Yang Yichen

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This article is part of the Transition from Sui to Tang series.
Sui Dynasty imperials
Emperor Yang
Empress Xiao
Emperor Gong
Yang Tong
Yang Hao
Tang Dynasty imperials
Emperor Gaozu
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Li Jiancheng
Li Yuanji
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Dou Jiande
Fu Gongshi
Gao Kaidao
Li Gui
Li Mi
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Other generals or key figures
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Du Fuwei
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Yang Xuangan
Yang Yichen
Yuwen Shu
Zhai Rang

Yang Yichen (楊義臣) (d. 617?), né Weichi Yichen (尉遲義臣), was a general of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty. 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, suspicious of Yang Yichen's abilities, removed him from his military position, and thereafter the agrarian rebels went unchecked. Yang Yichen died soon thereafter.

[edit] Background

Yang Yicheng's father Weichi Chong (尉遲崇) was ethnically Xianbei and a distant relative of the general Weichi Jiong. Weichi Chong was a general during Northern Zhou 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, Hebei), and Weichi Chong, believing Yang Jian to have great ambitions, befriended Yang Jian. After Yang Jian seized power as regent in 580, Weichi Jiong, suspicious of Yang Jian's intentions, rebelled at Xiang Province (相州, roughly modern Handan, Hebei). When Weichi Chong heard this, as he was a relative of Weichi 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 to serve as one of Yang Jian's assistants. After Yang Jian seized the throne from Emperor Jing of Northern Zhou in 581, ending Northern Zhou and establishing Sui Dynasty as its Emperor Wen, he created Weichi Chong the Duke of Qinxing. In 582, Weichi Chong served under Daxi Zhangru (達奚長儒) in a campaign against Tujue's Shabolüe Khan Ashina Shetu, and while Daxi achieved victory, Weichi died in the battle.

At the time that Weichi Chong died, his son Weichi Yicheng was said to be still young. Emperor Wen took Weichi Yicheng 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 Weichi Chong's contributions. He therefore issued an edict giving Weichi Yicheng 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 thereafter, Emperor Wen made him the governor of Shan Province (陝州, roughly modern Sanmenxia, Henan).

[edit] Service during Emperor Wen's reign

Yang Yicheng 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 Yicheng 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, and Yang Yicheng was not rewarded for his contributions. Sometime during Emperor Wen's late reign -- the Renshou era (601-604), Yang Yicheng was promoted to be the commandant at Shuo Province (朔州, roughly modern Shuozhou, Shanxi).

[edit] 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 the Crown Prince. Yang Guang took the throne as Emperor Yang. Soon thereafter, Emperor Yang's younger brother Yang Liang the Prince of Han rose in rebellion at Bing Province (并州, roughly modern Taiyuan, Shanxi). Yang Liang's general Qiao Zhongkui (喬鍾葵) thereafter put Li Jing (李景), the commandant of Dai Province (代州, roughly modern Xinzhou, Shanxi), who remained loyal to Emperor Yang, under siege. Emperor Yang ordered Yang Yicheng to try to lift the siege against Li, and Yang Yicheng was successful in defeating Qiao. After Yang Liang was defeated and forced to surrender to Yang Su, Yang Yicheng 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 soon thereafter the director of husbandry affairs.

In 609, Yang Yicheng served as a general in the largely successful campaign against Tuyuhun. In 612, he also served in Emperor Yang's first campaign against Goguryeo, commanding part of the force under Yuwen Shu the Duke of Xu that aimed to penetrate deep into Goguryeo territory, against its capital Pyongyang. While Yang Yicheng was personally successful, the campaign was itself a major failure, and as a result, Yang Yicheng was removed from his post. However, Emperor Yang soon restored him, and in 613, when Emperor Yang launched a second campaign against Tuyuhun, Yang Yicheng again served under Yuwen in an attempt to attack Pyongyang, but when news arrived that Yang Su's son Yang Xuangan had rebelled near the eastern capital Luoyang, the campaign was abandoned. Thereafter, with much of Sui territory engulfed in agrarian rebellions, Yang Yicheng was sent against the rebel leader Xiang Haiming (向海明), who had claimed imperial title near Chang'an, and Yang Yicheng defeated Xiang.

In 616, Emperor Yang sent Yang Yicheng 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 Yicheng 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, engaged Yang Yicheng, and Yang Yicheng 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 had become suspicious of Yang Yicheng after his victories. Emperor Yang summoned Yang Yicheng to his then-location at Jiangdu (江都, in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu) and, ostensibly promoting him, made him the minister of ceremonies, while disbanding his troops. Yang Yicheng died soon thereafter.