However, only several features of the Cui criminal code are referred to in history:

• That five-year and four-year imprisonment terms were abolished, and one-year terms instituted.

• That those who used witchcraft to harm others would have a goat tied to his or her back and a dog tied to the chest and thrown into a river.

• That a sufficiently high-ranked official who committed a crime would be allowed to forgo his office in lieu of punishment.

• That if a pregnant women were sentenced to death, she would be allowed to bear her child and be executed 100 days after giving birth.

• That each governmental agency would have a drum next to its front door, so that those who believed that they had been unfairly punished could pound the drum and make their requests.

In 439, Emperor Taiwu, even though by this point he had taken Juqu Mengxun's daughter as a concubine and had married his sister Princess Wuwei to Juqu Mengxun's son and successor Juqu Mujian, became resolved to conquer Northern Liang, and Cui greatly encouraged him, despite opposition from other key officials, including Li Shun, Daxin Jin (达奚斤), and Tuxi Bi (吐奚弼). (Why Li switched his position from supporting a campaign to opposing it at this point was unclear, but Cui would later accuse him of having accepted bribes from Juqu Mengxun and Juqu Mujian.) Li and Tuxi argued that Northern Liang's territory was desolate, and that the Northern Wei army would run out of food and water. Emperor Taiwu followed Cui's suggestion, and was able to quickly conquer Northern Liang and force Juqu Mujian's surrender—and when he saw that the region around Northern Liang's capital Guzang (姑臧, in modern Wuwei, Gansu) was exceptionally fertile, he became very resentful of Li, and would eventually force Li to commit suicide in 442. Meanwhile, after the conquest of Northern Liang, at Cui's request, Juqu Mujian's officials Yin Zhongda (阴仲达) and Duan Chenggen (段承根) were added to Cui's staff of historians. He also added Gao Yun to his staff around this time.

In 442, at Kou Qianzhi's urging, Emperor Taiwu ascended a platform and formally received Taoist amulets from Kou, and changed the color of his flags to blue, to show his Taoist beliefs and to officially approve Taoism as the state religion. From that point on, it became a tradition for Northern Wei emperors, when they took the throne, to receive Taoist amulets. Also at Kou and Cui Hao's urging, he started building Jinglun Palace (静轮宫), intended to be so high that it would be quiet and close to the gods. (Emperor Taiwu's crown prince Tuoba Huang, a Buddhist, opposed the construction project on the basis of cost, but Emperor Taiwu disagreed with him. This might be the first sign of growing tensions between Cui and the crown prince.)

In 444, similarly to how his father had transferred authority to him early, Emperor Taiwu transferred much of his authority to Crown Prince Huang. Also similarly to what his father had done, he made several of his key officials Crown Prince Huang's advisors, and Cui was among those officials. This did not appear to cause the relationship between Cui and the crown prince to warm, however.

Also in 444, Cui was involved in a major political event. Dugu Jie (独孤洁), a high-level official, who had opposed attacking Rouran, was accused by Cui Hao of being so jealous of Cui, whose suggestions of attacking Rouran were accepted by Emperor Taiwu, that he sabotaged Emperor Taiwu's war efforts by giving the generals the wrong times for rendezvous, and then further planning to have Emperor Taiwu captured by Rouran and then making Emperor Taiwu's brother Tuoba Pi (拓拔丕) the Prince of Leping emperor. Emperor Taiwu put Dugu to death, and Tuoba Pi died from anxiety. Further, because Dugu implicated them while being interrogated, fellow officials Zhang Song (张嵩) and Kudi Lin (库狄邻) were also put to death.

In 446, the Lushuihu rebel Gai Wu (盖吴) rose in the Guanzhong region, and when Emperor Taiwu personally attacked Gai, he found weapons in Buddhist temples and believed that Buddhists were conspiring against him. Cui, who despised Buddhism, fanned the flames, and Emperor Taiwu first slaughtered the Buddhist monks in Chang'an. Cui then, despite Kou Qianzhi's opposition, suggested to Emperor Taiwu to slaughter all monks in the empire. Emperor Taiwu proceeded to slaughter the monks in Chang'an, destroy the statues, and burn the sutras. He then issued an empire-wide prohibition of Buddhism. Crown Prince Huang, however, used delaying tactics in promulgating the edict, allowing Buddhists to flee or hide, but it was said that not a single Buddhist temple remained standing in Northern Wei. This was the first of the Three Disasters of Wu.

In 447, after receiving reports that Juqu Mujian was planning a rebellion, Emperor Taiwu sent Cui Hao to the residence that Juqu Mujian shared with Princess Wuwei, to force Juqu Mujian to commit suicide.

The Shi jing (Dietary Classic) was written by Cui Hao.

Death

In 450, Cui Hao, despite his honored and trusted status, would be put to death along with the particular cadet branch of his clan which he belonged to. The complete reasons are not clear, but what happened slightly prior to 450 and in 450 gave strong indications. The official announcement was that Cui Hao had defamed the imperial clan.

It was said that Cui had, sometime prior to 450, become so entrenched in his position and the favors of the emperor that he had recommended a large number of talented men to be officials, starting at the fairly high rank of commandery governors. Crown Prince Huang opposed, believing that the current lower level officials should be first promoted, while the men Cui recommended be given those lower ranks and gradually promoted. However, Cui insisted, and the men were given commandery governorships. When he heard this, Gao Yun commented, "It will be difficult for Cui Hao to avoid disaster. How will he be able to afford to oppose those more powerful than he, just to satisfy his own desires?"

Official version

In 450, at the suggestion of his staff members Min Dan (闵湛) and Chi Biao (郗标), Cui carved the text of the histories that he was the lead editor of onto stone tablets, and erected the tablets next to the altars to Heaven outside of Pingcheng. The tablets were said to have revealed much about Emperor Taiwu's ancestors, and the Xianbei were very angry, accusing Cui of revealing the ancestors' faults and damaging the image of the state. Emperor Taiwu, in anger, arrested Cui.

Meanwhile, Crown Prince Huang, wanting to spare Gao, brought him into the palace, and asked Gao to blame all of the writing on Cui. Gao, instead, ascribed the authorship of the various parts of histories as such:

• The biography of Emperor Daowu was written by Deng Yuan.

• The biographies of Emperor Mingyuan and Emperor Taiwu were written jointly by Cui and Gao, but Gao said that he actually wrote about two thirds.

Emperor Taiwu was initially going to put Gao to death as well, but then was said to be impressed by Gao's admission and spared him, also at Crown Prince Huang's urging. He then summoned Cui, and Cui was said to be so fearful that he was not able to respond. Emperor Taiwu then ordered Gao to draft an edict for him, ordering that Cui and Cui's staff—128 men in total—be executed, along with five family branches each. Gao refused—stating that not even Cui should be executed. Emperor Taiwu, in anger, was going to put Gao to death as well, but Crown Prince Huang again pleaded for Gao, and Gao was again spared, and in fact, Emperor Taiwu reduced the number of people to be executed. However, Emperor Taiwu still ordered a great slaughter of people related to Cui:

• All men and women, regardless of age, named Cui and related to Cui Hao in Cui's home region of Qinghe Commandery (roughly modern Xingtai, Hebei)

• Several cadet branches of prominent clans with marital connections to Cui's clan, including:

　• The Lu (卢) clan of Fanyang Commandery

　• The Guo (郭) clan of Taiyuan Commandery

　• The Liu (柳) clan of Hedong Commandery

Cui's staff members themselves were executed, although not their families.

Before execution, Cui was put into a caged cart and placed outside Pingcheng so that people could see him. Scores of soldiers guarded him, and they took turns urinating on Cui's face and body. Cui yelled out in grief, and he sounded like "Ao Ao." After Cui's death, Emperor Taiwu began to regret putting him to death, and mourned bitterly.

Despite the massacre Cui Hao's immediate cadet branch, his larger clan Cui clan of Qinghe which had several cadet branches survived into the Tang dynasty as did the larger clans of the other families like the Lu clan of Fanyang which survived into the Song dynasty. The Taiyuan Guo clan 太原郭氏 and the Hedong Liu clan 河东柳氏 both survived into the Tang dynasty.

Unresolved issues

What is not clear is what Cui had revealed that would bring such disaster on him. After all, Gao had admitted to writing most of the history, and yet he was spared and Cui was severely punished. Further, what Cui had revealed was not recorded in history. That had led to speculation that perhaps Cui had tried to start a Han rebellion, or that he had been the victim of a Buddhist conspiracy. Neither speculation appeared to be more than speculation.

Modern historian Bo Yang believed there to be two probable reasons to Cui's death:

• He believed that Cui did reveal an infamy about the imperial clan—that Emperor Daowu was a traitor and had sold out his father Tuoba Shiyiqian to Former Qin. (See here for more details; under the later official history, however, Tuoba Shiyiqian was Emperor Daowu's grandfather, not father.)

• He believed that Cui was in conflict with Crown Prince Huang, and that it was at Crown Prince Huang's direction that Gao attributed the histories' authorship as indicated—because the key problematic passage would come from Tuoba Shiyiqian's biography, not Emperor Daowu's, and Gao was silent as to who wrote Tuoba Shiyiqian's biography.

Bo's analysis is itself speculation, but might be considered a reasonable explanation for what happened to Cui. Bo also believed that Cui was poisoned—which would explain why he was not able to respond at all to Emperor Taiwu's interrogation, and was later only yelling "Ao Ao" in lament, unable to say anything.