Sui and Tang · Second emperor of the Sui dynasty, born Yang Guang

Emperor Yang of Sui 隋煬帝

Suí Yángdì

First attested AD 582; died AD 618

Passages
162
Chapters
22
Histories
8

Overview

Emperor Yang of Sui was a Second emperor of the Sui dynasty, born Yang Guang.

IdentityHistorical · Male

Other names

TypeEnglishChinesePinyin
Personal name Yang Guang 楊廣 Yang Guang
Posthumous name Emperor Ming 明皇帝 Míng Huángdì
Temple name Shizu 世祖 Shìzǔ

Life and dates

Death

Attested activity

Show 39 more source-backed claims

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Key source chapters

  1. Book of Sui, Chapter 59 Volume 59 Biographies 24: Three Sons of Emperor Yang 44 passages
  2. Book of Sui, Chapter 43 Volume 43 Biographies 8: He Jian Wanghong, Yang Chugang, Yang Zichong, Guang De, Wang Xiong 4 passages
  3. Book of Sui, Chapter 61 Volume 61 Biographies 26: Yu Wenshu, Guo Yan 18 passages
  4. Book of Sui, Chapter 36 Volume 36 Biographies 1: Empresses and Consorts 14 passages
  5. History of the Northern Dynasties, Chapter 88 Volume 88 Biographies 76: Recluses 11 passages

Career and standing

Show 17 more source-backed claims

Places and affiliations

Show 6 more source-backed claims

Works and attributed material

Show 16 more source-backed claims

Events and relationships

Show 23 more source-backed claims

Assessments and attributes

  • Assessment Between father and son he still harbored suspicion and distrust—what bond could remain between husband and wife! · Mode historian-judgment
    Directly stated · Book of Sui 36, passage 259
  • Assessment coveted throne and twisted succession · Mode historian-judgment
    Directly stated · History of Song 13, passage 215
  • Assessment disliked-plain-fa-tune-sound · Mode narrative
    Directly stated · New Book of Tang 22, passage 75
  • Assessment extended imperial might to the eight directions; coveted exotic treasures · Mode historian-judgment
    Directly stated · Book of Sui 82, passages 199-200
  • Assessment Having gained the throne by improper means, he thereafter believed that no one could be loyal or trustworthy. · Mode historian-judgment
    Directly stated · Book of Sui 36, passage 258
  • Assessment in heart had no father-son bond with Prince of Qi; outward show of ruler-subject respect; person had not accumulated goodness, and the state bore remaining calamity · With Prince Zheng of Qi (齊王) · Mode historian-judgment
    Directly stated · Book of Sui 59, passage 262
Show 1 more source-backed claim

Source notes

References in the histories

162 passages

History of the Northern Dynasties, Chapter 88Volume 88 Biographies 76: Recluses · 11 passages
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Book of Chen, Chapter 7Volume 7: Empresses and Consorts · 3 passages
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Book of Chen, Chapter 24Volume 24: Zhou Hongzheng; Yuan Xian · 1 passage
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History of Liao, Chapter 39Volume 39 Treatises 9: Geography 3 · 1 passage
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History of the Southern Dynasties, Chapter 12Volume 12 Biographies 2: Empresses and Consorts 2 · 3 passages
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History of Song, Chapter 13Volume 13 Annals 13: Yingzong · 1 passage
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Book of Sui, Chapter 5Volume 5 Annals 5: Emperor Gong · 7 passages
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Book of Sui, Chapter 36Volume 36 Biographies 1: Empresses and Consorts · 14 passages
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Book of Sui, Chapter 43Volume 43 Biographies 8: He Jian Wanghong, Yang Chugang, Yang Zichong, Guang De, Wang Xiong · 4 passages
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Book of Sui, Chapter 44Volume 44 Biographies 9: Teng Mu Wangzan, Daodao Wangjing, Caiwang Zhiji · 4 passages
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Book of Sui, Chapter 51Volume 51 Biographies 16: Zhang Sunlan · 4 passages
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Book of Sui, Chapter 52Volume 52 Biographies 17: Han Qinhu, He Ruobi · 10 passages
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Book of Sui, Chapter 53Volume 53 Biographies 18: Daxi Zhangru, Helou Zigan, Shi Wansui, Liu Fang · 3 passages
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先是，南寧夷爨翫來降，拜昆州刺史，既而復叛．遂以萬歲為行軍總管，率眾擊之．入自蜻蛉川，經弄凍，次小勃弄、大勃弄，至于南中．賊前後屯據要害，萬歲皆擊破之．行數百里，見諸葛亮紀功碑，銘其背曰：「萬歲之後，勝我者過此．」萬歲令左右倒其碑而進．渡西二河，入渠濫川，行千餘里，破其三十餘部，虜獲男女二萬餘口．諸夷大懼，遣使請降，獻明珠徑寸．於是勒石頌美隋德．萬歲遣使馳奏，請將翫入朝，詔許之．爨翫陰有二心，不欲詣闕，因賂萬歲以金寶，萬歲於是捨翫而還．蜀王時在益州，知其受賂，遣使將索之．萬歲聞而悉以所得金寶沉之於江，索無所獲．以功進位柱國．晉王廣虛衿敬之，待以交友之禮．上知為所善，令萬歲督晉府軍事．明年，爨翫復反，蜀王秀奏萬歲受賂縱賊，致生邊患，無大臣節．上令窮治其事，事皆驗，罪當死．上數之曰：「受金放賊，重勞士馬．朕念將士暴露，寢不安席，食不甘味，卿豈社稷臣也？」 Earlier, Cuan Wan of the Ningnan Yi had surrendered and been made governor of Kunzhou, then rebelled again. Wansui was sent as commander on campaign against him. He entered by the Qingling River, passed Nongdong, and halted at Lesser and Greater Bonong before reaching the southern heartland. The rebels held every strong point; Wansui broke them all. After several hundred li he came upon Zhuge Liang’s victory stele, inscribed on the back: “After ten thousand years, whoever surpasses me will pass this place.” Wansui had his men overturn it and march on. He crossed the two western rivers, entered the Quluan River, marched more than a thousand li, and shattered more than thirty tribes, taking more than twenty thousand captives. The Yi were terrified, sent envoys to surrender, and presented a pearl an inch across. He carved a stone praising Sui virtue. Wansui sent a swift report asking that Wan be brought to court; the edict agreed. Wan secretly had no wish to come to the capital and bribed Wansui with gold and jewels; Wansui then left him and returned. The prince of Shu was in Yizhou; learning of the bribe, he sent men to seize the goods. Wansui heard of it and sank everything he had received in the river, and nothing was found. For his merit he was made pillar of state. Prince Jin Guang treated him with open respect as a friend. The emperor, knowing Guang favored him, put Wansui in charge of the prince of Jin’s military affairs. The next year Cuan Wan rebelled again. Prince Xiu of Shu reported that Wansui had taken bribes and released the rebel, bringing border trouble and failing the integrity of a great minister. A full investigation confirmed everything; the crime merited death. The emperor recounted his offenses: “You took gold and let the rebel go, wasting soldiers and horses. When I think of men exposed in the field I cannot sleep or eat with ease—are you a minister of the altars of state?”
開皇末，突厥達頭可汗犯塞，上令晉王廣及楊素出靈武道，漢王諒與萬歲出馬邑道．[一]萬歲率柱國張定和、大將軍李藥王、楊義臣等出塞，至大斤山，與虜相遇．達頭遣使問曰：「隋將為誰？」 At the end of Kaihuang the Turk khan Tatou raided the frontier. The emperor sent Prince Jin Guang and Yang Su by the Lingwu route, and Prince Han Liang and Wansui by the Mayi route. [1] Wansui led the pillars of state Zhang Dinghe and the grand generals Li Yaowang, Yang Yichen, and others beyond the border. At Mount Dajin they met the enemy. Tatou sent a messenger to ask, “Who is the Sui general?”
尋授驩州道行軍總管，以尚書右丞李綱為司馬，經略林邑．方遣欽州刺史甯長真、驩州刺史李暈、上開府秦雄以步騎出越常，方親率大將軍張愻、司馬李綱舟師趣比景．高祖崩，煬帝即位，大業元年正月，軍至海口．林邑王梵志遣兵守險，方擊走之．師次闍黎江，賊據南岸立柵，方盛陳旗幟，擊金鼓，賊懼而潰．既渡江，行三十里，賊乘巨象，四面而至．方以弩射象，象中創，卻蹂其陣，王師力戰，賊奔於柵，因攻破之，俘馘萬計．於是濟區粟，度六里，前後逢賊，每戰必擒．進至大緣江，賊據險為柵，又擊破之．逕馬援銅柱，南行八日，至其國都．林邑王梵志棄城奔海，獲其廟主金人，污其宮室，刻石紀功而還．士卒腳腫，死者十四五．方在道遇患而卒，帝甚傷惜之，乃下詔曰：「方肅承廟略，恭行天討，飲冰遄邁，視險若夷．摧鋒直指，出其不意，鯨鯢盡殪，巢穴咸傾，役不再勞，肅清海外．致身王事，誠績可嘉，可贈上柱國、盧國公．」子通仁嗣． He was soon made commander on the Huanzhou route with Li Gang of the state affairs office as chief of staff to pacify Linyi. Fang sent Ning Changzhen, governor of Qinzhou, Li Yun, governor of Huanzhou, and the superior director Qin Xiong with infantry and cavalry by Yuechang, while he himself led Zhang Xun and Li Gang with the fleet toward Bijing. Gaozu died and Emperor Yang succeeded; in the first month of Daye year one the army reached Haikou. King Fan Zhi of Linyi sent troops to hold the passes; Fang drove them off. At the Zhanli River the enemy held the south bank behind palisades. Fang displayed his banners and beat drums and gongs; the enemy broke in fear. After crossing they marched thirty li when the enemy came on great elephants from every side. Fang shot the elephants with crossbows; wounded, they trampled their own ranks. The imperial army fought hard; the enemy fled to their palisades and were stormed, with tens of thousands taken. They crossed the Qulu and the Six Li, met the enemy again and again, and captured them in every fight. At the Dayuan River the enemy held the passes once more and were broken again. Passing Ma Yuan’s bronze pillar, they marched south eight days to the capital. King Fan Zhi abandoned the city and fled to the sea. They seized the temple’s golden image, defiled the palaces, carved a stone of victory, and returned. The soldiers had swollen feet; four or five in ten died. Fang fell ill on the road and died. The emperor mourned him deeply and issued an edict: “Fang reverently carried out the state’s strategy and Heaven’s punishment, drinking ice as he hastened on, treating peril as level ground. He crushed the vanguard and struck unawares; the enemy were destroyed and their nests overturned; the work was not done twice and the southern sea was cleared. He gave his life to the throne with true merit—let him be posthumously pillar of state of the first rank and duke of Lu.” His son Tongren succeeded him.
Book of Sui, Chapter 54Volume 54 Biographies 19: Wang Zhangshu, Li Yan, Yi Louqian, Tian Rengong, Yuan Heng, Du Zheng, Li Che, Cui Peng · 8 passages
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Book of Sui, Chapter 59Volume 59 Biographies 24: Three Sons of Emperor Yang · 44 passages
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Book of Sui, Chapter 61Volume 61 Biographies 26: Yu Wenshu, Guo Yan · 18 passages
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Book of Sui, Chapter 72Volume 72 Biographies 37: Filial Piety · 3 passages
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Book of Sui, Chapter 77Volume 77 Biographies 42: Recluses · 11 passages
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Book of Sui, Chapter 79Volume 79 Biographies 44: Imperial Affines · 6 passages
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Book of Sui, Chapter 82Volume 82 Biographies 47: The Nanman · 2 passages
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New Book of Tang, Chapter 22Volume 22 Treatises 12: Rites and Music 12 · 2 passages
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Book of Zhou, Chapter 9Volume 9 Biographies 1: Empresses · 2 passages
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