Yang Zaisi
Encyclopedia
Yang Zaisi (died 709), formally Duke Gong of Zheng (鄭恭公), was an official of the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
and Wu Zetian
's Zhou Dynasty, serving several times as chancellor during the reigns of Wu Zetian and her son Emperor Zhongzong
. Yang was criticized by traditional historians for his flattery.
, Henan
). He passed the imperial examination
when he was young, and was made the sheriff of Xuanwu County (玄武, in modern Deyang
, Sichuan
). On one occasion, when he was in the capital Chang'an
on official business and staying at an inn, there was a thief who stole his baggage. As the thief was leaving, Yang happened to encounter him, and the thief begged for forgiveness. He told the thief, "You, sir, must be committing this crime only out of poverty. Please go and not make a sound, as to not alert anyone else. Just leave me my official papers; the money you can have." The thief left, and Yang borrowed money for the remainder of his trip. He was eventually promoted to serve as a low-level official at the ministry of civil service affairs, and then as imperial censor.
In 697, during a rebellion by Khitan
's khan Sun Wanrong
, Eastern Tujue's khan Ashina Mochuo, who had been at times ally and at times enemy of Wu Zetian
's Zhou Dynasty, indicated that he was willing to be aligned with Zhou against Khitan and made a number of requests for return of Tujue people who had surrendered to Zhou, various treasures, and food supplies, which, after Yang and fellow chancellor Yao Shu
argued were necessary to maintain an alliance with Eastern Tujue, Wu Zetian agreed to give Ashina Mochuo, allowing him to become even stronger than before.
In 699, Yang was removed from his posts and made imperial censor reviewing central government affairs (左臺大夫, Zuotai Daifu), no longer chancellor.
In 704, troubled by the fact that prefectural prefects were not performing well, Wu Zetian asked the chancellors for suggestions. Li Jiao and Tang Xiujing
suggested that this was the result of the tendency at the time for officials to consider central government duties, no matter how menial, to be more honored than local government duties. They further suggested that central government officials be rotated to the prefectures, offering to go first themselves. Wu Zetian ordered that central government officials be put into random drawings, and some 20 officials were drawn out. She allowed them to keep their central government posts, but ordered that they also serve as acting prefects. Yang was one of the officials drawn, although it is not known which prefecture he was given. Later in 704, he was serving as the official in charge of then-capital Luoyang
while Wu Zetian was at Chang'an, when he was made Neishi (內史), the head of the legislative bureau (鳳閣, Fengge) and a post considered one for a chancellor.
It was said that, during the years that Yang served as a chancellor under Wu Zetian, he was known for his flattery. Once, when at a feast held by the official Zhang Tongxiu (張同休), an older brother of Wu Zetian's lovers Zhang Yizhi
and Zhang Changzong
, Zhang Tongxiu joked with Yang that he looked like someone from Goguryeo
. Yang, taking the joke in stride, immediately made a hat, put it on, and did a Goguryeo-style dance, causing the guests to laugh. At that time, there was someone who praised Yang Changzong's looks, stating, "Liulang [(Zhang Changzong's nickname)] has a face that looks like a lotus flower." Yang objected, and when Zhang Changzong asked why, he responded, "It is not that Liulang looks like lotus flower, but rather that the lotus flower looks like Liulang." Later in 704, when Zhang Tongxiu and two other brothers, Zhang Changqi (張昌期) and Zhang Changyi (張昌儀) were accused of corruption, Zhang Changzong was also investigated for corruption. The censors Li Chengjia (李承嘉) and Huan Yanfan
proposed that Zhang Changzong be removed from office. Zhang Changzong objected, stating, "I have contributions to the state, and my crimes did not call for removal." Wu Zetian asked the chancellors, "Does Zhang Changzong have contributions?" Yang responded, "Zhang Changzong made medications that are good for Your Imperial Majesty. This is the greatest contribution possible." (Wu Zetian had used the guise that Zhang Changzong was making her medication as the rationale to let him have access to the palace." Wu Zetian was very pleased, and she pardoned Zhang Changzong. This, however, caused the people to view Yang as a flatterer, and a low level official, Dai Lingyan (戴令言), wrote a satirical poem entitled, the Ode to the Two-Footed Fox (兩腳狐賦, Liangjiaohu Fu), satirizing Yang as a two-footed fox. When Yang saw the poem, he was incensed and demoted Dai. During his years serving under Wu Zetian, he also received progressively greater noble titles, from Baron of Hongnong eventually to Duke of Zheng.
was restored, and her son Li Xian
the Crown Prince
, formerly emperor, was restored to the throne. A number of chancellors were removed from their posts as chancellors, but Yang was not; rather, he was made the minister of census (戶部尚書, Hubu Shangshu) with the de facto designation of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin (同中書門下三品), and made the official in charge of Chang'an. He was soon instead made the acting secretary general at Yang Prefecture (揚州, roughly modern Yangzhou
, Jiangsu
), but kept the chancellor designation and did not appear to actually report to Yang Prefecture. Later in 705, he was again made acting head of the legislative bureau (now named Zhongshu Sheng (中書省), with its head's title changed to Zhongshu Ling (中書令)) and still chancellor. Four months later, he was made Shizhong (侍中), the head of the examination bureau (now changed to Menxia Sheng (門下省)) and still chancellor. By this point, he appeared to be a part of the faction of Emperor Zhongzong's powerful wife Empress Wei
.
In 706, when Emperor Zhongzong's son-in-law Wang Tongjiao (王同皎) was accused of a treasonous plot with Zhang Zhongzhi (張仲之), Zu Yanqing (祖延慶), and Zhou Jing (周璟), of plotting to kill Empress Wei's lover Wu Sansi
the Prince of Dejing (Wu Zetian's nephew) and then depose her, Zhang, while being interrogated, openly accused Empress Wei and Wu Sansi of adultery. Yang and another chancellor aligned with Empress Wei, Wei Juyuan
, who were conducting the interrogation, were said to have simply ignored the accusations as if they did not hear them.
In 707, Emperor Zhongzong's crown prince Li Chongjun
, who was born of a concubine, angry at insults by Empress Wei's daughter Li Guo'er the Princess Anle
and Li Guo'er's husband Wu Zhongxun (武崇訓, Wu Sansi's son) and attempts by Li Guo'er to be made crown princess to displace him, rose in rebellion and killed Wu Sansi and Wu Chongxun, and then approached the palace, intending to seize Empress Wei and Li Guo'er, as well as Emperor Zhongzong's concubine Consort Shangguan Wan'er
, who was also Wu Sansi's lover. Yang was one of the high level officials who commanded troops against Li Chongjun, who subsequently was defeated and killed. In the aftermath of the rebellion, the chancellors Zong Chuke
and JI Chuna
, who wanted to implicate the senior chancellor Wei Yuanzhong
(on account that Wei Yuanzhong's son Wei Sheng (魏升) had been forced into the rebellion), Yang supported Zong and Ji's efforts, and eventually, Wei Yuanzhong was exiled and died in exile. Later that year, Yang was again made Zhongshu Ling.
In spring 708, Yang was made You Pushe (右僕射), one of the heads of the executive bureau (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng), and still chancellor with the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin. He died summer of that year.
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 Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
and Wu Zetian
Wu Zetian
Wu Zetian , personal name Wu Zhao , often referred to as Tian Hou during the Tang Dynasty and Empress Consort Wu in later times, was the only woman in the history of China to assume the title of Empress Regnant...
's Zhou Dynasty, serving several times as chancellor during the reigns of Wu Zetian and her son Emperor Zhongzong
Emperor Zhongzong of Tang
Emperor Zhongzong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Xiǎn , at times during his life Li Zhe and Wu Xian , was the fourth Emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, ruling briefly in 684 and again from 705 to 710.Emperor Zhongzong was the son of Emperor Gaozong of Tang and Empress Wu...
. Yang was criticized by traditional historians for his flattery.
Background
It is not known when Yang Zaisi was born, but it is known that his family was from Zheng Prefecture (鄭州, roughly modern ZhengzhouZhengzhou
Zhengzhou , is the capital and largest city of Henan province in north-central China. A prefecture-level city, it also serves as the political, economic, technological, and educational centre of the province, as well as a major transportation hub for Central China...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
). He passed the imperial examination
Imperial examination
The Imperial examination was an examination system in Imperial China designed to select the best administrative officials for the state's bureaucracy. This system had a huge influence on both society and culture in Imperial China and was directly responsible for the creation of a class of...
when he was young, and was made the sheriff of Xuanwu County (玄武, in modern Deyang
Deyang
Deyang is a prefecture-level city in Sichuan province, China. Deyang is a wealthy, mostly industrial city, with the Erzhong Heavy Machinery Company Deyang is a prefecture-level city in Sichuan province, China. Deyang is a wealthy, mostly industrial city, with the Erzhong Heavy Machinery Company...
, 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...
). On one occasion, when he was in the capital Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
on official business and staying at an inn, there was a thief who stole his baggage. As the thief was leaving, Yang happened to encounter him, and the thief begged for forgiveness. He told the thief, "You, sir, must be committing this crime only out of poverty. Please go and not make a sound, as to not alert anyone else. Just leave me my official papers; the money you can have." The thief left, and Yang borrowed money for the remainder of his trip. He was eventually promoted to serve as a low-level official at the ministry of civil service affairs, and then as imperial censor.
During Wu Zetian's reign
In 694, Yang Zaisi was still serving as censor when he was made Luantai Shilang (鸞臺侍郎), the deputy head of the examination bureau of government (鸞臺, Luantai), and was given the designation of Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi (同鳳閣鸞臺平章事), making him a chancellor de facto.In 697, during a rebellion by Khitan
Khitan people
thumb|250px|Khitans [[Eagle hunting|using eagles to hunt]], painted during the Chinese [[Song Dynasty]].The Khitan people , or Khitai, Kitan, or Kidan, were a nomadic Mongolic people, originally located at Mongolia and Manchuria from the 4th century...
's khan Sun Wanrong
Sun Wanrong
Sun Wanrong was a khan of the Khitan people who, along with his brother-in-law Li Jinzhong, rose against Chinese hegemony in 696, with Li Jinzhong as khan, and they further invaded Chinese territory then under the rule of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty...
, Eastern Tujue's khan Ashina Mochuo, who had been at times ally and at times enemy of Wu Zetian
Wu Zetian
Wu Zetian , personal name Wu Zhao , often referred to as Tian Hou during the Tang Dynasty and Empress Consort Wu in later times, was the only woman in the history of China to assume the title of Empress Regnant...
's Zhou Dynasty, indicated that he was willing to be aligned with Zhou against Khitan and made a number of requests for return of Tujue people who had surrendered to Zhou, various treasures, and food supplies, which, after Yang and fellow chancellor Yao Shu
Yao Shu
Yao Shu , courtesy name Lingzhang , formally Count Cheng of Wuxing , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving twice as chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign.- Background :...
argued were necessary to maintain an alliance with Eastern Tujue, Wu Zetian agreed to give Ashina Mochuo, allowing him to become even stronger than before.
In 699, Yang was removed from his posts and made imperial censor reviewing central government affairs (左臺大夫, Zuotai Daifu), no longer chancellor.
In 704, troubled by the fact that prefectural prefects were not performing well, Wu Zetian asked the chancellors for suggestions. Li Jiao and Tang Xiujing
Tang Xiujing
Tang Xiujing , formal name Tang Xuan but went by the courtesy name of Xiujing, formally Duke Zhong of Song , was an official and general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reigns of Wu Zetian, her sons Emperor Zhongzong and Emperor...
suggested that this was the result of the tendency at the time for officials to consider central government duties, no matter how menial, to be more honored than local government duties. They further suggested that central government officials be rotated to the prefectures, offering to go first themselves. Wu Zetian ordered that central government officials be put into random drawings, and some 20 officials were drawn out. She allowed them to keep their central government posts, but ordered that they also serve as acting prefects. Yang was one of the officials drawn, although it is not known which prefecture he was given. Later in 704, he was serving as the official in charge of then-capital Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
while Wu Zetian was at Chang'an, when he was made Neishi (內史), the head of the legislative bureau (鳳閣, Fengge) and a post considered one for a chancellor.
It was said that, during the years that Yang served as a chancellor under Wu Zetian, he was known for his flattery. Once, when at a feast held by the official Zhang Tongxiu (張同休), an older brother of Wu Zetian's lovers Zhang Yizhi
Zhang Yizhi
Zhang Yizhi , formally the Duke of Heng , nickname Wulang , was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty who, along with his brother Zhang Changzong, became a lover of Wu Zetian and became very powerful late in her reign...
and Zhang Changzong
Zhang Changzong
Zhang Changzong , formally the Duke of Ye , nickname Liulang , was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty who, along with his brother Zhang Yizhi, became a lover of Wu Zetian and became very powerful late in her reign...
, Zhang Tongxiu joked with Yang that he looked like someone from Goguryeo
Goguryeo
Goguryeo or Koguryŏ was an ancient Korean kingdom located in present day northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula, southern Manchuria, and southern Russian Maritime province....
. Yang, taking the joke in stride, immediately made a hat, put it on, and did a Goguryeo-style dance, causing the guests to laugh. At that time, there was someone who praised Yang Changzong's looks, stating, "Liulang [(Zhang Changzong's nickname)] has a face that looks like a lotus flower." Yang objected, and when Zhang Changzong asked why, he responded, "It is not that Liulang looks like lotus flower, but rather that the lotus flower looks like Liulang." Later in 704, when Zhang Tongxiu and two other brothers, Zhang Changqi (張昌期) and Zhang Changyi (張昌儀) were accused of corruption, Zhang Changzong was also investigated for corruption. The censors Li Chengjia (李承嘉) and Huan Yanfan
Huan Yanfan
Huan Yanfan , courtesy name Shize , formally Prince Zhonglie of Fuyang , briefly known during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang as Wei Yanfan , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong...
proposed that Zhang Changzong be removed from office. Zhang Changzong objected, stating, "I have contributions to the state, and my crimes did not call for removal." Wu Zetian asked the chancellors, "Does Zhang Changzong have contributions?" Yang responded, "Zhang Changzong made medications that are good for Your Imperial Majesty. This is the greatest contribution possible." (Wu Zetian had used the guise that Zhang Changzong was making her medication as the rationale to let him have access to the palace." Wu Zetian was very pleased, and she pardoned Zhang Changzong. This, however, caused the people to view Yang as a flatterer, and a low level official, Dai Lingyan (戴令言), wrote a satirical poem entitled, the Ode to the Two-Footed Fox (兩腳狐賦, Liangjiaohu Fu), satirizing Yang as a two-footed fox. When Yang saw the poem, he was incensed and demoted Dai. During his years serving under Wu Zetian, he also received progressively greater noble titles, from Baron of Hongnong eventually to Duke of Zheng.
During Emperor Zhongzong's second reign
In 705, Wu Zetian was overthrown in a coup. Tang DynastyTang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
was restored, and her son Li Xian
Emperor Zhongzong of Tang
Emperor Zhongzong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Xiǎn , at times during his life Li Zhe and Wu Xian , was the fourth Emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, ruling briefly in 684 and again from 705 to 710.Emperor Zhongzong was the son of Emperor Gaozong of Tang and Empress Wu...
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....
, formerly emperor, was restored to the throne. A number of chancellors were removed from their posts as chancellors, but Yang was not; rather, he was made the minister of census (戶部尚書, Hubu Shangshu) with the de facto designation of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin (同中書門下三品), and made the official in charge of Chang'an. He was soon instead made the acting secretary general at Yang Prefecture (揚州, roughly modern Yangzhou
Yangzhou
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...
), but kept the chancellor designation and did not appear to actually report to Yang Prefecture. Later in 705, he was again made acting head of the legislative bureau (now named Zhongshu Sheng (中書省), with its head's title changed to Zhongshu Ling (中書令)) and still chancellor. Four months later, he was made Shizhong (侍中), the head of the examination bureau (now changed to Menxia Sheng (門下省)) and still chancellor. By this point, he appeared to be a part of the faction of Emperor Zhongzong's powerful wife Empress Wei
Empress Wei (Zhongzong)
Empress Wei was an empress of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. She was the second wife of Emperor Zhongzong, who reigned twice, and during his second reign, she tried to emulate the example of her mother-in-law Wu Zetian and seize power...
.
In 706, when Emperor Zhongzong's son-in-law Wang Tongjiao (王同皎) was accused of a treasonous plot with Zhang Zhongzhi (張仲之), Zu Yanqing (祖延慶), and Zhou Jing (周璟), of plotting to kill Empress Wei's lover Wu Sansi
Wu Sansi
Wu Sansi , formally Prince Xuan of Liang , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and his aunt Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, becoming an imperial prince and chancellor during the reign of Wu Zetian and subsequently, while only briefly chancellor during the second reign of Wu Zetian's son...
the Prince of Dejing (Wu Zetian's nephew) and then depose her, Zhang, while being interrogated, openly accused Empress Wei and Wu Sansi of adultery. Yang and another chancellor aligned with Empress Wei, Wei Juyuan
Wei Juyuan
Wei Juyuan , formally Duke Zhao of Shu , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving multiple times as chancellor during the reigns of Wu Zetian, her son Emperor Zhongzong, and her grandson Emperor Shang...
, who were conducting the interrogation, were said to have simply ignored the accusations as if they did not hear them.
In 707, Emperor Zhongzong's crown prince Li Chongjun
Li Chongjun
Li Chongjun , formally Crown Prince Jiemin , was a crown prince of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, during the second reign of his father Emperor Zhongzong...
, who was born of a concubine, angry at insults by Empress Wei's daughter Li Guo'er the Princess Anle
Princess Anle
Princess Anle , personal name Li Guo'er , was a princess of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. She was the youngest daughter of Emperor Zhongzong and his wife Empress Wei who was greatly favored by her parents and therefore grew very powerful and corrupt during her father's second...
and Li Guo'er's husband Wu Zhongxun (武崇訓, Wu Sansi's son) and attempts by Li Guo'er to be made crown princess to displace him, rose in rebellion and killed Wu Sansi and Wu Chongxun, and then approached the palace, intending to seize Empress Wei and Li Guo'er, as well as Emperor Zhongzong's concubine Consort Shangguan Wan'er
Shangguan Wan'er
Shangguan Wan'er , imperial consort rank Zhaorong , posthumous name Wenhui , was the granddaughter of Shangguan Yi and was one of the women most famous in Chinese history for her talent...
, who was also Wu Sansi's lover. Yang was one of the high level officials who commanded troops against Li Chongjun, who subsequently was defeated and killed. In the aftermath of the rebellion, the chancellors Zong Chuke
Zong Chuke
Zong Chuke , courtesy name Shu'ao , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reigns of Wu Zetian, her son Emperor Zhongzong, and her grandson Emperor Shang.- Background :It is not known when Zong Chuke was born, but it is...
and JI Chuna
Ji Chuna
Ji Chuna was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong and Emperor Zhongzong's son Emperor Shang...
, who wanted to implicate the senior chancellor Wei Yuanzhong
Wei Yuanzhong
Wei Yuanzhong , né Wei Zhenzai , formally Duke Zhen of Qi , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reigns of Wu Zetian and her son Emperor Zhongzong.- Background :It is not known which year Wei Yuanzhong was born, but it...
(on account that Wei Yuanzhong's son Wei Sheng (魏升) had been forced into the rebellion), Yang supported Zong and Ji's efforts, and eventually, Wei Yuanzhong was exiled and died in exile. Later that year, Yang was again made Zhongshu Ling.
In spring 708, Yang was made You Pushe (右僕射), one of the heads of the executive bureau (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng), and still chancellor with the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin. He died summer of that year.