Overview
Yang Yan was a Han hydraulic specialist and chancellery clerk.
IdentityHistorical · Male
Life and dates
Attested activity
Career and standing
Chancellery Clerk 丞相史
Held
Places and affiliations
- Polity Han 漢 · Relation Served
References in the histories
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Book of Han, Chapter 38Volume 29: Treatise on Rivers and Canals · 7 passages
杜欽說大將軍王鳳，以為「前河決，丞相史楊焉言延世受焉術以塞之，蔽不肯見。
Du Qin advised Grand General Wang Feng: "During the previous breach, Chancellor's Clerk Yang Yan said that Yanshi had used a technique learned from him to close it, but Yanshi suppressed his claim and refused to see him.
又審如焉言，延世之巧，反不如焉。
And if Yang Yan's account is true, Yanshi's technique may actually be inferior to Yan's.
宜遣焉及將作大匠許商、諫大夫乘馬延年雜作。
Yang Yan should be sent to work jointly with Xu Shang, superintendent of imperial works, and Chengma Yannian, grandee of remonstrance.
延世與焉必相破壞，深論便宜，以相難極。
Yanshi and Yang Yan will check one another, forcing a thorough practical debate on what should be done.
鳳如欽言，白遣焉等作治，六月乃成。
Wang Feng accepted Du Qin's advice, petitioned accordingly, and dispatched Yang Yan and the others. The work was completed by the sixth month.
後九歲，鴻嘉四年，楊焉言「從河上下，患底柱隘，可鐫廣之。」
Nine years later, in Hongjia year four, Yang Yan argued, "The key danger along the river is the bottleneck at Dizhu; it should be cut wider."
上從其言，使焉鐫之。
The emperor accepted the recommendation and ordered Yang Yan to carry out the cutting.