Yang Yi
Encyclopedia
Yang Yi style name
Weigong (威公), was a minister of Shu Han
during the Three Kingdoms
period of Chinese history
. He hailed from Xiangyang and was originally a subject of Cao Wei
and later defected to Guan Yu
, who sent him to Liu Bei
. Liu Bei liked Yang Yi very much after meeting him for the first time and kept him by his side by naming him as the Left General Commanding Officer (左將軍兵曹掾), and after becoming an emperor, Yang Yi was made the Imperial Secretariat (尚書). The Imperial Secretariat was responsible for drafting of imperial edicts; receiving instructions from the highest levels of the government; on occasion they may serve to investigate cases of impeachment or accusations. The Prefect Imperial Secretariat earned a salary of one thousand shi.
Yang Yi participated in the Northern Expeditions of Shu under the command of the strategist Zhuge Liang
. He and Wei Yan
did not get along well, and it was only the command of Zhuge Liang that kept them from fighting one another outright.
When Zhuge Liang died during his final campaign against Cao Wei, Yang Yi and Wei Yan conflicted on whether to follow Zhuge's orders to retreat. Their disagreement finally broke out into a full-fledged battle, which Yang Yi eventually won. He also slew Wei Yan's entire family shortly after.
Yang Yi was later expelled from the court for complaining about his current rank. He was later jailed for his libelous criticism of Shu Han, and committed suicide in prison.
Chinese style name
A Chinese style name, sometimes also known as a courtesy name , is a given name to be used later in life. After 20 years of age, the zì is assigned in place of one's given name as a symbol of adulthood and respect...
Weigong (威公), was a minister of Shu Han
Shu Han
Shu Han was one of the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period, after the fall of the Han Dynasty. The state was based on areas around Sichuan, which was then known as Shu...
during the Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
period of Chinese history
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...
. He hailed from Xiangyang and was originally a subject of Cao Wei
Cao Wei
Cao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...
and later defected to Guan Yu
Guan Yu
Guan Yu was a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. He played a significant role in the civil war that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the establishment of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, of which Liu Bei was the...
, who sent him to Liu Bei
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
. Liu Bei liked Yang Yi very much after meeting him for the first time and kept him by his side by naming him as the Left General Commanding Officer (左將軍兵曹掾), and after becoming an emperor, Yang Yi was made the Imperial Secretariat (尚書). The Imperial Secretariat was responsible for drafting of imperial edicts; receiving instructions from the highest levels of the government; on occasion they may serve to investigate cases of impeachment or accusations. The Prefect Imperial Secretariat earned a salary of one thousand shi.
Yang Yi participated in the Northern Expeditions of Shu under the command of the strategist Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang was a chancellor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He is often recognised as the greatest and most accomplished strategist of his era....
. He and Wei Yan
Wei Yan
Wei Yan was a military general of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He became a soldier of Liu Bei when the latter fled Jing Province and seek protection from the eastern warlord, Sun Quan, in 208. In 211, Wei had climbed up the ranks and become a general in Liu Bei's...
did not get along well, and it was only the command of Zhuge Liang that kept them from fighting one another outright.
When Zhuge Liang died during his final campaign against Cao Wei, Yang Yi and Wei Yan conflicted on whether to follow Zhuge's orders to retreat. Their disagreement finally broke out into a full-fledged battle, which Yang Yi eventually won. He also slew Wei Yan's entire family shortly after.
Yang Yi was later expelled from the court for complaining about his current rank. He was later jailed for his libelous criticism of Shu Han, and committed suicide in prison.