Qin and Han · Eastern Han Scholar and Official

Yang Zhen 楊震

First attested AD 1; died AD 124

Passages: 9
Chapters: 7
Histories: 3

Overview

Yang Zhen was an Eastern Han Scholar and Official.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Boqi	伯起	Boqi

Life and dates

Death

Suicide · Cause Dismissal after slander
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 118, passage 17
AD 124 及震被讒自殺
Suicide · Cause Slander
Dated from the passage context · Book of Later Han 38, passage 202

Attested activity

AD 1 to AD 220 historical allusion to Duke Yang
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 53, passage 192
AD 106 to AD 125 代楊震為太尉
Dated from the passage context · Book of Later Han 38, passage 143
AD 124 及震被讒自殺
Dated from the passage context · Book of Later Han 38, passage 202
AD 54 to AD 124 問關西而求伯起
Strongly inferred · Book of Chen 24, passage 66
AD 124 安帝延光三年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Later Han 115, passages 105, 108
AD 124 安帝延光三年
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 118, passages 16-17

Show 1 more source-backed claim

AD 124 延光三年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Later Han 116, passage 37; Book of Later Han 117, passages 47-48

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Grand Commandant 太尉
Dismissed from
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 115, passage 108
Grand Commandant 太尉
Dismissed
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 116, passage 37; Book of Later Han 117, passage 48; Book of Later Han 118, passage 17
grand commandant 太尉
Held
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 38, passages 143, 202

Places and affiliations

Eastern Han 汉
Relation Under
Strongly inferred · Book of Later Han 115, passage 108

Events and relationships

Cashiered amid slander then suicide
Political · Victim
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 118, passage 17
Relation Predecessor of · Person Feng Shi (馮石)
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 38, passage 143

Assessments and attributes

Assessment historically exemplified incorrupt restraint and bequeathed it to descendants · Mode historical-allusion Source Person Id Chu Yuan (褚淵)
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 53, passage 192

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 38, passages 143, 202

References in the histories

Search passages

History

9 passages

Book of Chen, Chapter 24Volume 24: Zhou Hongzheng; Yuan Xian · 1 passage

常欲訪山東而尋子雲，問關西而求伯起，遇有今信，力附相聞，遲比來郵，慰其延佇。」 I had long wished to search Shandong for Zhong Jun and inquire west of the Pass for Yang Zhen. Now that a messenger has arrived, I have urgently entrusted him with this word. I await the next courier to ease my long suspense."

Book of Later Han, Chapter 38Volume 33: Biographies of Zhu, Feng, Yu, Zheng, Zhou · 2 passages

遷光祿勛，遂代楊震為太尉。 He rose to superintendent of the palace guards and succeeded Yang Zhen as grand commandant.

少為太尉楊震門徒，及震被讒自殺，順帝初，放詣闕追訟震罪，由是知名。 He had studied under Grand Commandant Yang Zhen; after Yang died under slander, Fang petitioned at the capital to clear his teacher's name at the start of Emperor Shun's reign and won fame.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 115Volume 104: Five Elements Part Two · 1 passage

是时，安帝信中常侍樊丰、江京、阿母王圣及外属耿宝等谗言，免太尉杨震，废太子为济阴王，不悊之异也。 Emperor An was listening to Fan Feng, Jiang Jing, Wang Sheng, and Geng Bao: he cashiered Yang Zhen and cast down the crown prince—exactly the blindness those birds foretold.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 116Volume 105: Five Elements Part Three · 1 passage

是时安帝信江京、樊丰及阿母王圣等谗言，免太尉杨震，废皇太子。 The emperor listened to his eunuchs and his wet nurse, cashiered Yang Zhen, and cast down the crown prince—classic signs of a tottering house.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 117Volume 106: Five Elements Part Four · 2 passages

是时，以谗免太尉杨震，废太子。 That was the year Yang Zhen was ousted on false charges and the crown prince cast down.

是时，太尉王龚以中常侍张昉等专弄国权，欲奏诛之，时龚宗亲有以杨震行事谏之止云。 Wang Gong wanted the eunuchs dead for usurping authority, but kin talked him down with the memory of Yang Zhen's fatal stand.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 118Volume 107: Five Elements Part Five · 1 passage

是时安帝听谗，免太尉杨震，震自杀。 The emperor had been swayed by slander: he cashiered Grand Commandant Yang Zhen, who then took his own life.

Book of Southern Qi, Chapter 53Volume 53 Biographies 34: Virtuous Officials · 1 passage

褚淵歎曰：「見可欲心能不亂，此楊公所以遺子孫也。」 Chu Yuan sighed and said, "The heart that can remain unperturbed when seeing what is desirable—this is what Duke Yang bequeathed to his descendants."