Yang Xian (; 1321–1370), born Yang Bi (), courtesy name Xiwu (), was a Chinese official of the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

, part of the East Zhe (Zhedong) faction ( Liu Ji). In 1356,

Zhu Yuanzhang The Hongwu Emperor (21 October 1328– 24 June 1398), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Taizu of Ming, personal name Zhu Yuanzhang, courtesy name Guorui, was the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1368 to 1398. In ...

seized Jiankang (present-day

Nanjing Nanjing or Nanking is the capital of Jiangsu, a province in East China. The city, which is located in the southwestern corner of the province, has 11 districts, an administrative area of , and a population of 9,423,400. Situated in the Yang ...

), and Yang Xian joined him and took charge of the documents. He also accused Zhang Chang (張昶) of cherishing the

Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty ( ; zh, c=元朝, p=Yuáncháo), officially the Great Yuan (; Mongolian language, Mongolian: , , literally 'Great Yuan State'), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after Div ...

, which was highly valued by Zhu Yuanzhang. In 1368, he was appointed as the Assistant Administrator of the Imperial Secretariat (參知政事). The following year, he was promoted to the position of Vice Chancellor of the Right (右丞) and given the name Yang Xian. During his tenure, he

impeached Impeachment is a process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In Eu ...

Vice Chancellor of the Left, Wang Guangyang, for "failing to uphold his mother" (奉母無狀). Yang Xian was known for his acute personality.

Hu Weiyong Hu Weiyong (; died 1380) was a Chinese official of the early Ming dynasty and a close adviser of the Hongwu Emperor. In the second half of the 1370s, he headed the civil administration of the empire. However, in 1380, he was accused of treason an ...

once said to

Li Shanchang Li Shanchang (; 1314–1390) was a Chinese official of the Ming dynasty, part of the West Huai (Huaixi) faction, and Duke of Han, one of the six founding dukes of the Ming dynasty in 1370. Li Shanchang was one of Emperor Hongwu's associates duri ...

, "If Yang Xian were to become Grand Chancellor, we Huai people would not be able to become high officials". In 1370, he was appointed Vice Chancellor of the Left (左丞). Later, Li Shanchang impeached him for "bringing false charges against a minister" (排陷大臣) and "acting wantonly as a traitor" (放肆為奸), and he was killed. Yang Xian and Liu Ji were close friends, and Yang Xian's death intensified the dispute between the East Zhe faction and the West Huai faction. After Yang Xian's death, Li Shanchang and Hu Weiyong's West Huai faction officially took control of the government.劉基晚年畏懼，作《犁眉公集》中有《旅興》詩云：「身世且未保，況敢言功勳。」最後死因不明。

References

{{s-end Year of birth unknown 1370 deaths 14th-century executions by China. Executed people from Shanxi Ming dynasty government officials People executed by dismemberment People executed by the Ming dynasty Politicians from Taiyuan Yuan dynasty people

See also

References