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Yang Yichen (; died 617?), né Yuchi Yichen (尉遲義臣), was a general of the
Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
dynasty
Sui Dynasty The Sui dynasty (, ) was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China that lasted from 581 to 618. The Sui unified the Northern and Southern dynasties, thus ending the long period of division following the fall of the Western Jin dynasty, and layi ...
. During the late reign of Emperor Yang, Yang Yichen was one of the few Sui generals having success against agrarian rebels, but in 616, Emperor Yang, unhappy about Yang Yichen's mounting influences, removed him from his military position, and thereafter the agrarian rebels went unchecked. Yang Yichen died soon afterwards.


Background

Yang Yichen's father Yuchi Chong (尉遲崇) was ethnically
Xianbei The Xianbei (; ) were a Proto-Mongolic ancient nomadic people that once resided in the eastern Eurasian steppes in what is today Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Northeastern China. They originated from the Donghu people who splintered into the ...
and a distant relative of the general
Yuchi Jiong Yuchi Jiong (尉遲迥) (died 11 September 580''gengwu'' day of the 8th month of the 2nd year of the ''Daxiang'' era, per Emperor Jing's biography in ''Book of Zhou''), courtesy name Bojuluo (薄居羅), was a general of the Xianbei-led Western ...
. Yuchi Chong was a general during
Northern Zhou Zhou (), known in historiography as the Northern Zhou (), was a Xianbei-led dynasty of China that lasted from 557 to 581. One of the Northern dynasties of China's Northern and Southern dynasties period, it succeeded the Western Wei dynasty a ...
and had his defense post at Mount Heng. At that time, the general Yang Jian was the commandant at nearby Ding Province (定州, roughly near
Baoding Baoding (), formerly known as Baozhou and Qingyuan, is a prefecture-level city in central Hebei province, approximately southwest of Beijing. As of the 2010 census, Baoding City had 11,194,382 inhabitants out of which 2,176,857 lived in the b ...
,
Hebei Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, an ...
), and Yuchi Chong, believing Yang Jian to have great ambitions, befriended Yang Jian. After Yang Jian seized power as
regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
in 580, Yuchi Jiong, suspicious of Yang Jian's intentions, rebelled at Xiang Province (相州, roughly modern Handan,
Hebei Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, an ...
). When Yuchi Chong heard this, as he was a relative of Yuchi Jiong's, he threw himself into jail and begged Yang Jian for forgiveness. Yang Jian pardoned him and ordered him to report to the capital
Chang'an Chang'an (; ) is the traditional name of Xi'an. The site had been settled since Neolithic times, during which the Yangshao culture was established in Banpo, in the city's suburbs. Furthermore, in the northern vicinity of modern Xi'an, Qin Shi ...
to serve as one of Yang Jian's assistants. After Yang Jian seized the throne from
Emperor Jing of Northern Zhou Emperor Jing of Northern Zhou ((北)周靜帝) (July or August 573 – 10 July 581), personally name né Yuwen Yan (宇文衍), later Yuwen Chan (宇文闡), was the last emperor of the Xianbei-led Chinese Northern Zhou dynasty. He became empero ...
in 581, ending Northern Zhou and establishing
Sui Dynasty The Sui dynasty (, ) was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China that lasted from 581 to 618. The Sui unified the Northern and Southern dynasties, thus ending the long period of division following the fall of the Western Jin dynasty, and layi ...
as its Emperor Wen, he created Yuchi Chong the Duke of Qinxing. In 582, Yuchi Chong served under Daxi Zhangru (達奚長儒) in a campaign against Tujue's Shabolüe Khan Ashina Shetu, and while Daxi achieved victory, Yuchi died in the battle. At the time that Yuchi Chong died, his son Yuchi Yichen was said to be still young. Emperor Wen took Yuchi Yichen into the palace and raised him there, allowing him to inherit his father's titles. After he became a teenager, he served in the palace guard corps, and when Emperor Wen saw him, he was reminded of Yuchi Chong's contributions. He therefore issued an edict giving Yuchi Yichen a moderate amount of wealth, while bestowing the imperial clan surname of Yang on him and conferring him the status of the emperor's grandnephew. Soon afterwards, Emperor Wen made him the governor of Shan Province (陝州, roughly modern
Sanmenxia Sanmenxia (; postal: Sanmenhsia) is a prefecture-level city in the west of Henan Province, China. The westernmost prefecture-level city in Henan, Sanmenxia borders Luoyang to the east, Nanyang to the southeast, Shaanxi Province to the west and S ...
,
Henan Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...
).


Service during Emperor Wen's reign

Yang Yichen was considered to be honest and careful, with military leadership qualities, and Emperor Wen respected him. In 599, when Tujue's Bujia Khan Ashina Dianjue attacked, Yang Yichen was sent to face Tujue forces, and he repelled them. In 600, in conjunction with Shi Wansui (史萬歲) the Duke of Taiping, he dealt Ashina Dianjue a major defeat. However, later that year, Shi was executed after false accusations by
Yang Su Yang Su (楊素; died August 31, 606), courtesy name Chudao (處道), formally Duke Jingwu of Chu (楚景武公), was a Chinese military general and politician of the Sui dynasty whose authority eventually became nearly as supreme as the emperor' ...
, and Yang Yichen was not rewarded for his contributions. Sometime during Emperor Wen's late reign -- the ''Renshou'' era (601-604), Yang Yichen was promoted to be the commandant at Shuo Province (朔州, roughly modern
Shuozhou Shuozhou is a prefecture-level city in northern Shanxi province, China, bordering Inner Mongolia to the northwest. It is situated along the upper reaches of the Fen River. The prefecture as a whole has an area of about and, in 2010, a popu ...
,
Shanxi Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...
).


During Emperor Yang's reign

In 604, Emperor Wen died—a death that traditional historians, while admitting a lack of direct evidence, generally believe to be a murder ordered by his son,
Yang Guang Emperor Yang of Sui (隋煬帝, 569 – 11 April 618), personal name Yang Guang (), alternative name Ying (), Xianbei name Amo (), also known as Emperor Ming of Sui () during the brief reign of his grandson Yang Tong, was the second emperor of ...
the
Crown Prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...
. Yang Guang took the throne as Emperor Yang. Soon afterwards, Emperor Yang's younger brother
Yang Liang Yang Liang (楊諒) -- courtesy name Dezhang (德章), alternative name Jie (傑), nickname Yiqian (益錢) -- was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty. He was a son of Emperor Wen and his powerful wife Empress Dugu, who, dur ...
the Prince of Han rose in rebellion at Bing Province (并州, roughly modern
Taiyuan Taiyuan (; ; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ; also known as (), ()) is the capital and largest city of Shanxi Province, People's Republic of China. Taiyuan is the political, economic, cultural and international exchange center of Shanxi Province. ...
,
Shanxi Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...
). Yang Liang's general Qiao Zhongkui (喬鍾葵) afterwards put Li Jing (李景), the commandant of Dai Province (代州, roughly modern
Xinzhou Xinzhou, ancient name Xiurong (秀荣), is a prefecture-level city occupying the north-central section of Shanxi Province in the People's Republic of China, bordering Hebei to the east, Shaanxi to the west, and Inner Mongolia to the northwest ...
,
Shanxi Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...
), who remained loyal to Emperor Yang, under siege. Emperor Yang ordered Yang Yichen to try to lift the siege against Li, and Yang Yichen was successful in defeating Qiao. After Yang Liang was defeated and forced to surrender to Yang Su, Yang Yichen was given material rewards and made the governor of Xiang Province. In 607, Emperor Yang recalled him to be the director of imperial clan affairs, and later the director of husbandry affairs. In 609, Yang Yichen served as a general in the largely successful campaign against
Tuyuhun Tuyuhun (; LHC: *''tʰɑʔ-jok-guənʔ''; Wade-Giles: ''T'u-yühun''), also known as Henan () and Azha (; ), was a dynastic kingdom established by the nomadic peoples related to the Xianbei in the Qilian Mountains and upper Yellow River valle ...
. In 612, he also served in Emperor Yang's first campaign against
Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC–668 AD) ( ) also called Goryeo (), was a Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula and the southern and central parts of Northeast China. At its peak of power, Goguryeo controlled most ...
, commanding part of the force under
Yuwen Shu Yuwen Shu (; died 616), courtesy name Botong (伯通), formally Duke Gong of Xu (許恭公), was a Chinese military general and politician of the Sui dynasty. He was a confidant of Emperor Yang (Yang Guang) and was instrumental in Yang Guang's di ...
the Duke of Xu that aimed to penetrate deep into Goguryeo territory, against its capital
Pyongyang Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populatio ...
. While Yang Yichen was personally successful, the campaign was itself a major failure, and as a result, Yang Yichen was removed from his post. However, Emperor Yang soon restored him, and in 613, when Emperor Yang launched a second campaign against Tuyuhun, Yang Yichen again served under Yuwen in an attempt to attack Pyongyang, but when news arrived that Yang Su's son
Yang Xuangan Yang Xuangan (楊玄感 ''Yáng Xuángǎn''; died 613) was a Chinese military general and politician who lived during the Sui Dynasty. He was the son of Yang Su, a military general and politician himself, as he knew that Emperor Yang was apprehe ...
had rebelled near the eastern capital
Luoyang Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River (Henan), Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the ...
the campaign was abandoned. Afterwards, with much of Sui territory engulfed in agrarian rebellions, Yang Yichen was sent against the rebel leader Xiang Haiming (向海明), who had claimed imperial title near Chang'an, and Yang Yichen defeated Xiang. In 616, Emperor Yang sent Yang Yichen against another major rebel leader, Zhang Jincheng (張金稱), and Yang, after lulling Zhang into a sense of security, defeated him and forced him to flee, allowing another Sui general, Yang Shanhui (楊善會), to capture and execute Zhang. Yang Yichen then engaged another major rebel leader, Gao Shida (高士達), who had claimed the title of Duke of Donghai. Around the new year 617, Gao, going against the advice of his subordinate
Dou Jiande Dou Jiande (; 573 – 3 August 621) was a leader of the agrarian rebels who rose against the rule of Emperor Yang of Sui near the end of the Chinese Sui dynasty. Generally considered the kindest and most able of the agrarian rebel leaders ...
, engaged Yang Yichen, and Yang Yichen defeated and killed Gao and nearly captured Dou. However, believing that Dou to not pose a further threat, he did not pursue Dou further. Meanwhile, Emperor Yang and the prime minister
Yu Shiji Yu Shiji (虞世基; before 558 – 11 April 618), courtesy name Maoshi (懋世 or 茂世), was a Chinese politician, poet, and calligrapher who served Emperor Yang of the Sui dynasty as a ''de facto'' chief minister from 607 to 618. Acclaimed fo ...
had become suspicious of Yang Yichen after his victories. Emperor Yang summoned Yang Yichen to his then-location at Jiangdu (江都, in modern
Yangzhou Yangzhou, postal romanization Yangchow, is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province (Suzhong), East China. Sitting on the north bank of the Yangtze, it borders the provincial capital Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yan ...
,
Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, Postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an Eastern China, eastern coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China. It is o ...
) and, ostensibly promoting him, made him the minister of ceremonies, while disbanding his troops. Yang Yichen died soon afterwards.


References

* ''
Book of Sui The ''Book of Sui'' (''Suí Shū'') is the official history of the Sui dynasty. It ranks among the official Twenty-Four Histories of imperial China. It was written by Yan Shigu, Kong Yingda, and Zhangsun Wuji, with Wei Zheng as the lead author. ...
'', vol. 63. * ''
History of Northern Dynasties The ''History of the Northern Dynasties'' () is one of the official Chinese historical works in the ''Twenty-Four Histories'' canon. The text contains 100 volumes and covers the period from 386 to 618, the histories of Northern Wei, Western We ...
'', vol. 73. * ''
Zizhi Tongjian ''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynast ...
'', vols.
180 __NOTOC__ Year 180 ( CLXXX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Rusticus and Condianus (or, less frequently, year 933 '' Ab ...
, 181, 182, 183. {{DEFAULTSORT:Yichen, Yang Sui dynasty generals Sui dynasty politicians 617 deaths Year of birth unknown Transition from Sui to Tang