Yang Xiu (Sui Dynasty)
Encyclopedia
Yang Xiu (died 618) was an imperial prince of the Chinese
dynasty Sui Dynasty
. He was a son of Emperor Wen
and his wife Empress Dugu Qieluo
, and during most of his father's reign was given great control over the modern Sichuan
and Chongqing
region. In 602, after accusations were made that Yang Xiu was abusing his power, Emperor Wen removed him from power and reduced him to commoner rank. He was subsequently held under house arrest
for the rest of Emperor Wen's reign and the reign of his brother Emperor Yang
. In 618, after the general Yuwen Huaji
killed Emperor Yang, he and his coconspirators briefly considered declaring Yang Xiu emperor, but ultimately decided not to, and instead executed Yang Xiu and his sons.
and Yang Jian's wife Dugu Qieluo
. As the third of his older brothers, Yang Jun
, was born in 571 (his younger brother, Yang Liang
, similarly has an unknown birth year) and he was already born at least by the time that Yang Jian seized the throne from Emperor Jing of Northern Zhou
, ending Northern Zhou
and establishing Sui Dynasty
as its Emperor Wen in 581, he would have been born sometime between 572 and 579. In 581, after Emperor Wen took the throne, he created his sons imperial princes, and Yang Xiu was created the Prince of Yue.
and Sichuan
), suggested that Emperor Wen should make the region the fief for one of his sons, pointing out the region's wealth and strategic importance and that Northern Zhou had fallen because its imperial princes lacked power to defend the state. Emperor Wen liked the proposal, and so changed Yang Xiu's title to Prince of Shu and made him the commandant of Yi Province (益州, roughly modern Chengdu
, Sichuan
), in charge of the 24 surrounding provinces. Emperor Wen made the official Yuan Yan (元巖) Yang Xiu's chief of staff, and it was said that Yuan served Yang Xiu capably, keeping his behavior proper. Yang Xiu did not participate in the campaign against Chen Dynasty
in 589 that destroyed Chen and unified China, in which his older brothers Yang Guang
the Prince of Jin and Yang Jun the Prince of Qin participated; instead, the soldiers from his region were commanded by Yang Su
, implying that Yang Xiu might not be old enough to command troops personally by this point.
In 592, Yang Xiu appeared to be briefly recalled to the capital Daxing to serve as the head of the legislative branch of government, the Neishi Sheng (內史省), when Emperor Wen put him and the official Yu Qingze (虞慶則) in charge of investigating claims that the deputy head of the executive branch, the Shangshu Sheng (尚書省), Su Wei
, had been engaging in factionalism. Yang Xiu and Yu found Su to be guilty, and Emperor Wen stripped Su of his titles. (It appeared that briefly thereafter, Yang Xiu returned to Yi Province.)
In 598, Yang Xiu submitted an accusation that the general Shi Wansui (史萬歲) had received bribes from the chief of the Nanning Tribe (南寧夷), Cuan Wan (爨翫), in 597, to permit Cuan, after surrendering to Shi after a revolt, not be taken to Daxing, allowing Cuan to rebel again in 598. Emperor Wen nearly executed Shi over the accusation, but eventually spared him and reduced him to commoner rank.
Over the years, as Yang Xiu became more and more accustomed to ruling over the region and grew arrogant and wasteful beyond the appropriate levels for an imperial prince. After Yuan Yan died in 593, without anyone to check his behavior, he made an armillary sphere
-- an item that only an emperor would be permitted to have. He also seized many men of the Liao (獠) tribe and castrated them to serve as his eunuch
s, and used vehicles and decorations only appropriate for an emperor. Emperor Wen often told Empress Dugu, "Yang Xiu will surely suffer a violent end. While I do not need to worry while I am alive, when his brother becomes emperor, he will surely revolt." In one of the campaigns against Cuan Wan's forces, Yang Xiu sent his jester Wan Zhiguang (萬智光) to serve as the assistant to the general Yang Wutong (楊武通). Emperor Wen, finding this out and believing this act to be inappropriate, began to divide the forces under Yang Xiu's command.
In 600, Yang Xiu's oldest brother Yang Yong
the Crown Prince
, over false accusations made by Yang Guang and Yang Guang's ally Yang Su
, was deposed, and Yang Guang replaced Yang Yong as crown prince. Yang Xiu was displeased over the development, and Yang Guang was worried that Yang Xiu would make trouble for him. He instructed Yang Su to collect evidence of Yang Xiu's improper behavior and submit it to Emperor Wen. In fall 602, Emperor Wen summoned Yang Xiu back to the capital, sending the general Dugu Jie (獨孤楷) to replace him. Yang Xiu considered refusing to return to Daxing, but decided not to resist after being advised by Yuan Shi (源師) otherwise. However, even after Dugu Jie arrived at Yi Province, Yang Xiu had not gotten under way, and it took further urging by Dugu Jie for him to actually depart. Yang Xiu, after leaving Yi Province, considered returning and attacking Dugu Jie, but Dugu Jie, who had taken precautions, had his army in a state of high alert, and therefore Yang Xiu gave up on the idea. While Yang Xiu was still en route back to Chang'an, his mother Empress Dugu died.
When Yang Xiu arrived at Chang'an some three months after his departure from Yi Province, Emperor Wen refused to say anything to him while meeting him. Emperor Wen then sent messengers to severelyl rebuke him, and Yang Xiu begged for forgiveness. Yang Guang and the other imperial princes publicly begged for forgiveness on Yang Xiu's account as well, but Yang Guang secretly made two dolls with the names of Emperor Wen and Yang Liang
the Prince of Han and curses against them and buried the dolls, and then had Yang Su dig them out and submit the dolls to Emperor Wen, along with evidence that Yang Xiu had made plans to attack the capital at some point. Around the new year 603, Emperor Wen reduced Yang Xiu to commoner rank and put him under house arrest within the Bureau of Eunuchs, not permitting him to meet with his wife and children. Yang Xiu submitted a petition for forgiveness, particularly asking to again see his favorite son, whose nickname was Guazi (瓜子). Further incensed by the petition, Emperor Wen issued an edict accusing Yang Xiu of 10 crimes, particularly stating, "I do not know what kind of relatives 'Yang Jian' and 'Yang Liang' are to you." Yang Su also took this opportunity to falsely accuse certain political enemies to be Yang Xiu's associates and had them banished.
, Jiangsu
), Emperor Yang was killed in a coup led by the general Yuwen Huaji
. Yuwen and his co-conspirators briefly considered declaring Yang Xiu emperor, but ultimately decided not to do so, and instead executed Yang Xiu and his seven sons.
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
dynasty Sui Dynasty
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
. He was a son of Emperor Wen
Emperor Wen of Sui
Emperor Wen of Sui — personal name Yang Jian , Xianbei name Puliuru Jian , nickname Naluoyan — was the founder and first emperor of China's Sui Dynasty . He was a hard-working administrator and a micromanager. As a Buddhist, he encouraged the spread of Buddhism through the state...
and his wife Empress Dugu Qieluo
Empress Dugu Qieluo
Empress Dugu Qieluo , formally Empress Wenxian , was an empress of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty...
, and during most of his father's reign was given great control over the modern Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
and Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
region. In 602, after accusations were made that Yang Xiu was abusing his power, Emperor Wen removed him from power and reduced him to commoner rank. He was subsequently held under house arrest
House arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
for the rest of Emperor Wen's reign and the reign of his brother Emperor Yang
Emperor Yang of Sui
Emperor Yang of Sui , personal name Yang Guang , alternative name Ying , nickname Amo , known as Emperor Ming during the brief reign of his grandson Yang Tong), was the second son of Emperor Wen of Sui, and the second emperor of China's Sui Dynasty.Emperor Yang's original name was Yang Ying, but...
. In 618, after the general Yuwen Huaji
Yuwen Huaji
Yuwen Huaji was a general of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty who, in 618, led a coup against Emperor Yang of Sui, killing him. He subsequently declared Emperor Yang's nephew Yang Hao led Emperor Yang's elite Xiaoguo Army north, but was then repeatedly defeated by Li Mi, Li Shentong , and...
killed Emperor Yang, he and his coconspirators briefly considered declaring Yang Xiu emperor, but ultimately decided not to, and instead executed Yang Xiu and his sons.
Background
It is not known exactly when Yang Xiu was born, but it is known that he was the fourth of the five sons of Yang JianEmperor Wen of Sui
Emperor Wen of Sui — personal name Yang Jian , Xianbei name Puliuru Jian , nickname Naluoyan — was the founder and first emperor of China's Sui Dynasty . He was a hard-working administrator and a micromanager. As a Buddhist, he encouraged the spread of Buddhism through the state...
and Yang Jian's wife Dugu Qieluo
Empress Dugu Qieluo
Empress Dugu Qieluo , formally Empress Wenxian , was an empress of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty...
. As the third of his older brothers, Yang Jun
Yang Jun (Sui Dynasty)
Yang Jun , nickname Azhi , formally Prince Xiao of Qin , was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty. He was a son of Emperor Wen and his wife Empress Dugu Qieluo, who died as a result of an illness caused by poisoning by his jealous wife Princess Cui...
, was born in 571 (his younger brother, Yang Liang
Yang Liang
Yang Liang -- courtesy name Dezhang , alternative name Jie , nickname Yiqian -- was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty. He was a son of Emperor Wen and his wife Empress Dugu Qieluo, who, during his father's reign, controlled the region north of the Yellow River...
, similarly has an unknown birth year) and he was already born at least by the time that Yang Jian seized the throne from Emperor Jing of Northern Zhou
Emperor Jing of Northern Zhou
Emperor Jing of Northern Zhou , personally name né Yuwen Yan , later Yuwen Chan , was the last emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou. He became emperor at the age of six, after his father Emperor Xuan formally passed the throne to him, but Emperor Xuan retained the imperial powers...
, ending Northern Zhou
Northern Zhou
The Northern Zhou Dynasty followed the Western Wei, and ruled northern China from 557 to 581. It was overthrown by the Sui Dynasty.Northern Zhou's basis of power was established by Yuwen Tai, who was paramount general of Western Wei, following the split of Northern Wei into Western Wei and...
and establishing Sui Dynasty
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
as its Emperor Wen in 581, he would have been born sometime between 572 and 579. In 581, after Emperor Wen took the throne, he created his sons imperial princes, and Yang Xiu was created the Prince of Yue.
During Emperor Wen's reign
In winter 581, the official Xuan Min (宣敏), after returning from an inspection of the Shu region (modern ChongqingChongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
and Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
), suggested that Emperor Wen should make the region the fief for one of his sons, pointing out the region's wealth and strategic importance and that Northern Zhou had fallen because its imperial princes lacked power to defend the state. Emperor Wen liked the proposal, and so changed Yang Xiu's title to Prince of Shu and made him the commandant of Yi Province (益州, roughly modern Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
, Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
), in charge of the 24 surrounding provinces. Emperor Wen made the official Yuan Yan (元巖) Yang Xiu's chief of staff, and it was said that Yuan served Yang Xiu capably, keeping his behavior proper. Yang Xiu did not participate in the campaign against Chen Dynasty
Chen Dynasty
The Chen Dynasty , also known as the Southern Chen Dynasty, was the fourth and last of the Southern dynasties in China, eventually destroyed by the Sui Dynasty....
in 589 that destroyed Chen and unified China, in which his older brothers Yang Guang
Emperor Yang of Sui
Emperor Yang of Sui , personal name Yang Guang , alternative name Ying , nickname Amo , known as Emperor Ming during the brief reign of his grandson Yang Tong), was the second son of Emperor Wen of Sui, and the second emperor of China's Sui Dynasty.Emperor Yang's original name was Yang Ying, but...
the Prince of Jin and Yang Jun the Prince of Qin participated; instead, the soldiers from his region were commanded by Yang Su
Yang Su
Yang Su , courtesy name Chudao , formally Duke Jingwu of Chu , was a powerful general during Sui Dynasty whose authority eventually became nearly as supreme as the emperor's...
, implying that Yang Xiu might not be old enough to command troops personally by this point.
In 592, Yang Xiu appeared to be briefly recalled to the capital Daxing to serve as the head of the legislative branch of government, the Neishi Sheng (內史省), when Emperor Wen put him and the official Yu Qingze (虞慶則) in charge of investigating claims that the deputy head of the executive branch, the Shangshu Sheng (尚書省), Su Wei
Su Wei
Su Wei , courtesy name Wuwei , was a high level official of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty. He first became an important official during the reign of Sui's founder Emperor Wen, and after Emperor Wen's death continued to serve Emperor Wen's son Emperor Yang. He was often praised for his...
, had been engaging in factionalism. Yang Xiu and Yu found Su to be guilty, and Emperor Wen stripped Su of his titles. (It appeared that briefly thereafter, Yang Xiu returned to Yi Province.)
In 598, Yang Xiu submitted an accusation that the general Shi Wansui (史萬歲) had received bribes from the chief of the Nanning Tribe (南寧夷), Cuan Wan (爨翫), in 597, to permit Cuan, after surrendering to Shi after a revolt, not be taken to Daxing, allowing Cuan to rebel again in 598. Emperor Wen nearly executed Shi over the accusation, but eventually spared him and reduced him to commoner rank.
Over the years, as Yang Xiu became more and more accustomed to ruling over the region and grew arrogant and wasteful beyond the appropriate levels for an imperial prince. After Yuan Yan died in 593, without anyone to check his behavior, he made an armillary sphere
Armillary sphere
An armillary sphere is a model of objects in the sky , consisting of a spherical framework of rings, centred on Earth, that represent lines of celestial longitude and latitude and other astronomically important features such as the ecliptic...
-- an item that only an emperor would be permitted to have. He also seized many men of the Liao (獠) tribe and castrated them to serve as his eunuch
Eunuch
A eunuch is a person born male most commonly castrated, typically early enough in his life for this change to have major hormonal consequences...
s, and used vehicles and decorations only appropriate for an emperor. Emperor Wen often told Empress Dugu, "Yang Xiu will surely suffer a violent end. While I do not need to worry while I am alive, when his brother becomes emperor, he will surely revolt." In one of the campaigns against Cuan Wan's forces, Yang Xiu sent his jester Wan Zhiguang (萬智光) to serve as the assistant to the general Yang Wutong (楊武通). Emperor Wen, finding this out and believing this act to be inappropriate, began to divide the forces under Yang Xiu's command.
In 600, Yang Xiu's oldest brother Yang Yong
Yang Yong
Emperor Yang Yong , nickname Xiandifa , sometimes known by his posthumous title of Prince of Fangling , was a crown prince of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty. He was the oldest son of Emperor Wen and his wife Empress Dugu Qieluo...
the Crown Prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
, over false accusations made by Yang Guang and Yang Guang's ally Yang Su
Yang Su
Yang Su , courtesy name Chudao , formally Duke Jingwu of Chu , was a powerful general during Sui Dynasty whose authority eventually became nearly as supreme as the emperor's...
, was deposed, and Yang Guang replaced Yang Yong as crown prince. Yang Xiu was displeased over the development, and Yang Guang was worried that Yang Xiu would make trouble for him. He instructed Yang Su to collect evidence of Yang Xiu's improper behavior and submit it to Emperor Wen. In fall 602, Emperor Wen summoned Yang Xiu back to the capital, sending the general Dugu Jie (獨孤楷) to replace him. Yang Xiu considered refusing to return to Daxing, but decided not to resist after being advised by Yuan Shi (源師) otherwise. However, even after Dugu Jie arrived at Yi Province, Yang Xiu had not gotten under way, and it took further urging by Dugu Jie for him to actually depart. Yang Xiu, after leaving Yi Province, considered returning and attacking Dugu Jie, but Dugu Jie, who had taken precautions, had his army in a state of high alert, and therefore Yang Xiu gave up on the idea. While Yang Xiu was still en route back to Chang'an, his mother Empress Dugu died.
When Yang Xiu arrived at Chang'an some three months after his departure from Yi Province, Emperor Wen refused to say anything to him while meeting him. Emperor Wen then sent messengers to severelyl rebuke him, and Yang Xiu begged for forgiveness. Yang Guang and the other imperial princes publicly begged for forgiveness on Yang Xiu's account as well, but Yang Guang secretly made two dolls with the names of Emperor Wen and Yang Liang
Yang Liang
Yang Liang -- courtesy name Dezhang , alternative name Jie , nickname Yiqian -- was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty. He was a son of Emperor Wen and his wife Empress Dugu Qieluo, who, during his father's reign, controlled the region north of the Yellow River...
the Prince of Han and curses against them and buried the dolls, and then had Yang Su dig them out and submit the dolls to Emperor Wen, along with evidence that Yang Xiu had made plans to attack the capital at some point. Around the new year 603, Emperor Wen reduced Yang Xiu to commoner rank and put him under house arrest within the Bureau of Eunuchs, not permitting him to meet with his wife and children. Yang Xiu submitted a petition for forgiveness, particularly asking to again see his favorite son, whose nickname was Guazi (瓜子). Further incensed by the petition, Emperor Wen issued an edict accusing Yang Xiu of 10 crimes, particularly stating, "I do not know what kind of relatives 'Yang Jian' and 'Yang Liang' are to you." Yang Su also took this opportunity to falsely accuse certain political enemies to be Yang Xiu's associates and had them banished.
During Emperor Yang's reign
In 604, Emperor Wen died—a death that traditional historians commonly believed to be a murder ordered by Yang Guang, even though those historians admit that they had no direct evidence of it. Yang Guang took the throne as Emperor Yang. He continued to hold Yang Xiu under house arrest, and whenever he took tours of the country (of which he had 11 during his reign), he usually took Yang Xiu with him. In 618, while Emperor Yang was at Jiangdu (江都, in modern YangzhouYangzhou
Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou to the east, and Zhenjiang across...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
), Emperor Yang was killed in a coup led by the general Yuwen Huaji
Yuwen Huaji
Yuwen Huaji was a general of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty who, in 618, led a coup against Emperor Yang of Sui, killing him. He subsequently declared Emperor Yang's nephew Yang Hao led Emperor Yang's elite Xiaoguo Army north, but was then repeatedly defeated by Li Mi, Li Shentong , and...
. Yuwen and his co-conspirators briefly considered declaring Yang Xiu emperor, but ultimately decided not to do so, and instead executed Yang Xiu and his seven sons.