Portrait of Yang Shiqi in the Sancai Tuhui

Yang Yu (楊寓; 1364–1444), courtesy name Shiqi, better known as Yang Shiqi (simplified Chinese: 杨士奇; traditional Chinese: 楊士奇; pinyin: Yáng Shìqí), art name Dongli (東里), was a prominent Chinese scholar-official during the Ming dynasty. He served as Grand Secretary during the reigns of emperors Yongle, Hongxi, Xuande, and Yingzong, starting in 1402 and continuing until his death with a brief hiatus in 1414. In 1424, he became the leader of the corps of the Grand Secretaries, effectively making him the unofficial head of the Chinese government. For his merits, he received the posthumous name Wenzhen (文貞).

Yang Shiqi was from Taihe County, Ji'an, located in the southern region of Jiangxi. He was a member of a group of young scholars from the Hanlin Academy, who were entrusted by the Yongle Emperor to handle his extensive correspondence after his ascension to the throne. Along with six of his colleagues (Huang Huai, Xie Jin, Hu Guang, Yang Rong, Jin Youzi, and Hu Yan), Yang was appointed as a Grand Secretary.[1] Their duties included reading submissions to the throne and drafting responses, but they did not have any authority over the state administration. However, their close proximity to the emperor and potential influence over his decisions gave them considerable power.[2]

In 1414, the Yongle Emperor led a campaign against the Mongols and entrusted the government to his successor, Zhu Gaochi. The younger brother of Zhu Gaochi, Zhu Gaoxu, attempted to remove his brother from the administration of the state. Yang Shiqi and Huang Huai supported the successor and were subsequently imprisoned. While Yang was able to clear his name and return to his position, Huang remained in prison until the Yongle Emperor's death in 1424. In the same year, Yang Shiqi succeeded Yang Rong as Senior Grand Secretary.[3]

Together with Yang Rong, who died in 1440 after serving as Grand Secretary for 38 years, and Yang Pu, who held the same position from 1424 to 1446, the "Three Yangs" became known as the embodiment of government continuity and stability in the empire during the second half of the 1420s.[4] They worked closely with emperors Hongxi and Xuande, with the latter showing great respect for these esteemed statesmen who had held their positions during the reigns of his father and grandfather. After the Xuande Emperor's death, they, along with Empress Dowager Zhang, took charge of the country in place of the underage Yingzong.[5]

The "Three Yangs" were also renowned for their poetry, considered the best of their time. They wrote in the popular style of taige ti (台閣體, 'cabinet poetry'), which consisted of simple and sometimes monotonous poems that praised the monarch and the flourishing of the state.[6]

References

Citations

  1. ^ Chan (1988), pp. 208–209.
  2. ^ Chan (1988), p. 209.
  3. ^ Chan (1988), p. 201.
  4. ^ Tsai (2002), p. 225.
  5. ^ Hucker (1988), pp. 77–78.
  6. ^ Chang (2010), pp. 16–17.

Works cited

  • Chan, Hok-lam (1988). "The Chien-wen, Yung-lo, Hung-hsi, and Hsüan-te reigns". In Mote, Frederick W.; Twitchett, Denis C (eds.). The Cambridge History of China Volume 7: The Ming Dynasty, 1368–1644, Part 1. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521243327.
  • Tsai, Shih-Shan Henry (2002). Perpetual Happiness: The Ming Emperor Yongle. University of Washington Press; Combined Academic. ISBN 0295981245.
  • Hucker, Charles O (1998). "Ming government". In Twitchett, Denis C; Mote, Frederick W. (eds.). The Cambridge History of China. Volume 8: The Ming Dynasty, 1368–1644, Part II. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521243335.
  • Chang, Kang-i Sun (1998). "Literature of the early Ming to mid-Ming (1375–1572)". In Chang, Kang-i Sun; Owen, Stephen (eds.). The Cambridge History of Chinese Literature : Volume 2. Cambridge, New York, Mebourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, Sao Paulo, Delhi, Dubai, Tokyo: Cambridge University Press. pp. 1–62. ISBN 9780521116770.
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