Yang Bin

Yang Bin (楊邠) (died December 24, 950 ), formally the Prince of Hongnong (弘農王) (as posthumously honored during Later Zhou), was a chancellor of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period Later Han state, serving effectively as the head of the government for most of the reign of its second emperor Liu Chengyou (Emperor Yin), leading a group of high-ranking officials in doing so. However, Liu Chengyou eventually tired of these officials' governance and had Yang killed, along with Shi Hongzhao and Wang Zhang.

Background It is not known when Yang Bin was born, but it is known that he was from Guangshi (冠氏, in modern Liaocheng, Shandong). In his youth, he became an administrator at the headquarters of the military governor (Jiedushi) of Tianxiong Circuit (天雄, headquartered in modern Handan, Hebei), whose capital Wei Prefecture Guanshi belonged to. His wife Lady Kong's paternal uncle was the prominent Later Tang official Kong Qian, who, during the reign of Later Tang's first emperor Li Cunxu, served as the director of material pricing (租庸使, Zuyongshi). During Kong's tenure as the director of material pricing, he made Yang an escort officer, and subsequently, Yang successively served as the food supply officer for three prefectures: Meng (孟州, in modern Luoyang, Henan), Hua (華州, in modern Weinan, Shaanxi), and Yun (鄆州, in modern Tai'an, Shandong). When Liu was subsequently moved to be the defender of Taiyuan, Yang apparently followed Liu to his new post, and became a close confidant of Liu's.

During Liu Zhiyuan's reign Around new year 947, Later Jin's northern neighbor, the Khitan Liao dynasty captured Later Jin's capital Daliang, ending Later Jin. Most Later Jin military governors initially reacted by submitting to Liao's Emperor Taizong as emperor, as Emperor Taizong claimed to be the emperor of central China as well. Liu Zhiyuan initially postured the same way, but his followers, including Yang Bin and Guo Wei, urged him to take imperial title himself. He soon did (as the emperor of a new state that would later be known as Later Han), and, after doing so, made Yang his acting chief of staff (Shumishi).

Meanwhile, Liao's Emperor Taizong, faced with Han Chinese resistance to his rule, left Daliang and intended to return to Liao proper, but died on the way,

Shortly thereafter, Du Chongwei, the Liao-commissioned military governor of Tianxiong, who had submitted to Later Han, rebelled when Liu tried to move him to Guide Circuit (歸德, headquartered in modern Shangqiu, Henan). Liu sent the general Gao Xingzhou to command the Later Han troops against Du, with Liu's half-brother Murong Yanchao serving as Gao's deputy. Disputes soon rose between Gao and Murong over strategy: Gao wanted to surround the city and wear out Du's troops, while Murong wanted to immediately siege the city, and went as far as claiming that Gao's refusal to attack immediately was due to a marriage between Gao's daughter and Du's son. With Gao and Murong having disagreement, Liu decided to personally head to Yedu to oversee the campaign. When he arrived there, Gao continued to advocate the slow siege strategy, wanting to wear out the city's food supply and pointing out that the city was well-defended, so an aggressive attack would cause many casualties. With Murong continuing to accuse him, he also went to Su Fengji and Yang to plead his case, stuffing feces and dirt into his mouth as he was doing so, to emphasize the humiliation he had undergone at Murong's hands. After Yang and Su Fengji reported this to Liu, Liu believed Gao, went to his tent to thank him, and rebuked Murong. (Gao's strategy would eventually force Du into surrendering.)

In 949, after Guo suppressed Li Shouzhen's rebellion (as well as Wang Jingchong's and Zhao Siwan's), Guo declined to be honored alone for his achievements, and therefore all of the high-level officials were honored. In Yang's case, he was given the additional title of You Pushe (右僕射, one of the heads of the executive bureau of government (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng)).

In summer 950, Yang offered to resign his post as chief of staff, as a sign of showing humility, but Liu Chengyou sent a eunuch to dissuade him from resigning. At that time, also present was the director of palace affairs, Wu Qianyu , who made the comment, "The Office of the Chief of Staff is a burdensome place, and it is difficult for anyone to be there long. A successor should be considered, and the Lord Chancellor [(i.e., Yang)] is correct in trying to resign." Liu heard of this and became displeased with Wu, and sent him out of the capital to serve as the defender of Zheng Prefecture (鄭州, in modern Zhengzhou, Henan).

Shortly, an incident occurred to further damage the relationship between the leading officials. They had discussed and resolved that, because of frequent Liao incursions and the inability for the circuits to coordinate their defenses, Guo should be sent to Yedu (鄴都, i.e., Wei Prefecture) to serve as its defender (as well as the military governor of Tianxiong) to coordinate the defense against Liao. Shi advocated that Guo be allowed to continue to retain his title as chief of staff to allow him to give orders to the military governors. Su Fengji opposed, pointing out that there had been no precedent to allow a military governor to continue to retain chief of staff title. Eventually, Liu Chengyou approved Shi's proposal. When Shi then complained to Su about his opposition, Su responded, "Letting the central government control the outlying circuits is proper. How can it be that now you are letting an outlying circuit control the central government?"

It was at the send-off dinner for Guo the next day, at Dou's mansion, that frictions within the imperial government came to the forefront. At the feast, Shi, when toasting Guo, spoke in a harsh voice, "How could there have been opposition when we discussed this matter yesterday at the imperial gathering? Now, let us drink, younger brother [(i.e., Guo)]!" Su and Yang also raised their cups and stated, "This is an important matter for the state. Do not bear grudges!" Shi responded, again in a harsh voice, "To settle the state, it takes long spears and large swords. What use does the ink brush have? Wang Zhang responded, "Without ink brushes, where does money come from?" It was said that from this point on, there were increasing tension between generals and chancellors. Later, when Guo was about to leave the capital, he went to see Liu Chengyou and stated to him:

Liu Chengyou showed a serious expression and thanked Guo. However, the tension between the officials continued. Not long after Guo's departure, Wang Zhang hosted a feast for the honored officials. During the feast, there was a drinking game that Shi was unfamiliar with. The director of diplomatic protocol, Yan Jinqing , was seated next to Shi, and repeatedly reminded him of what the game's rules were. Su Fengji joked, "When you are seated next to someone named Yan, you need not fear being punished." However, Shi took the comment badly, as he thought that Su was satirizing his wife Lady Yan, who was once a prostitute working in a drinking hall. He cursed Su, and when Su did not respond, got up and wanted to batter Su. As a response, Su left, and he took a sword and considered chasing after Su. Yang wept and urged him to stop, stating, "Lord Su is a chancellor. If you, Lord, killed him, what kind of a place are you putting the Son of Heaven into? Please think carefully!" Shi thereafter got on a horse and left, and Yang followed him on a horse as well, not leaving him until he reached his manor. When Liu Chengyou heard of this, he sent the director of palace affairs, Wang Jun, to try to moderate, but could not repair the relationship between them. Su considered requesting an assignment as a circuit military governor, but then decided that if he left the capital, Shi could easily destroy him, and so did not. Wang Zhang, however, did request such an assignment, but Yang and Shi urged him against leaving the capital.

By winter 950, Liu Chengyou himself had tired of the control the senior officials had on his government, even though, under Yang's leadership, the imperial government was considered well-run, and Shi's overseeing of the capital made it safe for the public. Part of the friction came from how his close associates and relatives of the empress dowager were trying to gain power, but were being thwarted by Yang and Shi. At that time, Empress Dowager Li's younger brother Li Ye was serving as the director of miscellaneous affairs (武德使, Wudeshi) inside the palace, but wanted to be promoted to the higher position of director of palace affairs, a desire that Liu Chengyou and Empress Dowager Li were both in concurrence with, but Yang and Shi considered inappropriate as he lacked the seniority, so they stopped his commission. Further, Hou Kuangzan the director of imperial stables, Guo Yunming the director of tea and wine, and Nie Wenjin the liaison officer at the office of the chiefs of staff, were all favored by Liu Chengyou, but had long not been promoted, causing them to be resentful. When Liu Chengyou wanted to make his favorite concubine Consort Geng empress, Yang considered it too quick after the expiration of his morning period for Liu Zhiyuan, and so opposed it. When Consort Geng died, Yang opposed Liu Chengyou's wishes to have her buried with the ceremonies due an empress. Further, there was an occasion when Yang and Shi were discussing state matters with Liu Chengyou, Liu Chengyou made the comment, "Be careful! Do not let others get a chance to criticize you!" Yang responded, "Your Imperial Majesty should just be quiet. Your subjects are still here." This led to Liu Chengyou's resentment toward them, and his close associates thereafter falsely accused Yang and the others of plotting against him. As Su resented Shi, he also incited Li Ye and the others.

Liu Chengyou, thereafter, plotted with Li Ye, Nie, Hou, and Guo Yunming to kill Yang and the others. Liu Chengyou reported his plans to Empress Dowager Li, who responded, "How can such things be easily considered! You should discuss with the chancellors further." However, Li Ye then stated, "The deceased Emperor had said before that the matters of the state should not be discussed with scholars. Their timidity will ruin you." When Empress Dowager Li tried to speak again, Liu Chengyou responded angrily, "The matters of state cannot be decided in the halls of a woman!"

On December 24, 950, as the officials were arriving at the palace for the imperial gathering, a number of soldiers appeared and killed Yang, Shi, and Wang Zhang. Subsequently, Liu Chengyou declared that they had committed treason, and stated to the chancellors and the other officials, "Yang Bin and the others viewed us as a young child. We finally now get to be your true lord. You should not worry!" He sent soldiers to arrest and kill the relatives and close associates of Yang, Shi, and Wang. Later, after Guo overthrew Liu Chengyou and established Later Zhou, Guo posthumously created Yang as the Prince of Hongnong.

Notes and references

Old History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 107. New History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 30. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 286, 287, 288, 289.