Yang Guozhong - Background

Background

It is unknown when Yang Zhao was born. His family was from Pu Prefecture (蒲州, roughly modern Yuncheng, Shanxi) and traced its ancestry to the great Han Dynasty official Yang Zhen (楊震), as well as officials of Later Yan, Northern Wei, and Tang Dynasty's predecessor Sui Dynasty. Yang Zhao's great-great-grandfather Yang Wang (楊汪) was an important official during Sui. His grandfather Yang Youliang (楊友諒) served as a county magistrate for Tang, and his father Yang Xun (楊珣) served as a military officer. His mother Lady Zhang was a sister of Wu Zetian's lovers Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong.

Yang Zhao himself was said to lack knowledge and virtues. He was a heavy drinker and gambler, and was looked down by his own clan members. He, motivated by the slight, decided to join the army, and served in the army stationed at Yi Prefecture (益州, roughly modern Chengdu, Sichuan). For his military service, he was set to be promoted, but the secretary general of Yi Prefecture, Zhang Kuan (張寬), disliking him, initially refused to do so and in fact whipped him, but eventually he was made the magistrate of Xindu County. After his three-year term of service was over, he did not save sufficient funds to return home, and relied on assistance from a rich man of the region, Xianyu Zhongtong (鮮于仲通). He also spent much time with the household of his father's cousin Yang Xuanyan (楊玄琰), and eventually carried on an affair with one of Yang Xuanyan's daughters (the later Lady of Guo). When Yang Yuanyan, who was sonless, died, Yang Zhao was temporarily in charge of the household, until Yang Yuanyan's daughters went to Henan Municipality (河南府, i.e., Luoyang) to stay with their uncle Yang Xuanjiao (楊玄璬). Yang Zhao later served as the sheriff of Fufeng County (扶風, in modern Xi'an, Shaanxi), but was unable to progress further, and returned to the Yi Prefecture region. While he was in the region, he also married his wife Pei Rou (裴柔), who had been a prostitute.