Yang Guozhong (traditional Chinese: 楊國忠; simplified Chinese: 杨国忠; pinyin: Yáng Guózhōng; Wade–Giles: Yang Kuochung) (died July 15, 756), né Yang Zhao (楊釗), was a Chinese politician who served as principal chancellor of the Tang dynasty from 752 to 756, late in the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. Known in his youth as a gambler and wastrel, Yang rose rapidly to political power after his second cousin, Yang Yuhuan, became Emperor Xuanzong's favorite consort in 744. His familial ties and skills as a financial administrator helped him navigate the tumultuous court politics of the late 740s and early 750s to become the emperor's leading chancellor in 752. While Yang enjoyed Emperor Xuanzong's trust, his competence as chancellor was questioned and he became entangled in a fierce rivalry with an erstwhile political ally, the general and imperial favorite An Lushan. Yang was blamed for precipitating An's cataclysmic rebellion in 755. In the following year, he forced the Tang army of Geshu Han, then holding favorable defensive positions in Tong Pass, to confront the rebel army, leading to a rout of Tang forces and the fall of the imperial capital, Chang'an. Yang attempted to flee to his base in Chengdu with Emperor Xuanzong, but when the imperial party stopped at Mawei Station in modern Shaanxi, Yang and his family, including Yang Yuhuan, were massacred by imperial guard soldiers who blamed them for the chaos.
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Background
It is unknown when Yang Zhao was born. His family was from Pu Prefecture (蒲州, roughly Yuncheng, Shanxi) and traced its ancestry to the great Han dynasty official Yang Zhen (楊震), as well as officials of Later Yan, Northern Wei, and Sui dynasty. Yang Zhao's great-great-grandfather Yang Wang (楊汪) was an important official during Sui. His grandfather Yang Youliang (楊友諒) served as a county magistrate for Tang, and his father Yang Xun (楊珣) served as a military officer. His mother Lady Zhang was a sister of Wu Zetian's lovers Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong.
Yang Zhao himself was said to lack knowledge and virtues. He was a heavy drinker and gambler, and was looked down upon by his own clan members. Motivated by this slight, Yang decided to join the army, and ended up serving in the army stationed at Yi Prefecture (益州, roughly modern Chengdu, Sichuan). For his military service, he was set to be promoted, but the secretary general of Yi Prefecture, Zhang Kuan (張寬), disliking him, initially refused to do so and in fact whipped him, but eventually he was made the magistrate of Xindu County. After his three-year term of service was over, he did not save sufficient funds to return home, and relied on assistance from a rich man of the region, Xianyu Zhongtong (鮮于仲通). He also spent much time with the household of his father's cousin Yang Xuanyan (楊玄琰), and eventually carried on an affair with one of Yang Xuanyan's daughters (the later Lady of Guo). When Yang Yuanyan, who was sonless, died, Yang Zhao was temporarily in charge of the household, until Yang Yuanyan's daughters went to Henan Municipality (河南府, i.e., Luoyang) to stay with their uncle Yang Xuanjiao (楊玄璬). Yang Zhao later served as the sheriff of Fufeng County (扶風, in modern Xi'an, Shaanxi), but was unable to progress further, and returned to the Yi Prefecture region. While he was in the region, he also married his wife Pei Rou (裴柔), who had been a prostitute.
Rise to power
As of 744, Yang Xuanyan's daughter Yang Guifei had become Emperor Xuanzong of Tang's favorite concubine. Meanwhile, at this time, Xianyu Zhongtong had become an associate of Zhangqiu Jianqiong (章仇兼瓊), the military governor (jiedushi) of Jiannan Circuit (劍南, headquartered in Chengdu), and Zhangqiu happened to be fearful that the powerful chancellor Li Linfu, with whom he was not on good relations, would find some way to hurt him. He thus wanted someone to go to the capital Chang'an to help him maintain good relations with powerful individuals on his behalf. Xianyu recommended Yang Zhao. Zhangqiu gave Yang a gift and also gave him many impressive items from the region and had him take them to Chang'an. Once Yang Zhao arrived at Chang'an, he gave the bribe from Zhangqiu to Consort Yang's sisters and two of her powerful cousins, Yang Xian (楊銛) and Yang Qi (楊錡), and further resumed his affair with one of her sisters. The sisters and cousins of Consort Yang thus repeatedly praised and recommended both Zhangqiu and Yang Zhao, and further pointed out to Emperor Xuanzong Yang Zhao's abilities to entertain by gambling. Yang Zhao was thus allowed in the palace, and subsequently was made an officer of the imperial guards.
As of 747, Yang Zhao was serving as Shi Yushi (侍御史), an imperial censor, when Li Linfu wanted to accuse the official Yang Shenjin (楊慎矜) of crimes. He thus engaged Yang Zhao to have Yang Zhao inform Yang Shenjin's cousin's son Wang Hong (王鉷), who resented Yang Shenjin for still viewing him as a junior member of the family, of Emperor Xuanzong's displeasure with Yang Shenjin over Yang Shenjin's involvement with a sorcerer named Shi Jingzhong (史敬忠). Li Linfu then induced Wang to make accusations against Yang Shenjin, who was a descendant of Sui emperors, of plotting to overthrow Tang and restore Sui. As a result, Yang Shenjin and his brothers Yang Shenyu (楊慎餘) and Yang Shenming (楊慎名) were forced to commit suicide, and many of their friends and family members were exiled. Meanwhile, Li Linfu, having unsuccessfully supported Emperor Xuanzong's son Li Mao (李瑁) the Prince of Shou to be crown prince (with Emperor Xuanzong selecting Li Heng instead), was trying to find ways to undermine Li Heng, and therefore engaged Yang Zhao, Luo Xishi (羅希奭), and Ji Wen (吉溫) to falsely accuse people with connections to Li Heng, hoping to find a way to implicate Li Heng in improprieties. Yang Zhao was therefore able to use this opportunity to destroy several hundreds of households, although, with the eunuch Gao Lishi and Emperor Xuanzong's son-in-law Zhang Ji (張垍) protecting him, Li Heng was not implicated.
As of 748, Yang Zhao carried some fifteen office titles, the chief among which were imperial censor and director of accounting in the ministry of treasury (度支郎中, Duzhi Langzhong). In 748, Emperor Xuanzong further made him Jishizhong (給事中), an imperial attendant, as well as deputy chief imperial censor (御史中丞, Yushi Zhongcheng), but Yang Zhao continued to be in charge of accounting as well at the ministry of treasury. As of 749, with the prefectural treasury's food stores overflowing, Yang suggested that the prefectures, instead of storing food, buy silk with the food and transport the silk to the imperial treasury in Chang'an. Emperor Xuanzong, with Yang reporting record surpluses, took a tour of the imperial treasury with the officials and awarded him with a purple robe and a golden fish.
As chancellor
Meanwhile, Emperor Xuanzong made Yang Guozhong You Xiang (右相) -- the head of the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng) and a post considered one for a chancellor; he also made Yang the minister of civil service affairs (文部尚書, Wenbu Shangshu), and further allowed him to keep his command of Jiannan. It was said that Yang was capable in rhetoric but lacked abilities and presence. While he tried to be a responsible official and was decisive, he was frivolous and insolent to other officials. He personally assumed over 40 posts, and expelled those officials who had good reputations but were not willing to follow his orders. It was further said that he tried to show off his talent by having important matters decided at his home without discussion with other officials, and then simply announce his decisions once he arrived at the government halls. Meanwhile, for his and Chen's contributions in "discovering" Li Linfu's involvement with Li Xianzhong, Emperor Xuanzong created both of them dukes in 753—in Yang's case, the Duke of Wei (魏), although he declined on account that the title was overly honorable for him, and so Emperor Xuanzong made him the Duke of Wei (衛, note different character) -- a slightly lesser title.
Meanwhile, though, Yang began to have discord with another favorite official of Emperor Xuanzong's -- An Lushan, the military governor of Fanyang (范陽, headquartered in modern Beijing), Hedong (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), and Pinglu (平盧, headquartered in modern Chaoyang, Liaoning) Circuits, as An did not respect Yang. Yang repeatedly accused An of plotting rebellion, but Emperor Xuanzong ignored the reports. Yang, instead, entered into an alliance with Geshu, who also disliked An and who was then the military governor of Longyou Circuit (隴右, headquartered in modern Haidong Prefecture, Qinghai) at that time, by recommending that Geshu take over the command of Hexi Circuit (河西, headquartered in modern Wuwei, Gansu).
At this time, Yang and his relatives were living in extreme luxury, and he and the Lady of Guo had connected mansions and were openly displaying their closeness. Meanwhile, whenever Consort Yang's sisters—the Ladies of Guo, Han, and Qin—and Yang Xian and Yang Qi were to attend Emperor Xuanzong and Consort Yang on tours to Huaqing Palace (華清宮, known for its hot springs), their trains would gather at Yang Guozhong's mansion, with each of the five households distinguished by a different color, causing a glamorous display of colors. Yang Guozhong would lead the train ahead with his own guards and the banners as the military governor of Jiannan.
In fiction and popular culture
Portrayed by Savio Tsang in The Legend of Lady Yang. (2000)
Portrayed by Du Yuan in The Glory of Tang Dynasty. (2017)
Notes and references
Old Book of Tang, vol. 106 Archived 2008-04-19 at the Wayback Machine.
New Book of Tang, vol. 206 Archived 2007-12-26 at the Wayback Machine.
Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 215, 216, 217, 218.