Yang Dongqian

Yang Dongqian (died 935 ), courtesy name Zhaoxuan , was an official of the Southern Han dynasty of China, serving as a chancellor.

Background It is not known when Yang Dongqian was born. His ancestors had been Tang officials, with his great-great-grandfather Yang Hui serving as the governor of Suining Commandery (遂寧, in modern Suining, Sichuan) —and thus being datable to the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, during whose reign, for some time, Tang prefectures were known as commanderies (from 742 to 757 ). Yang Dongqian's great-grandfather (Yang Hui's son) Yang Mian moved from there south of the Nanling Mountains, to Shixing, and made his home there.

In 911, Liu Yin died and was succeeded by his brother Liu Yan. )

During Liu Yan's reign In 917, Liu Yan declared himself emperor of a new state of Yue (later changed to Han, and therefore historically known as Southern Han) as its Emperor Gaozu. He was about to name Yang Dongqian a chancellor with the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi and minister of defense (兵部尚書, Bingbu Shangshu), but Yang, believing that he should not be honored above another chancellor candidate, Zhao Guangyi, who had been a Later Liang emissary and whose brother Zhao Guangfeng was a chancellor to Later Liang, offered to be subordinate to Zhao. Liu agreed, to generally teach the people about the proper rites,

However, Liu Yan responded, "This is just for my son to teach them about war. I am sorry this is overly concerning you, Lord." He made no attempts to curb Liu Hongdu's behavior. Once Yang exited the palace, he saw Liu Hongdu's guards robbing gold and silk from merchants, but the merchants did not dare to make reports against them. He lamented and stated, "If the governance has become this troubled, what use is there for a chancellor?" He therefore claimed an illness and returned to his mansion. He was there for quite some time without Liu Yan ever making an attempt to summon him again. He died at home in 935.

Notes and references

Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms , vol. 62. Book of Southern Han , vol. 9. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 270, 271, 279.