Yang Yan
Yang Yan
Yang Yan (727-781) was born in Tianxing County, Fengxiang prefecture (now Fengxiang District, Baoji City, Shaanxi Province). The Prime Minister of Tang Dynasty, the financial scientist, the initiator and promoter of "two tax laws".
Yang Yan had a literary name and entered the shogunate of Hexi Festival. During the reign of emperor Zong of the Tang Dynasty, he successively served as a doctor of the Ministry of war, a judge of the deputy marshal of Shannan, a doctor of the Ministry of rites, a doctor of zhizhizhigao, and a scholar of zhongshusheren. He was promoted by the prime minister Yuanzai and moved to be a Minister of the Ministry of officials. After Yuan Zai was killed, he was demoted as Sima of Daozhou. After Tang Dezong and Li Shi ascended the throne, they were recommended by Prime Minister Cui Youfu to go back to Korea. Later, he was framed by zailuqi, transferred to zuobusha, and demoted to yashou Sima. He was immediately sentenced to death at the age of 55.
During the period of emperor Dezong of Tang Dynasty, Yang Yan participated in the reform of Finance and taxation, especially the establishment of the two tax laws, which played a positive role in the political situation of the middle Tang Dynasty and had a far-reaching influence on later generations. However, he was always ready to report his crimes, and the party attached Yuanzai and framed Liu Yan, which also caused controversy. Most of his anthologies have been lost, but there are still some poems handed down. (overview picture: Statue of "two tax new laws" in Baoji Panlong Cultural Park)
Life of the characters
New career
Yang Yan is a man with beautiful facial features, magnificent culture, and forthright spirit. He is known as "xiaoyangshanren" in the land of Weilong. The historical records of his early official career are rather vague. According to the old book of the Tang Dynasty, LV Chongben, who was the governor of Hexi, once recruited Yang Yan to take charge of secretarial affairs, and Yang Yan became an official. According to the records, Li Dajian, the magistrate of Shenwu County, insulted Yang Yan because he was drunk. After becoming an official, Yang Yan became a colleague with him and took the opportunity to retaliate. He tied Li Dajian back with his subordinates and beat him to death with an iron rod. Because LV Chongben cherished Yang Yan's talents, he was not punished. The records in the new book of Tang Dynasty are similar to them.
There are still some doubts about this record. There is a controversy about whether LV Chongben ever served as the Hexi Jiedushi: Wu tingxie of Qing Dynasty and Jin Yingkun of later scholars hold a positive attitude, and presume that he served between the second year of Qianyuan (759) of emperor suzong of Tang Dynasty and the first year of zongbaoying (762) of Tang Dynasty; some scholars hold a negative attitude, and then think that "Hexi Jiedushi" is "Hedong Jiedushi", or think that "Hexi Jiedushi" is "Hedong Jiedushi" "Lu Chongben" is the mistake of "Du Hongjian", and the time of the conquest should be in the second year of Zhide (757). In 753, Yang Yan wrote the story of the walls of the hall of Hexi Jiedushi. He said that he was traveling here at that time, and some people thought that he had become an official at that time.
Later, Li Guangbi, a famous general of the Tang Dynasty, asked Yang Yan to be a judge (after Li Guangbi became the deputy marshal of the world's army, that is, on July 1 of the second year of Qianyuan and July 29 of 759). The imperial court recruited Yang Yan to give up his life. He also resolutely refused to give up his official position and support his parents. After the death of his parents, during the period of Ding you, Yang Yan lived in a hut in front of his tomb. He cried incessantly, and auspicious signs appeared, so he was honored. Before that, Yang Yan's father and ancestors were all praised for their filial piety. By now, Yang Yan is in the third generation, and there are six palaces in front of his family, which is unprecedented, according to the old book of the Tang Dynasty.
Ups and downs of official life
Yang Yan in mourning after the expiration, and after a long time, just re official. He was appointed as the Minister of the Department. In the second year of Yongtai (i.e. the first year of Dali, 766), Yang Yan and Du Ya went to Shu with Du Hongjian and served as judges as doctors of the Ministry of war. Scholar Zhang Zhilie believes that Yang Yan had contacts with Du Fu on the way to Shu. During his tenure in Shu, Yang Yan had a close relationship with Du Hongjian. Later, Yang Yan changed his position from "the doctor of the military department and the deputy marshal of Shannan" to "the doctor of the Ministry of rites and zhizhigao". Later, he was promoted to zhongshusheren, who was in charge of the writing of imperial edicts with Chang Guan. Chang Guan was good at writing the imperial edicts (appointing officials), and Yang Yan was good at drafting the Deyin (imperial edicts). Their writing style was praised by the court scholars, and they were called "Chang Yang".
At this stage, Yang Yan wrote Li Kailuo stele for Li Kailuo, the father of Li Guangbi. The diction was neat and the literati praised it. Even the then Prince Li Shi also heard about it and ordered someone to stamp it on the wall for appreciation. In the appointment of Zhongshu Sheren, Yang Yan was also a courteous and virtuous corporal. He helped the underachievers and won popular support for a while. However, it was during his tenure as a scholar of Zhongshu that Yang Yan began to attach Prime Minister Yuanzai to the party, and thus began to be criticized by the public.
On December 25, the ninth year of Dali (January 31, 775), Yang Yan was promoted to be the Minister of the Ministry of Li, who wrote and edited the history of the state. At that time, Yuanzai intended to cultivate a successor from the court officials with outstanding literary talent, and promoted Liu Dan and Xue Yong one after another. However, when they died, they were demoted. Yang Yan just wanted to be a stranger. According to the records of the new Tang Dynasty, he was also a fellow countryman of Yuanzai and had relatives (i.e. Yuanzai's nephew), so he was appreciated and promoted by Yuanzai.
On March 29, the 12th year of Dali (May 11, 777), Yuanzai was given death. Yang Yan was also implicated and demoted to Daozhou Sima on the second day of April in the same year (May 13, 777).
Saving time
In the 14th year of Dali (779), Tang Dezong Li Shi ascended the throne. Prime Minister Cui Youfu recommended that Yang Yan could be reused. Dezong had heard about Yang Yan's good name for a long time, so on August 7 of the same year (September 21, 779), he was recalled from the demotion office as a doctor of Yinqing Guanglu, a servant of his family, and an official of tongzhongshu. Soon after he took office, he made great efforts to solve the various crises faced by the Tang court.
First, in view of the joint invasion of Sichuan and Sichuan by Tubo and Nanzhao in October of the 14th year of Dali (779), Yang Yan's opposition returned to Cui Ning, the former governor, to save the situation, but recommended the general to lead troops to Sichuan for rescue. As a result, it not only saved the crisis of Sichuan, but also prevented Sichuan from returning to the separatist regime of Cui Ning.
Second, in the face of the problems caused by the state tax stored in dayingneiku, such as the separation of public and private, eunuch corruption and so on, he advocated that the state revenue should be changed from the private collection of the monarch to the government, and the distinction between the national treasury and the private Treasury should be re divided. On December 19, the 14th year of Dali (Yimao day, January 30, 780, according to Zizhi Tongjian; CE Fu Yuan GUI, as "Jimao" day, but according to the Chinese and Western calendar conversion system of Academia Sinica, there was no such day in that month), Dezong officially issued an imperial edict and adopted Yang Yan's suggestion, which was praised by the ministers in the court.
Third, in view of the destruction of the basis of the rent Yong modulation after Xuanzong, Yang Yan advocated the implementation of two tax laws, which suggested: Replacing "income according to the amount" with "income according to the amount"; replacing "tax according to the amount" with "tax according to the amount of capital"; collecting currency instead of material objects; merging the names of corvee, and concentrating the time limit of tax payment, etc. (see "main achievements" for details) the officials in charge of Taxation opposed Yang Yan's proposal. They believed that the old system of rent and mediocrity system had been implemented for more than 400 years and could not be changed lightly. Dezong firmly believed in it and implemented it. On the fifth day of the first year of Jianzhong (February 15, 780), Dezong officially issued an imperial edict to replace the rent tax system with two tax laws.
As a demoted official, only a few months after he was appointed prime minister, Yang Yan gave a strong support to Dezong and made great achievements. For a time, he was praised as a "virtuous Prime Minister" by the imperial court and placed great hopes on him. Soon after, due to Cui Youfu's illness, he was unable to deal with political affairs. Another prime minister, Qiao Lin, was also removed from office, which enabled Yang Yan to take over power.
let one 's personal interest affect the whole
Yang Yan is narrow-minded. Cui Youfu once recommended Yang Yan to be the same prime minister as himself, but Yang Yan did more damage to Cui Youfu's actions after he was in power. Wang Ruo, a member of the Daozhou recorder army, once showed little kindness to Yang Yan, so Yang Yan greatly recommended Wang Ruo and promoted him to the rank of censor. Yang Yan was grateful to Yuanzai, especially hostile to those who had participated in the handling of Yuanzai case, thus implicating himself and being demoted to Daozhou. As a result, he built a fortress in Yuanzhou, framed Duan Xiushi, a Jiedu envoy of Jingyuan, and framed Liu Yan, another financial minister.
Frame Duan Xiushi
Yang Yan is grateful to Yuanzai and always wants to repay him. He once asked for the implementation of Yuan Zai's plan to build a castle in Yuanzhou. On the advantages and disadvantages of this plan, Dezong sent eunuchs to ask Duan Xiushi, who was then the governor of Jingyuan. Duan Xiushi bluntly pointed out that this move was careless, and it was wrong for farming, so it should be postponed. Yang Yan was furious when he heard that Duan Xiushi was trying to contain himself.
On February 8, the first year of Jianzhong (March 18, 780), under the operation of Yang Yan, Dezong relieved Duan xiushijing from his post as the former Jiedushi and recruited him as Si nongqing. As a result, Liu Wenxi, the Deputy General of Jingzhou, took advantage of the resentment of the officers and soldiers of Jingzhou for undertaking the hard labor of building the city and the fear of Li huaiguang, the new governor of Jingyuan, and refused to accept the court order. The imperial court appointed Zhu to replace Li huaiguang, and Liu Wenxi resisted again. He simply contacted Tubo and launched a rebellion, which almost led to border trouble. The old book of the Tang Dynasty points out that all these are the results of Yang Yan's personal happiness and anger in replacing the commander-in-chief. Although Liu Wenxi was killed, other vassal towns were also ready to move. As for the castle Yang Yan proposed to build in Yuanzhou, it was not completed in the end.
Set up Liu Yan
Earlier, when Zuopu sheliu Yan was the Minister of the Ministry of official affairs, Yang Yan was the Minister of the Ministry of official affairs. After the yuan Zai case, mainly by Liu Yan trial, Yuan Zai was killed, as the rest of the party, Yang Yan was also relegated, so he deeply resented Liu Yan. After emperor Dezong ascended the throne, because Liu Yan had been in charge of the financial power for a long time, many courtiers were very jealous of him, so they wrote a letter saying that the transit envoy could be removed, and Emperor Dezong also heard that Liu Yan secretly advised emperor Daizong to make Princess Dugu queen. After Yang Yan became prime minister, he wanted to avenge Yuanzai. In front of Dezong, he said with tears, "Liu Yan, Li Gan and Liu Zhongyi conspired to make Princess Dugu the empress. As the prime minister, I can't punish him. I'm dead." He also attacked the ministers who defended Liu Yan. In order to restore the status of Shangshu province
Chinese PinYin : Yang Yan
Yang Yan
