Yang Hu
3527098
211497030
2008-05-10T17:44:41Z
Dohe
4914553
羊祜
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'''Yang Hu''' ([[221]]-[[278]]), [[courtesy name]] '''Shuzi''' (叔子), was a [[Jin Dynasty (265-420)]] general whose great advocacy for plans to conquer the [[Eastern Wu]] finally persuaded [[Emperor Wu of Jin|Emperor Wu]] to carry them out, but he would not live to see the plans implemented. He was known for his humility and foresight.
Both Yang Hu's grandfather Yang Xu (羊續) and father Yang Chai (羊茝) were commandery governors, and his mother was a daughter of the well-known Han Dynasty historian and musician [[Cai Yong]]. His sister [[Empress Dowager Yang Huiyu|Yang Huiyu]] was [[Sima Shi]]'s third wife, subsequently honored as an [[Empress Dowager]] after Emperor Wu established Jin Dynasty in [[265]].
Yang Hu lost his father at age 11. He was raised by his uncle [[Yang Chen (father)|Yang Chen]] (羊耽) and served his uncle filially. As he grew in age, he became known for his intelligence, knowledge, and physical beauty. The general Xiahou Wei (夏侯威) became impressed with him and married his niece ([[Xiahou Ba]]'s daughter) to Yang. After his father-in-law defected to [[Shu Han]] in [[249]] in light of [[Sima Yi]]'s coup against [[Cao Shuang]], Yang was one of the few who were related by marriage who still dared to associate with the Xiahou clan. He served as a low level official during the reigns of [[Cao Wei]]'s emperors [[Cao Mao]] and [[Cao Huan]]. Because he warned [[Sima Zhao]] about [[Zhong Hui]]'s intentions, Sima trusted his judgment greatly after Zhong rebelled (as he predicted) in [[264]], and he served as an executive secretary for Sima.
After Sima Zhao's death in [[265]], his son Sima Yan succeeded him, and later that year forced Cao Huan to abdicate to him, ending Cao Wei and establishing Jin (as Emperor Wu). Emperor Wu wanted to create Yang a duke, but Yang declined.
Throughout the early part of Emperor Wu's reign, Yang was one of the few key officials who strenuously advocated for a plan to conquer the rival Eastern Wu. Emperor Wu, who liked the strategies that Yang submitted, had him become in charge of the western border with Eastern Wu and stationed at Xiangyang (襄陽, in modern [[Xiangfan]], [[Hubei]]). In [[272]], Yang participated in a failed mission to rescue the Eastern Wu defector Bu Chan (步闡) from Xiling (西陵, in modern [[Yichang]], [[Hubei]]), and was temporarily demoted but was soon restored to his rank. After that defeat he set up a [[detente]] with the Eastern Wu general [[Lu Kang]] and treated the Eastern Wu border residents with kindness, with intent to win their hearts. The strategy worked, and while Lu tried to counter it by reciprocating, after Lu's death in [[274]] the Eastern Wu border residents became more and more impressed with Jin in light of Yang's kindness.
By [[277]], Yang was ill, with plans of conquest that he submitted having been approved by Emperor Wu but not quite at implementation. He carried out one last act that was helpful to the empire -- recommending the capable [[Du Yu]] to succeed him, and Du would eventually be a major part of the success against Eastern Wu. He died in [[278]]. The people of Xiangyang built a monument for Yang on Mount Xian (峴山), and ever after Yang's death, visitors to the monument often wept at the monument in memory of his benevolent governance, and so the monument became known as the "Monument of Tears" (墮淚碑). After Jin conquered Eastern Wu in [[280]], Emperor Wu had the declaration of victory read at Yang's shrine, and created his wife Lady Xiahou a lady over 5,000 households in appreciation.
==See also==
*[[Three Kingdoms]]
*[[Personages of the Three Kingdoms]]
*''[[Records of Three Kingdoms]]''
*''[[Romance of the Three Kingdoms]]''
[[Category:People of Cao Wei]]
[[Category:Jin Dynasty people related to the Three Kingdoms]]
[[Category:Jin Dynasty generals]]
[[Category:221 births]]
[[Category:278 deaths]]
[[de:Yang Hu]]
[[ja:羊コ]]
[[ko:양호]]
[[zh:羊祜]]