Yang Fuguang

Yang Fuguang (842–883 ), formally Duke Zhongsu of Hongnong (弘農忠肅公), was a Chinese eunuch, military general, and politician of the Tang dynasty, who was considered a major contributor to the Tang cause in finally defeating Huang Chao's rebellion.

Background Yang Fuguang was born in 842, during the reign of Emperor Wuzong. (Yang Fuguang was thus the adoptive cousin of another later-prominent eunuch, Yang Fugong, as Yang Fugong was the adopted son of Yang Xuanjie's adoptive brother Yang Xuanyi (楊玄翼).) In 877, Yang sent messengers to Wang and persuaded him to surrender to Tang imperial forces. Wang agreed, and he sent his general Shang Junzhang (尚君長) to further discuss the matter with Yang. Zeng's superior Song Wei (宋威), however, ambushed and captured Shang on his way to Yang's camp. Song then submitted a report claiming that he had captured Shang in battle. Despite Yang's report that Shang was participating in Wang's negotiations to surrender, then-reigning Emperor Xizong believed Song's report and had Shang executed. In anger, Wang broke off negotiations and continued his rebellion. Subsequently, when the chancellor Wang Duo was put in overall command of the operations, Yang served as the eunuch monitor of his army. Yang subsequently joined forces with Wang Chongrong the military governor of Hezhong Circuit (河中, headquartered in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi), and they persuaded Zhu, who then was at Tong Prefecture (同州, in modern Weinan, Shaanxi), to join the Tang cause as well. For his contributions, he was given the honorific title of Kaifu Yitong Sansi (開府儀同三司) and created the Duke of Hongnong.

Yang died later in 883, at Hezhong. It was said that because he had led the troops well, the troops greatly mourned his death. Yang had a large number of adopted sons (who were not eunuchs), and many of them would become key military officers.

Notes and references

Old Book of Tang, vol. 184. New Book of Tang, vol. 207. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 252, 253, 254, 255.