Yang Pu

Background

Yang Pu was born in 900, during the reign of Emperor Zhaozong of Tang, as the fourth son of the major late-Tang warlord Yang Xingmi the military governor (Jiedushi) of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu), whose domain would become Wu eventually. His mother was Yang Xingmi's concubine Lady Wang. In 919, during the reign of his older brother Yang Longyan (King Xuan, Yang Xingmi's second son, who in turn succeeded another older brother, Yang Wo (Prince Wei of Hongnong)), Yang Pu was created the Duke of Danyang.

In 920, Yang Longyan fell ill, and the regent Xu Wen, who was effectively the ruler of the Wu government, arrived at the capital Jiangdu (江都, i.e., modern Yangzhou) to discuss with the officials there (including his adopted son, the junior regent Xu Zhigao) how to deal with the situation. Some of Xu Wen's followers encouraged him to take the throne himself. Xu, however, disavowing any such intent, proclaimed that he would surely find another son of the Yangs to succeed Yang Longyan. However, as he had long been apprehensive about Yang Xingmi's third son Yang Meng the Duke of Lujiang, who had long lamented Xu Wen's hold on the Wu governance, he did not wish to have Yang Meng succeed Yang Longyan. Instead, he issued an order in Yang Longyan's name, summoning Yang Pu to Jiangdu to serve as regent and moving Yang Meng to serve as the military prefect of Shu Prefecture (舒州, in modern Huangshan, Anhui). Yang Longyan died shortly after, and Yang Pu took the throne as King of Wu. He honored his mother Lady Wang as queen dowager.

As King of Wu

In 921, Yang Pu, at Xu Wen's urging, formally sacrificed to heaven and earth, signifying his claim to the Mandate of Heaven. (Other officials tried to dissuade Xu, pointing out the high expenses of sacrificing to heaven and earth during Tang Dynasty, but Xu pointed out that Tang's ceremonies were overly wasteful and that proper ceremonies could be carried out without incurring the same high expenses that Tang expended.)

In 923, Wu's nominal ally Later Tang's emperor Emperor Zhuangzong (Li Cunxu), in his campaign against their joint enemy Later Liang, had just captured the strategically important city of Yun Prefecture (鄆州, in modern Tai'an, Shandong), and he personally wrote to Yang Pu, asking for the two states to jointly attack Later Liang. However, by this point, Wu was beginning to see Later Tang as a threat as well, and Xu considered sending a fleet north, and using it to aid whichever side prevailed. The official Yan Keqiu pointed out that he would have no good excuse not to commit to a position if Later Liang then requested aid as well, and so Xu did not launch the fleet.

Later in the year, Emperor Zhuangzong, in a surprise attack, captured the Later Liang capital Daliang. Later Liang's emperor Zhu Zhen committed suicide before the city fell, ending Later Liang, and Later Tang took over Later Liang's territory. Xu, in fear of what the Later Tang emperor might do next, blamed Yan for dissuading him from sending the fleet, but Yan pointed out that Emperor Zhuangzong had become arrogant in his victory and was not ruling his state well, predicting that within a few years his state would be in turmoil. Meanwhile, Later Tang's emissary to Wu initially delivered an edict from Emperor Zhuangzong, but Wu, not viewing itself as a Later Tang subject, refused to accept it. Emperor Zhuangzong rewrote his communication as a letter (thus showing equality between the states), but slightly displayed superiority by addressing the letter, "The letter from the Emperor of the Great Tang to the Lord of Wu." Yang Pu responded, also with a letter (thus also showing equality) but also showed deference by addressing the letter, "The respectful letter from the Lord of the Great Wu to the Emperor of the Great Tang." Shortly after, he also sent the official Lu Ping (盧蘋) as an emissary to Later Tang. Upon Lu's return, he confirmed Yan's observations – that Emperor Zhuangzong was wasting his time on tours and games, and was stingy with his funds, not willing to dispense them to soldiers, and thus causing discontent.

As Emperor of Wu

Early reign as emperor

Yang Pu, after taking imperial title, honored his mother Queen Dowager Wang as empress dowager. He also created his brothers, his sons, and Yang Longyan's son Yang Fen (楊玢) imperial princes.

After Xu Wen's death, his offices were divided between Xu Zhigao and Xu Zhixun, but the brothers' continued to be rivals, with Xu Zhigao in control of the imperial government at Jiangdu and Xu Zhixun in control of Wu's largest army at Jinling. In winter 929, Xu Zhigao tricked Xu Zhixun into coming to Jiangdu to defend himself against charges of impropriety, and detained him once he was at Jiangdu. He took over the command of Xu Zhixun's army, thus consolidating power into his own hands.

In 930, Yang Pu created his oldest son Yang Lian, whom he had previously created the Prince of Jiangdu, crown prince. Also in 930, Xu Zhigao left Jiangdu and took the defense post at Jinling but continued to serve as regent (as his father Xu Wen did), leaving his son Xu Jingtong at Jiangdu to serve as junior regent, assisted by Wang Lingmou and Song Qiqiu.

Late reign as emperor

In 933, Song Qiqiu advocated that Wu's capital be moved from Jiangdu to Jinling. Xu Zhigao thereafter began to build palaces there. He also built a mansion for himself, preparing to welcome Yang Pu to Jinling. (The project was eventually abandoned in 934 when Xu Zhigao's associate Zhou Zong pointed out that given the importance of both Jinling and Jiangdu, if the Wu capital were moved to Jinling, Xu Zhigao himself would have to head to Jiangdu to take up post there, which would merely mean additional expense, and that this capital movement lacked popular support.)

Also in 933, Yang Pu created his wife Consort Wang, who had previously carried the title of Defei (德妃), empress. Shortly after, there was an incident where Later Tang's emissary to Wuyue, Zhang Wenbao (張文寶), who was going by the sea route to Wuyue, suffered a shipwreck, and his lifeboat, on which only five of his delegation of 200 survived, floated all the way into Wu territory, to Tianchang (天長, in modern Chuzhou, Anhui), where they were taken by Wu forces. Yang treated Zhang and the other survivors well, giving him gifts and also notified Wuyue to send a delegation to receive Zhang and his followers on Wu and Wuyue's border. Zhang, however, would only accept food and not the other gifts, stating, "My government had long not had communications with Wu. We are not subject and lord, nor are we guest and host. If I accept the gifts, what can I give in return?" Yang much appreciated his honesty.

Meanwhile, Xu Zhigao had long had designs on the throne himself, but as Yang Pu was considered virtuous and without fault, he initially decided to wait until after Yang Pu's reign to take the throne, and this plan was agreed with by his chief strategist Song. However, one day, when Xu was in Zhou Zong's presence, he, as he plucked white facial hair, stated, "The state is safe, but I am getting old." Zhou knew that Xu was getting impatient, and therefore volunteered to head to Jiangdu to hint the matter to the emperor and Song. Song was surprised that Zhou would be the one, not he, who would be consulted on this matter, and headed to Jinling himself and tried to dissuade Xu, and he further asked that Zhou be executed as an apology to the emperor. Xu, surprised by Song's opposition but not wishing to push the matter at the moment, exiled Zhou. (However, later, when Li Jianxun and Xu Jie also advocated that Xu Zhigao took the throne, Xu Zhigao recalled Zhou and distanced himself from Song.) Later in 934, Yang issued an edict bestowing the great honors of Grand Chancellor (大丞相, Da Chengxiang), Shangfu ("imperial father"), and Prince of Qi on Xu Zhigao, and also prepared to bestow the nine bestowments on him. Xu declined these honors.

After yielding the throne to Southern Tang

Instead of the usual dynastic transitions, where the new emperor would create the old emperor a noble title, the new Southern Tang emperor submitted a petition (i.e., still acting as if he were a subject) to Yang Pu, stating:

Your old subject Xu Gao, who has received your gracious yielding of the throne [(禪讓, Shanrang)], respectfully bows to you, Emperor, and presents you with the honorable title of Emperor Gaoshang Sixuan Honggu Rang. Your palace, imperial train, and clothing will all remain the same. Your ancestral temples, insignia, and clothing colors will also remain the same as they were in the Wu days.

Yang Pu, finding it untenable for the Southern Tang emperor to still be claiming to be his subject, wrote a letter back declining this humility. The Southern Tang emperor wrote another submission (i.e., still in the form of a subject) thanking him, but continued to use the formality of a subject.

Apparently to ward off any beliefs that he would have designs on taking power back, Yang Pu often wore robes made of feathers and spent his time studying Taoist disciplines that purportedly would lead to divinity. He, however, was still fearful of the situation, and he repeatedly asked to move out of the old Wu palace. With Li Decheng also advocating the same before the Southern Tang emperor, in summer 938, Emperor Liezu converted the inner city of Run Prefecture (潤州, in modern Zhenjiang, Jiangsu) into Danyang Palace, and moved Yang Pu there. Shortly after, all members of the imperial Yang clan were also moved into the Danyang Palace, which was then put under heavy guard.

Around new year 939, Yang Pu died. Emperor Liezu declared a lengthy mourning period for him, and honored him posthumously as Emperor Rui. (Due to the quickness of his death after yielding the throne, it was commonly believed that he was killed on the new emperor's orders, although definitive proof was lacking.)

Personal information

Father

Yang Xingmi, posthumously honored Emperor Wu

Mother

Lady Wang, Yang Xingmi's concubine

Wife

Empress Wang (created 933)

Children

Yang Lian (楊璉), initially the Prince of Jiangdu (created 928), later Crown Prince (created 930), later the Duke of Hongnong during Southern Tang (created 938, d. 940), posthumously honored Prince Jing of Hongnong

Yang Lin (楊璘), the Prince of Jiangxia (created 928), later the Duke of Jiangxia during Southern Tang

Yang Qiu (楊璆), the Prince of Yichun (created 928)

Son, died at 4, presumably killed by eunuch emissary of Southern Tang

Princess Shangrao, wife of Xu Jingqian, son of Xu Zhigao, posthumously honored Lady Zhenzhuang of Yan

Notes and references

Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms (十國春秋), vol. 3.

History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 134.

New History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 61.

Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 270, 271, 272, 273, 275, 276, 277, 278, 279, 280, 281.