Yang Guozhong (楊國忠)

Overview

Yang Guozhong was an official and Statesman.

Life and dates

Death

AD 756 天寶十五年六月
killed with the Yang clan at Mawei 盡誅楊氏 · At Mawei Post 馬嵬驛
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passages 28-29

Attested activity

AD 753 十二載
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 55, passage 118
AD 753 十二載
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 104, passage 239
AD 756 十五載
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 104, passages 247, 265
AD 752 to AD 756 國忠恃內戚
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 112, passages 212-213
AD 752 to AD 756 國忠當國出遵慶
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 216
AD 742 to AD 753 天寶
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 55, passages 114, 116

Show 15 more source-backed claims

AD 742 to AD 756 天寶中
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 119, passages 30-31
AD 752 天寶十一載
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 54, passages 178-179
AD 754 天寶十三年
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passages 14, 16, 18
AD 756 天寶十五年六月
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passages 25, 28-29
AD 752 to AD 756 天寶末
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 112, passages 108, 124
AD 752 to AD 756 天寶末
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 45, passage 167
AD 755 to AD 756 天寶末
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 143; Old Book of Tang 117, passage 135
AD 755 安祿山反
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 51, passage 130
AD 738 to AD 752 宰相李林甫請…楊國忠
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 54, passages 168, 175-176
AD 755 屬祿山叛逆
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 39
AD 750 to AD 756 為國忠所出
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 208
AD 755 祿山叛逆
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 38
AD 752 to AD 756 見素常附國忠
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 70
AD 756 誅楊國忠
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 121, passage 220
AD 741 開元末
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 141, passage 8

Family

Kinship Role Yang clan members · Quantity unspecified
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 29

Key source chapters

Career and standing

chief minister dominating the government 當國
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 135
chief minister 宰臣
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 108
Literary Minister 文部尚書
Concurrent
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 45, passage 167
Jiannan military commissioner 劍南節度
Held · Concurrent true
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 119, passage 31
right chancellor 右相
AD 754 天寶十三年 · Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 14
holder of Jiannan military command 劍南旄鉞
AD 756 天寶十五年 · Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 25

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Chancellor 宰相
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 55, passage 116
Chief Minister 宰臣
Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 119, passage 31
military governor of Jiannan (controlling from afar) 遙制劍南節度使
Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 108
Minister of Works 司空
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 51, passage 130
Right Chancellor 右相
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 45, passage 167
Vice Minister of War 兵部侍郎
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 54, passage 176
chief ministerial position 大位
Seized
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 213
Exercised
AD 755 to AD 756 天寶末 · Held power
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 143
personally held several offices
Concurrent offices · Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 55, passage 116
Held
Dominant court power
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 14
Relied on
Imperial kinship privilege
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 213
Suffered
AD 756 天寶十五年六月 · Execution
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passages 28-29

Places and affiliations

Tang 唐
Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 38; Old Book of Tang 119, passage 31; New Book of Tang 45, passage 167
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 104, passage 239; Old Book of Tang 113, passage 143; Old Book of Tang 117, passages 39, 208
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passages 14, 70, 108, 124, 212-213; Old Book of Tang 117, passage 135; New Book of Tang 51, passage 130; New Book of Tang 54, passage 176
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 55, passage 116

Works and attributed material

Shelved Ji Wen appointment
AD 754 天寶十三年 · Memorial · Author · With Ji Wen (吉溫)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 17
Six Armies declared Guozhong a traitor
AD 756 天寶十五年六月 · Speech · Subject of accusation · Direct quotation · Mode named-source-report Source Work Six Armies officers and men 六軍將士
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 36
Urged advance
AD 756 十五載 · Memorial · Author · With Ge Shuhan (哥舒翰)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 104, passage 265
Urged posting Jingqing to eastern circuit
AD 755 屬祿山叛逆 · Memorial · Author · With Miao Jinqing (苗晉卿)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 39
Urged posting Jinqing east
Memorial · Author · With Miao Jinqing (苗晉卿)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 38
AD 756 十五載
Memorial · Author · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 104, passages 249-250

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Ruling · Speaker
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 54, passage 179
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 54, passage 176

Events and relationships

Abolished three board nomination
Administrative · Reformer
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 45, passages 167-169
Banished opponents
AD 755 to AD 756 天寶末 · Political · Minister · With Cui Huan (崔渙)
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 124
Consulted Dou Hua and Song Yu
AD 754 天寶十三年 · Consultation · Questioner · With Dou Hua (竇華), Song Yu (宋昱)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 18
Courted popularity at market gate
Political · Actor
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 54, passage 176
Declared old coin would return
Policy · Speaker · Outcome Edict restored old coin
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 54, passages 176-177
Defined acceptable coin standard
AD 752 天寶十一載 · Policy · Policy advocate
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 54, passages 178-179

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Displaced
Political · Actor · With Li Linfu (李林甫)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 213
Dominated government
AD 755 to AD 756 天寶末 · Political · Power holder
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 135
Drove out non aligners
Political · Actor · With Jing Kuo (敬括)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 119, passage 53
Feared plot and leaked plan received
AD 756 十五載 · Political · Subject
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 104, passage 249
Lost armies against Geluofeng
Military · Commander · With Geluofeng (閣羅鳳)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 119, passage 31
Met emperor at Yanqiu Gate
AD 756 天寶十五年六月 · Travel · Escort · With Wei Jiansu (韋見素), Wei Fangjin (魏方進), Xuanzong (玄宗)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 26
Ordered ordination sales
Fiscal · Minister · With Cui Zhong (崔眾)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 51, passage 130
Ordered to seek upright ministers
AD 754 天寶十三年秋 · Political · Searcher
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 16
Posted out
Political · Actor · With Zunqing (遵慶)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 216
Proposed county granary delivery of office land rents with cash handling fees
Political · Proposer
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 55, passage 118
Recruited garrison at Bashang
AD 756 十五載 · Military · Organizer · With Du Qianyun (杜乾運) · At Bashang 灞上
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 104, passage 252
Repeatedly reported rebellion
AD 753 十二載 · Political · Accuser · With An Lushan (安祿山)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 104, passage 239
Richly rewarded
AD 753 十二載 · Political · Patron · With Ge Shuhan (哥舒翰)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 104, passage 239
Sent out to provinces
AD 750 to AD 756 為國忠所出 · Political · Authority · With Pei Zunqing (裴遵慶)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 208
Urged flight to Chengdu
AD 756 天寶十五年六月 · Political · Advisor · With Xuanzong (玄宗) · At Chengdu 成都
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 25
Relation Patron of · Person Cui Yuan (崔圓)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 108
Relation At odds with · Person An Lushan (安祿山)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 104, passage 239
Relation Rival of · Person An Lushan (安祿山)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 22
Relation Political rival of · Person Miao Jinqing (苗晉卿)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 39
Relation Patron of · Person Wei Jiansu (韋見素)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 21
Relation Patron of · Person Wei Jiansu (韋見素)
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 70
Relation Patron of · Person Zhao Guozhen (趙國珍)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 119, passage 32
Relation Patron of · Person Du Qianyun (杜乾運)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 104, passage 252

Assessments and attributes

Assessment dazzled and misled the emperor in military affairs · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 104, passage 266
Assessment hamstrung generals by memorials · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 104, passage 292
Assessment sought power by currying popular favor · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 54, passage 176

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 104, passage 239; Old Book of Tang 112, passages 14, 70; Old Book of Tang 117, passage 39; New Book of Tang 45, passage 167; New Book of Tang 51, passage 130; New Book of Tang 54, passage 176; New Book of Tang 55, passage 116
Beyond hall-seal emoluments, monthly given one million cash
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 55, passage 116

References in the histories

Search passages

History

41 passages

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 104Volume 100 Biographies 50: Yin Sizhen, Li Jie, Jie Wan, Bi Gou, Su Xiang, Zheng Weizhong, Wang Zhiyin, Lu Congyuan, Li Chaoyin, Pei Cui, Wang Qiu · 7 passages

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時楊國忠有隙於祿山，頻奏其反狀，故厚賞翰以親結之。 Yang Guozhong was at odds with Lushan and repeatedly reported his rebellious intentions; he richly rewarded Han to win his loyalty.

翰至潼關，或勸翰曰：「祿山阻兵，以誅楊國忠為名，公若留兵三萬守關，悉以精銳回誅國忠，此漢挫七國之計也，公以為何如？」 At Tong Pass someone advised him, "Lushan marches under the banner of punishing Yang Guozhong — leave thirty thousand to hold the pass and march your best troops back to kill Guozhong, as the Han did against the Seven States — what say you?"

有客泄其謀於國忠，國忠大懼，及奏曰：「兵法『安不忘危』，今潼關兵眾雖盛，而無後殿，萬一不利，京師得無恐乎！ Someone leaked the plan to Guozhong, who in terror memorialized, "In peace forget not danger — Tong Pass is strong but has no reserve; if things go wrong, will not the capital tremble?

楊國忠恐其謀己，屢奏使出兵。 Yang Guozhong, fearing Han plotted against him, repeatedly urged an advance.

上久處太平，不練軍事，既為國忠眩惑，中使相繼督責。 The emperor, long at peace and unused to war, was swayed by Guozhong; palace envoys pressed Han in succession.

史臣曰：大盜作梗，祿山亂常，詞雖欲誅國忠，誌則謀危社稷。 Commentary. The historiographer writes: The great rebel rose; Lushan overturned the order — he spoke of punishing Guozhong but aimed at the throne itself.

觀楊國忠之奏事，邊令誠之護戎，又掣肘於軍政者也，未可偏責三帥，不尤伊人。 Consider Yang Guozhong's interference and Bian Lingcheng's supervision — the court hamstrung its generals; one cannot blame the three commanders alone.

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 112Volume 108 Biographies 58: Wei Jiansu, Cui Yuan, Cui Huan, Du Hongjian · 16 passages

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時右相楊國忠用事，左相陳希烈畏其權寵，凡事唯諾，無敢發明，玄宗頗知之，聖情不悅。 The right chancellor Yang Guozhong then dominated the government, while the left chancellor Chen Xilie, fearing Yang's power, merely assented to everything and never spoke his mind. Xuanzong noticed this and was displeased.

天子以宰輔或未稱職，見此咎征，命楊國忠精求端士，時兵部侍郎吉溫方承寵遇，上意用之。 The emperor took the disaster as a sign that his chief ministers were unfit and ordered Yang Guozhong to find worthy replacements. Ji Wen, vice-minister of war, was then in favor, and the emperor meant to appoint him.

國忠以溫祿山賓佐，懼其威權，奏寢其事。 Guozhong, knowing that Wen had once served An Lushan, feared his influence and persuaded the emperor to drop the appointment.

國忠訪於中書舍人竇華、宋昱等，華、昱言見素方雅，柔而易制。 Guozhong asked the Secretariat drafters Dou Hua and Song Yu for advice; they said Jiansu was upright and refined, mild, and easy to manage.

見素既為國忠引用，心德之。 Having been advanced by Guozhong, Jiansu felt deep gratitude toward him.

時祿山與國忠爭寵，兩相猜嫌，見素亦無所是非，署字而已，遂至凶胡犯順，不措一言。 An Lushan and Guozhong were then rivals for imperial favor and deeply suspicious of each other. Jiansu likewise passed no judgment and merely signed documents, and when the rebel rose he never spoke a word of protest.

楊國忠以身領劍南旄鉞，請幸成都。 Yang Guozhong, who held military command in Jiannan in his own person, urged the emperor to flee to Chengdu.

見素與國忠、御史大夫魏方進遇上於延秋門，便扈從之咸陽。 Jiansu met the emperor at Yanqiu Gate with Guozhong and Censor-in-Chief Wei Fangjin and escorted him to Xianyang.

龍武將軍陳玄禮懼其亂，乃與飛龍馬家李護國謀於皇太子，請誅國忠，以慰士心。 Dragon Martial general Chen Xuanli, fearing a mutiny, conspired with Li Huguo of the imperial stud and the crown prince to have Guozhong killed and thereby appease the troops.

淩晨將發，六軍將士曰：「國忠反叛，不可更往蜀川，請之河、隴。」 At dawn, just before departure, the officers and men of the Six Armies declared, "Guozhong was a traitor; we cannot go on to Shu. Take us to the northwest instead."

以見素常附國忠，禮遇稍薄。 but because Jiansu had long been allied with Guozhong, his treatment was somewhat cooler.

宰臣楊國忠遙制劍南節度使，引圓佐理，乃奏授尚書郎，兼蜀郡大都督府左司馬，知節度留後。 Chief minister Yang Guozhong controlled Jiannan from the capital and brought Yuan in to help run the circuit. He had Yuan appointed a secretariat director, made him left military aide in the Shu metropolitan government, and put him in charge of rear affairs for the military governorship.

圓素懷功名，初聞國難，潛使人探國忠深旨，知有行幸之計，乃增修城池，建置館宇，儲備什器。 Yuan had long sought fame. When rebellion broke out he secretly learned from Guozhong's circle that the emperor meant to flee to Shu, and he hastened to repair the walls, build lodges, and stock supplies for the imperial arrival.

天寶末，楊國忠出不附己者，渙出為劍州刺史。 At the end of Tianbao, Yang Guozhong banished those who would not support him, and Huan was sent out as prefect of Jian.

時論以見素取容於國忠，無言匡大政。 Contemporaries said Jiansu had curried favor with Guozhong and failed to speak out on great matters of state.

且國忠恃內戚，弄重權，沮林甫奸豪，取其大位，若見素之孤直，豈許取容？ Besides, Guozhong relied on imperial kinship, wielded enormous power, and displaced the powerful Li Linfu. Would a man as upright and independent as Jiansu have been permitted merely to flatter him?

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 113Volume 109 Biographies 59: Feng Gang, Ashinashe'er, Qibi Heli, Heichi Changzhi, Li Duozuo, Li Siye, Bai Xiaode · 3 passages

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屬祿山叛逆，楊國忠以晉卿有時望，將抑之，乃奏云：「宜以大臣鎮東道。」 When Lushan rose in rebellion, Yang Guozhong, wishing to curb Jinqing's standing at court, memorialized: "A senior minister should be posted to guard the eastern route."

天寶末，楊國忠當國，出不附己者例為外官，遵慶亦出為郡守。 At the end of Tianbao, when Yang Guozhong held power, those who did not support him were routinely sent to provincial posts; Zunqing too was sent out as prefect.

遵慶學術貞明，為國忠所出； Zunqing's learning was upright and clear, yet Yang Guozhong posted him out of the capital;

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 117Volume 113 Biographies 63: Miao Jingqing, Pei Mian, Pei Zunqing · 3 passages

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屬祿山叛逆，楊國忠以晉卿有時望，將抑之，乃奏云：「宜以大臣鎮東道。」 When An Lushan rose in rebellion, Yang Guozhong—wishing to sideline Jingqing, who still commanded wide respect—memorialized, saying, "A senior minister should be posted to guard the eastern circuit."

天寶末，楊國忠當國，出不附己者例為外官，遵慶亦出為郡守。 Late in the Tianbao era Yang Guozhong dominated the government and routinely posted opponents to provincial office. Zunqing too was sent out as a prefect.

遵慶學術貞明，為國忠所出； Zunqing's learning was upright and his conduct clear, yet Yang Guozhong had him posted to the provinces;

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 119Volume 115 Biographies 65: Cui Qi, Zhao Guozhen, Cui Guan, Jing Kuo, Wei Yuanfu, Wei Shaoyou, Wei Boyu, Li Cheng · 3 passages

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時南蠻閣羅鳳叛，宰臣楊國忠兼劍南節度，遙制其務，屢喪師徒。 At that time the southern chieftain Geluofeng rebelled. Chief Minister Yang Guozhong also held the Jiannan command and directed operations from afar, losing armies again and again.

中書舍人張漸薦國珍有武略，習知南方地形，國忠遂奏用之。 Secretariat drafter Zhang Jian recommended Guozhen for his military skill and intimate knowledge of southern terrain, and Guozhong memorialized for his appointment.

天寶末，宰臣楊國忠出不附己者，括以例為果州刺史。 At the end of the Tianbao era, Chief Minister Yang Guozhong drove out those who would not align with him; by precedent Kuo was sent out as prefect of Guo.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 45Volume 45 Treatises 40: Selecting and Appointing Officials 2 · 1 passage

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楊國忠以右相兼文部尚書，建議選人視官資、書判、狀跡、功優，宜對眾定留放。 Yang Guozhong as right chancellor and literary minister proposed deciding retention publicly from qualifications, judgment papers, records, and merit.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 51Volume 51 Treatises 47: Finance and Economics 1 · 1 passage

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及安祿山反，司空楊國忠以為正庫物不可以給士，遣侍御史崔眾至太原納錢度僧尼道士，旬日得百萬緡而已。 When An Lushan rebelled, Yang Guozhong, finding the regular treasury inadequate for troops, sent Censor Cui Zhong to Taiyuan to sell ordinations—and raised only a million strings in ten days.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 54Volume 54 Treatises 50: Finance and Economics 3 · 3 passages

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兵部侍郎楊國忠欲招權以市恩，揚鞭市門曰：「行當復之。」 Vice Minister Yang Guozhong, courting popularity, cracked his whip at the market gate and declared: "The old coin will soon return."

國忠又言錢非鐵錫、銅沙、穿穴、古文，皆得用之。 Guozhong further ruled that any coin not made of iron, tin, copper slag, pierced, or ancient-script was acceptable.

天下鑪九十九：絳州三十，揚、潤、宣、鄂、蔚皆十，益、郴皆五，洋州三，定州一。 Ninety-nine furnaces operated nationwide: thirty at Jiangzhou, ten each at Yang, Run, Xuan, E, and Yu, five each at Yi and Chen, three at Yang Prefecture, and one at Dingzhou.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 55Volume 55 Treatises 51: Finance and Economics 4 · 2 passages

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宰相楊國忠身兼數官，堂封外月給錢百萬。 Chancellor Yang Guozhong held several posts at once and, beyond his regular emoluments, received one million cash each month.

十二載，國忠以兩京百官職田送租勞民，請五十里外輸於縣倉，鬥納直二錢，百里外納直三錢，使百官就請於縣，然縣吏欺盜蓋多，而閑司有不能自直者。 In Tianbao 12 (753) Guozhong argued that delivering office-land rents burdened the populace of both capitals and proposed county granaries beyond fifty li, with a two-cash handling fee per dou within one hundred li and three beyond; officials were to collect at the county, but clerks embezzled heavily and many nominal posts could no longer pay their way.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 121Volume 121 Biographies 46: Liu, Zhong, Cui, and the Two Kings · 1 passage

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安祿山反，謀誅楊國忠闕下，不克，至馬嵬，卒誅之。 When An Lushan rebelled he tried to kill Yang Guozhong at the gate and failed; at Mawei he finally killed him.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 141Volume 141 Biographies 66: Cui, Deng, Wei, Wei, Li Han, Lu, Gao · 1 passage

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開元末，為唐安令，與楊國忠善，累遷京兆少尹，為吐蕃吊祭使，還，會玄宗西狩，詔留光遠為京兆尹、西京留守、采訪使。 At the end of the Kaiyuan era he served as magistrate of Tang'an, was on good terms with Yang Guozhong, and rose repeatedly to vice governor of Jingzhao. Sent as mourning envoy to Tibet, he returned just as Emperor Xuanzong fled west; he was ordered to remain as governor of Jingzhao, custodian of the western capital, and investigation commissioner.