Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Duke of Hang; official

Yang Xiong 楊雄

Attested AD 561 - AD 618

Passages: 30
Chapters: 3
Histories: 3

Overview

Yang Xiong was a Duke of Hang; official.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Posthumous name	De	德	De
Alternate name	Hui	惠	Hui

Life and dates

Death

died of illness 遘疾而薨 · At Luhe garrison 瀘河鎮
Directly stated · Book of Sui 43, passage 201

Age

Years 71 · Reckoning Sui
Directly stated · Book of Sui 43, passage 201

Attested activity

AD 581 to AD 618 Sui Prince of Guan
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 194, passage 65
AD 561 to AD 578 周武帝時
Directly stated · Book of Sui 43, passage 120
AD 580 大象二年十二月丁巳
Dated from the passage context · Book of Zhou 8, passages 92, 98
AD 612 to AD 614 遼東之役
Directly stated · Book of Sui 43, passage 200
AD 589 開皇九年八月朔壬戌
Directly stated · Book of Sui 43, passage 141
AD 581 高祖受禪
Directly stated · Book of Sui 43, passage 129

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Ancestor of Yang Zheng (拯)
descendant 後
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 194, passage 65
Child of Yang Shao (楊紹)
father 父
Directly stated · Book of Sui 43, passage 118
Parent of Yang Gongren (楊恭仁)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Sui 43, passage 154
Parent of Yang Shen (楊綝)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Sui 43, passage 155
Parent of Yang Xu (楊續)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Sui 43, passage 164
Sibling of Yang Shigui (楊士貴)
younger brother 弟 · Full siblings
Directly stated · Book of Sui 43, passage 132
Sibling of Yang Da (楊達)
younger brother 弟 · Full siblings
Directly stated · Book of Sui 43, passages 116, 165

Key source chapters

Career and standing

superior pillar-of-state 上柱國
AD 580 大象二年十二月丁巳 · Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 8, passages 92, 98
Metropolitan Governor of Jingzhao 京兆尹
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Sui 43, passage 188
Minister of Works 司空
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Sui 43, passage 141
Prince of Guangping 廣平王
Granted
Directly stated · Book of Sui 43, passage 131
Prince of Guan 觀王
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 194, passage 65

Places and affiliations

Relation Associated · Polity Sui 隋
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 194, passage 65
Organization Four Exalted Ones 四貴 · Relation Member of
Directly stated · Book of Sui 43, passage 138

Works and attributed material

Edict · Addressee · With Emperor Wen of Sui (隋文帝)
Directly stated · Book of Sui 43, passages 141-147
Memorial · Author · With Emperor Yang of Sui (隋煬帝)
Directly stated · Book of Sui 43, passages 191-198
Speech · Speaker · With Emperor Wen of Sui (隋文帝)
Directly stated · Book of Sui 43, passages 134-136

Events and relationships

Relation Colleague of · Person Gao Jiong (高熲)
Directly stated · Book of Sui 43, passage 138

Assessments and attributes

Assessment defended Gao Jiong against faction charge · Mode narrative
Directly stated · Book of Sui 43, passages 134, 137
Assessment generous and forbearing; favor flowed to descendants · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Sui 43, passage 184
Item posthumous grants of ten commanderies 十郡太守 · Relation Bestowed posthumously
Directly stated · Book of Sui 43, passage 206

Source notes

From Hui 惠 · To Xiong 雄
Directly stated · Book of Sui 43, passage 117

References in the histories

Search passages

History

30 passages

Book of Sui, Chapter 43Volume 43 Biographies 8: He Jian Wanghong, Yang Chugang, Yang Zichong, Guang De, Wang Xiong · 28 passages

○觀德王雄弟達 Guande Prince Xiong — his younger brother Da

觀德王雄，初名惠，高祖族子也。 Guande Prince Xiong, originally named Hui, was a clansman-son of Emperor Wen.

雄美姿儀，有器度，雍容閒雅，進止可觀。 Xiong was handsome and dignified, with a calm, elegant bearing and a presence that commanded respect.

帝幸雲陽宮，衛王直作亂，以其徒襲肅章門，雄逆拒破之。 When the emperor visited the Yunyang Palace, Prince Zhi of Wei rebelled and led his followers in an assault on the Suzhang Gate; Xiong met the attack and routed them.

高祖為丞相，雍州牧畢王賢謀作難，雄時為別駕，知其謀，以告高祖。 While Yang Jian served as chancellor, Bi Wang Xian, Governor of Yong Province, plotted rebellion. Xiong, then serving as assistant administrator, discovered the plot and reported it to Yang Jian.

賢伏誅，以功授柱國、雍州牧，仍領相府虞候。 Xian was executed. For this service Xiong was made Pillar of State and Governor of Yong Province while continuing to command the chancellor's guard patrol.

周宣帝葬，備諸王有變，令雄率六千騎送至陵所。 At Emperor Xuan of Zhou's funeral, fearing the princes might cause trouble, the court ordered Xiong to escort the procession to the tomb with six thousand cavalry.

高祖受禪，除左衛將軍，兼宗正卿。 When Yang Jian took the throne, Xiong was appointed Left Guard General and concurrently Director of the Imperial Clan Court.

進封廣平王，食邑五千戶，以邗公別封一子。 He was created Prince of Guangping with a fief of five thousand households, and one son was separately given the title Duke of Han.

雄請封弟士貴，朝廷許之。 Xiong petitioned to have his younger brother Shigui enfeoffed, and the court agreed.

或奏高熲朋黨者，上詰雄於朝。 When someone accused Gao Jiong of forming a faction, the emperor questioned Xiong about it at court.

雄對曰：「臣忝衛宮闈，朝夕左右，若有朋附，豈容不知！ Xiong replied, "I serve at the emperor's side day and night. If Gao Jiong had gathered a clique, I would surely know of it!

雄時貴寵，冠絕一時，與高熲、虞慶則、蘇威稱為「四貴」。 At the height of his career Xiong's favor eclipsed all rivals; together with Gao Jiong, Yu Qingze, and Su Wei he was known as one of the "Four Exalted Ones."

雄寬容下士，朝野傾矚。 Xiong was gracious toward men of talent, and all eyes in court and country turned toward him.

高祖惡其得眾，陰忌之，不欲其典兵馬。 Emperor Wen resented his popularity and secretly distrusted him; he did not want Xiong in command of military forces.

乃下冊書，拜雄為司空，曰：「維開皇九年八月朔壬戌，皇帝若曰：於戲！ He therefore issued an investiture edict creating Xiong Minister of Works: "On the first day, renxu, of the eighth month, ninth year of Kaihuang, the emperor speaks: Alas!

惟爾上柱國、左衛大將軍、宗正卿、廣平王，風度寬弘，位望隆顯，爰司禁旅，綿曆十載。 You, First Rank Pillar of State, General-in-Chief of the Left Guard, Director of the Imperial Clan Court, Prince of Guangping—of generous bearing and illustrious standing, you have commanded the palace guard these ten years past.

雄無職務，乃閉門不通賓客。 With no official duties left to him, Xiong shut his gates and refused visitors.

尋改封清漳王。 He was soon re-created Prince of Qingzhang.

仁壽初，高祖曰：「清漳之名，未允聲望。」 Early in the Renshou era Emperor Wen said, "The title Prince of Qingzhang does not match his standing."

於是改封安德王。 Xiong was thereupon re-created Prince of Ande.

及元德太子薨，檢校鄭州刺史事。 When the Yuande Heir Apparent died, Xiong was made provisional supervisor of Zheng Province.

帝親征吐谷渾，詔雄總管澆河道諸軍。 When the emperor personally campaigned against the Tuyuhun, Xiong was ordered to command all forces on the Jiao River route.

及還，改封觀王。 On his return he was re-created Prince of Guan.

乃賜諡曰德。 He was therefore granted the posthumous title De.

雄弟達，字士達。 Xiong's younger brother Da, courtesy name Shida.

史臣曰：高祖始遷周鼎，眾心未附，利建同姓，維城宗社，是以河間、觀德，咸啟山河。 The historiographer writes: When Emperor Wen first seized the Mandate, loyalties were still unsettled. He enfeoffed men of the Yang clan to buttress the throne—thus the princes of Hejian and Guande were both granted domains spanning mountains and rivers.

觀王位登臺袞，慶流後嗣，保茲寵祿，實仁厚之所致乎！ Guande Prince Xiong rose to the highest honors, and his descendants inherited his rank and favor—is that not the reward of a generous and forbearing nature?

New Book of Tang, Chapter 194Volume 194 Biographies 119: Outstanding Conduct · 1 passage

拯，字齊物，隋觀王雄後，舉進士，終右驍衛騎曹參軍。 Yang Zheng, styled Qiwu, a descendant of Sui's Prince of Guan Xiong, passed the jinshi examination and ended his career as cavalry retainer of the Right Martial Guards.

Book of Zhou, Chapter 8Volume 8 Annals 8: Emperor Jing · 1 passage

丁巳，以柱國邗國公楊雄、 On dingsi day Pillar-of-State Yang Xiong, Duke of Hang,