Yang Shenxiu (楊深秀)

Overview

Yang Shenxiu was a Censor and Reform Martyr.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Changed name	Yuxiu	毓秀	Yuxiu
Courtesy name	Yicun	儀村	Yicun

Life and dates

Death

AD 1898 二十四年
Execution
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 464, passage 124

Attested activity

AD 1898 二十四年
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 464, passages 112, 122
AD 1898 光緒二十四年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 445, passage 165
AD 1889 十五年
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 464, passage 110
AD 1862 to AD 1864 同治初
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 464, passage 108

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Yang Futian (黻田)
father 父
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 464, passage 123

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Censor 御史
Appointed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 464, passage 110
Department director 郎中
Appointed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 464, passage 110
censor 御史
Held
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 445, passage 165
Assistant department director of Punishments 刑部員外郎
Purchased
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 464, passage 108

Places and affiliations

Qing 清
Relation Served
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 464, passage 108
At Wenxi, Shanxi 山西聞喜
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 464, passage 106

Learning and skills

Earned
Credential Presented Scholar 進士
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 464, passage 110
Held
Credential Provincial graduate 舉人
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 464, passage 108
Skill Chinese and Western mathematics 中西算術 · Level versed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 464, passage 107

Works and attributed material

Wenxi xian xinzhi 聞喜縣新志
Relation Author
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 464, passage 127
Xushengtang gao 虛聲堂稿
Relation Author
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 464, passage 127
AD 1898 二十四年
Memorial · Author
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 464, passages 113, 115, 119-120, 122
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 464, passage 111

Events and relationships

Arrested and executed
AD 1898 二十四年 · Legal · Defendant
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 464, passage 124
Proposed corvee reform
Administrative · Advisor
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 464, passage 109
Legal · Impeacher · With Xu Yingkui (許應騤)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 445, passage 165
Relation Ally of · Person Song Bolu (宋伯魯)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 464, passage 116

Assessments and attributes

Assessment blunt and upright · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 464, passage 125

Source notes

Six Gentlemen 六君子
Statement One of the Six Gentlemen executed the same day
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 464, passage 222

References in the histories

Search passages

History

16 passages

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 445Volume 445 Biographies 232: Wu Kedu, Zhu Yixin, Tu Keshou, An Weijun, Wen Ti, Jiang Chunlin · 2 passages

Open chapter

御史宋伯魯、楊深秀聯名劾以守舊迂謬，阻撓新政，諭應騤明白回奏，覆奏稱珍惜名器，物色通才，並辭連工部主事康有為，請罷斥驅逐。 Censors Song Bolu and Yang Shenxiu jointly impeached him for conservatism and obstruction of the new policies; the throne ordered Xu to reply clearly, and in reply he spoke of cherishing offices and seeking able men, also implicating Kang Youwei of the Ministry of Works and asking that he be dismissed and driven out.

而宋伯魯、楊深秀身為臺諫，公然聯名庇黨，誣參朝廷大臣，此風何可長也！ and Song Bolu and Yang Shenxiu, themselves remonstrating officials, openly joined names to shield a faction and falsely impeached court ministers—how may this wind be allowed to grow!

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 464Volume 464 Biographies 251: Li Duanfen, Xu Zhijingzi, Ren Zhu, Chen Baozhen, Huang Zunxian, Ceng He, Yang Shenxiu, Yang Rui, Liu Guangdi, Tan Sitong With: Tang Caichang, Lin Xu, Kang Guangren · 14 passages

Open chapter

李端棻徐致靖子仁鑄陳寶箴黃遵憲曾鉌楊深秀楊銳劉光第譚嗣同唐才常林旭康廣仁李端棻，字苾園，貴州貴筑人。 Li Duanfen, Xu Zhijing, his son Renzhu, Chen Baozhen, Huang Zunxian, Zeng He, Yang Shenxiu, Yang Rui, Liu Guangdi, Tan Sitong, Tang Caichang, Lin Xu, and Kang Guangren. Li Duanfen, whose courtesy name was Biyuan, came from Guizhu in Guizhou.

楊深秀，字儀村，本名毓秀，山西聞喜人。 Yang Shenxiu, whose courtesy name was Yicun and whose original name was Yuxiu, came from Wenxi in Shanxi.

假歸，值晉大饑，閻敬銘銜命籌賑，深秀條上改革差徭法，困少蘇。 While on leave he encountered the great famine in Shanxi; Yan Jingming, charged with organizing relief, received Shenxiu's detailed plan to reform corvée and labor levies, and the people's distress was somewhat relieved.

深秀力請聯英、日拒之，詞甚切直。 Shenxiu urgently petitioned that China ally with Britain and Japan to resist, in language that was forceful and blunt.

深秀乃與徐致靖先後疏請定國是，又以取士之法未善，請參酌宋、元、明舊制，釐正文體，下其議於禮部，尚書許應騤心非之，未奏也。 Shenxiu and Xu Zhijing then submitted successive memorials asking that the national course be fixed; finding the method of selecting talent inadequate, Shenxiu urged that the old systems of Song, Yuan, and Ming be consulted, literary forms standardized, and the matter referred to the Ministry of Rites, but Minister Xu Yingkui privately disapproved and never forwarded the proposal.

會議經濟特科務減額，於是深秀合宋伯魯彈其阻撓。 When the economic special examination came up for discussion with efforts to cut its quota, Shenxiu joined Song Bolu in impeaching Xu Yingkui for obstruction.

上令應騤自陳，奏上，劾康有為夤緣要津，請罷斥，詞連深秀，上不之詰也。 The Emperor ordered Xu Yingkui to explain himself; in his reply Xu impeached Kang Youwei for currying favor at key posts and asked that he be dismissed, implicating Shenxiu in the wording, but the Emperor did not pursue Shenxiu.

御史文悌劾深秀傳布有為所立保國會，並暴有為交通內外狀，德宗責以代人報復，反獲咎。 Censor Wenti impeached Shenxiu for disseminating the Baoguo Society founded by Kang Youwei and exposed Youwei's dealings inside and outside the court; Emperor Dezong rebuked Wenti for retaliating on another's behalf, and Wenti himself was punished.

深秀益感奮，連上書請設譯書局，派王公遊歷各國，並定遊學日本章程，皆報可。 Shenxiu was all the more stirred to action, and in a series of memorials asked that a Translation Bureau be established, that princes and nobles be sent to tour foreign countries, and that regulations for study in Japan be drawn up; all were approved.

湖南巡撫陳寶箴圖治甚急，中蜚語，深秀為剖辨之，上以特旨褒寶箴，寶箴乃得行其志。 Hunan Governor Chen Baozhen was pressing hard for reform when slander spread against him; Shenxiu defended him in a memorial, and the Emperor issued a special edict praising Baozhen, who was then able to carry out his plans.

八月，政變，舉朝惴惴，懼大誅至，獨深秀抗疏請太后歸政。 In the eighth month the coup occurred; the whole court trembled, fearing mass executions, yet Shenxiu alone submitted a bold memorial asking the Empress Dowager to restore power to the Emperor.

方疏未上時，其子黻田苦口諫止，深秀厲聲叱之退。 Before the memorial could be submitted, his son Futian pleaded desperately with him to desist; Shenxiu sharply rebuked him and ordered him away.

深秀性鯁直，嘗面折人過，以此叢忌。 Shenxiu was blunt and upright by nature, often rebuking others to their faces over their faults, and for this he accumulated many enemies.

銳、光第、嗣同、旭及深秀、廣仁同日被禍，世稱「六君子」，皆悲其志。 Rui, Guangdi, Sitong, Xu, Shenxiu, and Guangren were executed on the same day; the world called them the "Six Gentlemen," and all mourned their purpose.