Yang Wan
Encyclopedia
Yang Wan (died August 27, 777), courtesy name Gongquan (公權), was an official of the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
, serving briefly as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Daizong
. He was known for his frugality, and it was said that his becoming chancellor caused a number of other officials to change their wasteful ways.
, Shaanxi
). His family traced its ancestry to the Han Dynasty
official Yang Zhen (楊震) and a line that included a number of officials of Northern Wei
. His granduncle Yang Zaisi
served as a chancellor during the reign of Wu Zetian
, and his grandfather Yang Wenyu (楊溫玉) was a prominent official at the time, receiving the title of Duke of Hucheng. His father Yang Kan (楊侃) served as a county magistrate during the Kaiyuan era (713
–741
) of Wu Zetian's grandson Emperor Xuanzong
, and both Yang Wenyu and Yang Kan were known for their knowledge of Confucianism
. Yang Wan lost his father early, and he served his mother with great filial piety. He was said to be quiet and studious, often spending his time in a small room with history books and maps.
s and passed them, and he was made a scribe to Emperor Xuanzong's crown prince
. In 754
, on one occasion when Emperor Xuanzong ascended Qinzheng Tower (勤政樓), he ordered that the examinees who had passed the examinations be further offered four special examinations on that day — deep knowledge of the Confucian classics, understanding of Taoist
writings, ability to write beautifully, and capability in military strategies — giving them one day to complete the examination. Yang was one of the three selected for writing beautiful poems, and he was promoted to be You Shiyi (右拾遺), a low-level official at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng).
, the general An Lushan
rebelled at Fanyang (范陽, in modern Beijing
), and by summer 756
, the forces of his new state of Yan
were approaching the Tang capital Chang'an
, forcing Emperor Xuanzong to flee to Chengdu
. Emperor Xuanzong's son and crown prince Li Heng
, however, did not follow him to Chengdu, but fled to Lingwu instead, where he was declared emperor (as Emperor Suzong). In the turmoil, despite great difficulty, Yang undertook the journey to join Emperor Suzong at Lingwu — at times resorting to begging for food — and once he reached Lingwu, Emperor Suzong made him the imperial archivist (起居舍人, Qiju Sheren) and put him in charge of drafting imperial edicts. He was eventually made Zhongshu Sheren (中書舍人), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau, and was in charge of editing the imperial history. There had been a custom at the legislative bureau that the most senior among the Zhongshu Sheren would receive special honors, and the 80% of the stipends given to them on the whole would be allocated to him. Yang was set to receive this special treatment, but he believed that as all of the Zhongshu Sheren had the same rank and responsibilities, the stipends should be divided equally, and he was much praised for this modesty.
— by which time Emperor Suzong had died and been succeeded by his son Emperor Daizong
— Yang Wan was serving as the deputy minister of rites (禮部侍郎, Libu Shilang). He proposed a comprehensive reform of the Tang imperial examination system — believing that the two main examination types at the time, the Jinshi (進士) examination and the Mingjing (明經) examination, had both strayed off their original intents. In particular, as a result of poor choices in examination topics, the Jinshi examinees had become overly obsessed at writing ability, while the Mingjing examinees had become overly obsessed in trivia in the Confucian classics, without either type of examinees showing true abilities. He proposed that the examination system be returned to the Han Dynasty
type — that the examinees had to first be tested and recommended by county magistrates, and then by prefectural prefects; then, after they went through these two rungs and stood for imperial examinations at the capital, they were to be subjected to 20 questions on explaining the classics and three inquiries on special topics of state interest. He also advocated the abolition of the imperial examination on Taoism. Yang's proposal drew much debate, although it was ultimately rejected on the account that it was overly radical of a change to the examination system. However, in 764
, when he proposed that two other special examinations — for those known for their devotion to family and for children under 10 who already were knowledgeable in one of the classics — be abolished, as they did not test true abilities either, Emperor Daizong agreed and abolished them. He was later made the deputy minister of civil service affairs (吏部侍郎, Libu Shilang), and was known for his fairness in selecting officials.
At that time, the most powerful chancellor at court was Yuan Zai
, who was deeply trusted by Emperor Xuanzong and who had, through his use of power, drawn other officials to associate with him. Yang, however, would not associate with Yuan, and Yuan, wanting to remove Yang from his important post, acted as if he wanted to honor Yang for his reputation and for his seniority, made Yang the principal of the imperial university (國子祭酒, Guozi Jijiu) in 770
and replaced Yang with a corrupt associate, Xu Hao (徐浩). Eventually, Emperor Daizong made Yang, known for his frugality, the minister of worship (太常卿, Taichang Qing), hoping that he could help to change the wasteful customs among the officials at the time.
As the years went by, Yuan and his chancellor colleague Wang Jin
became increasingly corrupt, and Emperor Daizong eventually tired of this. In 777
, he had Yuan and Wang arrested; Yuan was executed, while Wang was exiled. He replaced them with Yang and Chang Gun
— with Yang given the post of Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎, deputy head of the legislative bureau) and given the de facto chancellor designation of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事). It was said that the day that Yang was made chancellor, his reputation for frugality caused a change in his colleagues' behavior. In particular, the general Guo Ziyi
reduced the musicians at his feasts by 80%; the official Li Gan (黎幹), who liked to have a large group of guards on horseback to accompany him, reduced his guards to 10; and the official Cui Kuan (崔寬) tore down his excessively large home. It was further said that Emperor Daizong intended to have Yang be in charge of correcting the corruption that permeated the imperial government at the time, but soon after Yang became chancellor, he suffered a stroke. His condition at one point got better, but he eventually died later in the year. Emperor Daizong was greatly saddened and was said to have told the officials, "Is it that Heaven does not wish for me to have peace in this realm that it took away Yang Wan this quickly?" The officials in charge of posthumous name
s proposed that he be given the posthumous name Wenjian (文簡, meaning "civil and undiscriminating"), which Emperor Daizong agreed. When an official jealous of Yang, Su Duan (蘇端), was induced by Chang (who was also jealous of Yang) to argue that that was an overly praiseful posthumous name, Emperor Daizong was enraged and exiled Su. Those who praised Yang for his frugality and his understanding of Buddhist and Taoist philosophical principles compared him to the Han Dynasty officials Yan Zhen and Bing Ji (丙吉) and the Jin Dynasty (265–420) officials Shan Tao
and Xie An
.
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...
, serving briefly as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Daizong
Emperor Daizong of Tang
Emperor Daizong of Tang , personal name Li Yu , né Li Chu , was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty....
. He was known for his frugality, and it was said that his becoming chancellor caused a number of other officials to change their wasteful ways.
Background
It is not known when Yang Wan was born, but it is known that his family was from Hua Prefecture (華州, in modern WeinanWeinan
Weinan is a Municipality in the province of Shaanxi, PRC. The Grand Historian Sima Qian was born in Weinan.-Administration:...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
). His family traced its ancestry to the Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
official Yang Zhen (楊震) and a line that included a number of officials of Northern Wei
Northern Wei
The Northern Wei Dynasty , also known as the Tuoba Wei , Later Wei , or Yuan Wei , was a dynasty which ruled northern China from 386 to 534 . It has been described as "part of an era of political turbulence and intense social and cultural change"...
. His granduncle Yang Zaisi
Yang Zaisi
Yang Zaisi , formally Duke Gong of Zheng , 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...
served as a chancellor during the reign 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...
, and his grandfather Yang Wenyu (楊溫玉) was a prominent official at the time, receiving the title of Duke of Hucheng. His father Yang Kan (楊侃) served as a county magistrate during the Kaiyuan era (713
713
Year 713 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 713 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Byzantine Empire :* Byzantine Emperor Philippicus is...
–741
741
Year 741 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 741 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Carloman, Pippin the Short and Grifo succeed...
) of Wu Zetian's grandson Emperor Xuanzong
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang , also commonly known as Emperor Ming of Tang , personal name Li Longji , known as Wu Longji from 690 to 705, was the seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty in China, reigning from 712 to 756. His reign of 43 years was the longest during the Tang Dynasty...
, and both Yang Wenyu and Yang Kan were known for their knowledge of Confucianism
Confucianism
Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...
. Yang Wan lost his father early, and he served his mother with great filial piety. He was said to be quiet and studious, often spending his time in a small room with history books and maps.
During Emperor Xuanzong's reign
Eventually, at the urging of his relatives and friends, Yang Wan stood for the imperial examinationImperial 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...
s and passed them, and he was made a scribe to Emperor Xuanzong's 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....
. In 754
754
Year 754 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 754 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Pope Stephen II crowns Pepin the short King...
, on one occasion when Emperor Xuanzong ascended Qinzheng Tower (勤政樓), he ordered that the examinees who had passed the examinations be further offered four special examinations on that day — deep knowledge of the Confucian classics, understanding of Taoist
Taoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
writings, ability to write beautifully, and capability in military strategies — giving them one day to complete the examination. Yang was one of the three selected for writing beautiful poems, and he was promoted to be You Shiyi (右拾遺), a low-level official at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng).
During Emperor Suzong's reign
In 755755
Year 755 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 755 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Pepin the Short sends his armies into...
, the general An Lushan
An Lushan
An Lushan was a general who rebelled against the Tang Dynasty in China.His name was also transcribed into Chinese as Āluòshān or Gáluòshān ,...
rebelled at Fanyang (范陽, in modern Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
), and by summer 756
756
Year 756 was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 756 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Pepin the Short defeats the Lombards of...
, the forces of his new state of Yan
Yan (Anshi)
Yan , also known as the Great Yan , was a state established in 756 by the Tang Dynasty general An Lushan, after he rebelled against the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang in 755. The state was extinguished in 763, with the death of An Lushan's former subordinate, Shi Siming's son, Shi Chaoyi, who...
were approaching the Tang 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...
, forcing Emperor Xuanzong to flee to Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
. Emperor Xuanzong's son and crown prince Li Heng
Emperor Suzong of Tang
Emperor Suzong of Tang , personal name Li Heng , né Li Sisheng , known as Li Jun from 725 to 736, known as Li Yu from 736 to 738, known briefly as Li Shao in 738, was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty and the son of Emperor Xuanzong...
, however, did not follow him to Chengdu, but fled to Lingwu instead, where he was declared emperor (as Emperor Suzong). In the turmoil, despite great difficulty, Yang undertook the journey to join Emperor Suzong at Lingwu — at times resorting to begging for food — and once he reached Lingwu, Emperor Suzong made him the imperial archivist (起居舍人, Qiju Sheren) and put him in charge of drafting imperial edicts. He was eventually made Zhongshu Sheren (中書舍人), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau, and was in charge of editing the imperial history. There had been a custom at the legislative bureau that the most senior among the Zhongshu Sheren would receive special honors, and the 80% of the stipends given to them on the whole would be allocated to him. Yang was set to receive this special treatment, but he believed that as all of the Zhongshu Sheren had the same rank and responsibilities, the stipends should be divided equally, and he was much praised for this modesty.
During Emperor Daizong's reign
By 763763
Year 763 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 763 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Ciniod succeeds Bridei V as king of the...
— by which time Emperor Suzong had died and been succeeded by his son Emperor Daizong
Emperor Daizong of Tang
Emperor Daizong of Tang , personal name Li Yu , né Li Chu , was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty....
— Yang Wan was serving as the deputy minister of rites (禮部侍郎, Libu Shilang). He proposed a comprehensive reform of the Tang imperial examination system — believing that the two main examination types at the time, the Jinshi (進士) examination and the Mingjing (明經) examination, had both strayed off their original intents. In particular, as a result of poor choices in examination topics, the Jinshi examinees had become overly obsessed at writing ability, while the Mingjing examinees had become overly obsessed in trivia in the Confucian classics, without either type of examinees showing true abilities. He proposed that the examination system be returned to the Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
type — that the examinees had to first be tested and recommended by county magistrates, and then by prefectural prefects; then, after they went through these two rungs and stood for imperial examinations at the capital, they were to be subjected to 20 questions on explaining the classics and three inquiries on special topics of state interest. He also advocated the abolition of the imperial examination on Taoism. Yang's proposal drew much debate, although it was ultimately rejected on the account that it was overly radical of a change to the examination system. However, in 764
764
Year 764 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 764 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* Empress Shōtoku succeeds Emperor Junnin on the...
, when he proposed that two other special examinations — for those known for their devotion to family and for children under 10 who already were knowledgeable in one of the classics — be abolished, as they did not test true abilities either, Emperor Daizong agreed and abolished them. He was later made the deputy minister of civil service affairs (吏部侍郎, Libu Shilang), and was known for his fairness in selecting officials.
At that time, the most powerful chancellor at court was Yuan Zai
Yuan Zai
Yuan Zai , courtesy name Gongfu , formally Viscount Huang of Xuchang and then Viscount Chengzong of Xuchang , was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Suzong and Emperor Daizong, becoming particularly powerful during the middle of Emperor...
, who was deeply trusted by Emperor Xuanzong and who had, through his use of power, drawn other officials to associate with him. Yang, however, would not associate with Yuan, and Yuan, wanting to remove Yang from his important post, acted as if he wanted to honor Yang for his reputation and for his seniority, made Yang the principal of the imperial university (國子祭酒, Guozi Jijiu) in 770
770
Year 770 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 770 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* Emperor Kōnin ascends to the throne of Japan,...
and replaced Yang with a corrupt associate, Xu Hao (徐浩). Eventually, Emperor Daizong made Yang, known for his frugality, the minister of worship (太常卿, Taichang Qing), hoping that he could help to change the wasteful customs among the officials at the time.
As the years went by, Yuan and his chancellor colleague Wang Jin
Wang Jin
Wang Jin , courtesy name Xiaqing , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who served as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Daizong...
became increasingly corrupt, and Emperor Daizong eventually tired of this. In 777
777
Year 777 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 777 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Charlemagne defeats the Saxons; their...
, he had Yuan and Wang arrested; Yuan was executed, while Wang was exiled. He replaced them with Yang and Chang Gun
Chang Gun
Chang Gun , formally the Duke of He'nei , was an official of the Chinese dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Daizong and Emperor Dezong.- Background :...
— with Yang given the post of Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎, deputy head of the legislative bureau) and given the de facto chancellor designation of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事). It was said that the day that Yang was made chancellor, his reputation for frugality caused a change in his colleagues' behavior. In particular, the general Guo Ziyi
Guo Ziyi
Guo Ziyi , formally Prince Zhongwu of Fenyang , was a general during the Tang Dynasty who ended the An Shi Rebellion, and participated in expeditions against the peoples of Huihe and Tubo...
reduced the musicians at his feasts by 80%; the official Li Gan (黎幹), who liked to have a large group of guards on horseback to accompany him, reduced his guards to 10; and the official Cui Kuan (崔寬) tore down his excessively large home. It was further said that Emperor Daizong intended to have Yang be in charge of correcting the corruption that permeated the imperial government at the time, but soon after Yang became chancellor, he suffered a stroke. His condition at one point got better, but he eventually died later in the year. Emperor Daizong was greatly saddened and was said to have told the officials, "Is it that Heaven does not wish for me to have peace in this realm that it took away Yang Wan this quickly?" The officials in charge of posthumous name
Posthumous name
A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life...
s proposed that he be given the posthumous name Wenjian (文簡, meaning "civil and undiscriminating"), which Emperor Daizong agreed. When an official jealous of Yang, Su Duan (蘇端), was induced by Chang (who was also jealous of Yang) to argue that that was an overly praiseful posthumous name, Emperor Daizong was enraged and exiled Su. Those who praised Yang for his frugality and his understanding of Buddhist and Taoist philosophical principles compared him to the Han Dynasty officials Yan Zhen and Bing Ji (丙吉) and the Jin Dynasty (265–420) officials Shan Tao
Shan Tao (Taoist)
Shan Tao is one of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove....
and Xie An
Xie An
200px|right|thumb|Statue of xie anXie An , courtesy name Anshi , formally Duke Wenjing of Luling , was a Jin Dynasty statesman who, despite his lack of military ability, led Jin through a major crisis—attacks by Former Qin...
.