Yang Guozhong - As Chancellor

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 spring 754, Yang suggested to Emperor Xuanzong that An was set on rebelling, and that if Emperor Xuanzong summoned him to Chang'an, he would surely not come—but when Emperor Xuanzong then did summon An, An immediately arrived at Chang'an and accused Yang of false accusations. Thereafter, Emperor Xuanzong would no longer believe any suggestions that An was plotting rebellion, despite Li Heng agreeing with Yang's assessment on this issue. Meanwhile, he considered promoting An to be chancellor, but Yang opposed, and this did not occur, and An subsequently returned to Fanyang. Meanwhile, Yang was having conflicts with Chen as well, and he forced Chen to resign and then recommended Wei Jiansu to replace Chen. During a subsequent flood that caused much damage, Yang, not wanting any reports of damage, insisted that there was no damage—and when the officials Li Xian and Fang Guan nevertheless submitted damage reports, he had them demoted. He also viewed the official Wei Zhi (韋陟) as a threat and had Wei accused of corruption—and when Wei subsequently bribed Ji, who was by then allied with An, for help, Yang also discovered this and reported it. As a result, Wei and Ji were demoted, and An subsequently submitted a petition on their behalf, claiming that the accusations from Yang were false, but Emperor Xuanzong took no actions against either An or Yang.

In spring 755, however, the matters were beginning to come to a head. When An submitted a petition to have thirty-two non-Han generals under him replace Han generals, Emperor Xuanzong immediately agreed, despite stern arguments from Yang and Wei Jiansu that this was a sign of impending rebellion. Yang and Wei then suggested that An be promoted to be chancellor, and that his three commands be divided between his three deputies; Emperor Xuanzong initially agreed, but after the edict was drafted, Emperor Xuanzong tabled it and instead sent the eunuch Fu Qiulin (輔璆琳) to send fresh fruits to An and to observe him—upon which An bribed Fu into submitting a favorable report. Yang, however, persisted in his reports against Yang, including having the mayor of Jingzhao arrest An's friend Li Chao (李超) and others and executing them secretly. An's son An Qingzong (安慶宗), who was then at Chang'an, reported this to An Lushan, causing An Lushan to be even more apprehensive. Subsequent events—including An's refusal to attend the funeral of an imperial prince in summer 755 and his offer to send a large number of horses to Chang'an in fall 755, began to cause Emperor Xuanzong to start suspecting An. He also discovered that Fu had received An's bribes, and therefore had Fu killed, instead sending another eunuch, Feng Shenwei (馮神威) to Fanyang to again summon An. An refused.

In winter 755, An, finally feeling he had no choice but to rebel, did so. The imperial officials were all apprehensive, because An had the strongest troops of the realm at the time, except for Yang, who believed that An could be suppressed easily. However, An's forces roved through the region north of the Yellow River easily, reaching Luoyang around the new year 756 and capturing easily despite the efforts of Feng Changqing to defend it. In response, Emperor Xuanzong considered passing the throne to Li Heng and personally lead the troops against An—a proposal that Yang feared, believing that Li Heng would then take actions against the Yangs. He had Consort Yang dissuade Emperor Xuanzong from both actions. Meanwhile, Geshu was summoned to Chang'an to command the forces against An—and Geshu was then able to manufacture evidence that An's stepfather's nephew An Sishun, whom Geshu also disliked, was complicit in An Lushan's rebellion, and An Sishun was executed. Yang, after this incident, began to be apprehensive of Geshu as well. When Geshu subsequently took defensive position at Tong Pass and refused to engage An's forces, reasoning that as long as he kept Chang'an secure, the other generals Li Guangbi and Guo Ziyi would soon be able to capture An's power base at Fanyang and render An harmless. Yang, however, feared that Geshu was instead plotting against him. (Geshu's deputy Wang Sili (王思禮) did suggest to Geshu that he kill Yang when he could, but Geshu refused.) Yang therefore sent his associate Du Qianhui (杜乾輝) with a separate army command to the front as well to watch Geshu, and Geshu, in turn apprehensive that Yang was going to act against him, found an excuse to execute Du, further causing Yang's suspicions. Yang therefore had Emperor Xuanzong order Geshu to engage An's forward commander Cui Qianyou (崔乾祐), despite Geshu's repeated protestations that a battle was inadvisable. Once the armies engaged, Tang forces were crushed by Cui's forces; Geshu was captured, and Tong Pass fell on July 10.

Yang then began to plan for an evacuation to Jiannan. Emperor Xuanzong agreed. On July 13, the imperial train, without announcing to the people of Chang'an, left Chang'an, with Emperor Xuanzong attended to by the imperial clan members, Yang, Wei Jiansu, the official Wei Fangjin (魏方進), the general Chen Xuanli (陳玄禮), and eunuchs and ladies in waiting close to the emperor.

On July 15, Emperor Xuanzong's train reached Mawei Station (馬嵬驛, in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi). The imperial guards were not fed and were angry at Yang Guozhong. Chen also believed that Yang Guozhong provoked this disaster and planned to kill him—and reported his plans to Li Heng through Li Heng's eunuch Li Fuguo, but Li Heng was hesitated and gave no approval. Meanwhile, though, Tufan emissaries, who followed Emperor Xuanzong south, were meeting with Yang Guozhong and complaining that they were also not fed. The imperial guard soldiers took this opportunity to proclaim that Yang Guozhong was planning treason along with the Tufan emissaries, and they killed him, along with his son Yang Xuan (楊暄), the Ladies of Han and Qin, and Wei Fangjin. Wei Jiansu was also nearly killed, but was spared at the last moment with severe injuries. The soldiers then surrounded Emperor Xuanzong's pavilion, and refused to scatter even after Emperor Xuanzong came out to comfort them and order them to scatter. Chen publicly urged him to put Consort Yang to death—which Emperor Xuanzong initially declined. After Wei Jiansu's son Wei E (韋諤) and Gao Lishi spoke further, Emperor Xuanzong finally resolved to do so. He therefore had Gao take Consort Yang to a Buddhist shrine and strangle her there. After he showed the body to Chen and the other imperial guard generals, the guard soldiers finally scattered and prepared for further movement. Meanwhile, Yang Guozhong's wife Pei Rou, son Yang Xi (楊晞), the Lady of Guo, and the Lady of Guo's son Pei Hui (裴徽) tried to flee, but were killed in flight.

Yang's biography in the Book of Tang commented, with regard to Yang's misjudgment of the situation at Tong Pass:

At that time, while An Lushan controlled the Yellow River and Luoyang, his soldiers were only able to reach as far east as the Liang and Song region to the east and the Xu and Deng region to the south . Li Guangbi and Guo Ziyi were leading the best soldiers from north of the Yellow River and had just captured the Heng and Ding region and the Hangu Pass could be held and the army not be frivolously used, then the violent rebellion will surely begin to crumble by itself. As soon as Geshu Han was forced to advance, within a few days, the emperor fled, the imperial government fell, the officials were prisoners, the imperial consorts and princesses were killed, the soldiers filled the realm, and the harm damaged the entire empire. This disaster was all caused by Yang Guozhong.