- Yang Zhirou
Yang Zhirou (楊執柔) (d. 692? [Yang Zhirou's biography in both the "
Book of Tang " and the "New Book of Tang " indicated that he died soon after serving as chancellor. As he became chancellor in 692 and lost that status later that year, it is implied that he died in 692, but not conclusively shown. See "Book of Tang", vol. 62 [http://ef.cdpa.nsysu.edu.tw/ccw/02/tan08.htm] and "New Book of Tang", vol. 100. [http://ef.cdpa.nsysu.edu.tw/ccw/02/ntan14.htm] ] ) was an official ofWu Zetian 's Zhou Dynasty, serving briefly as chancellor.It is not known when Yang Zhirou was born. What is known is that his grandfather Yang Xu (楊續), a member of
Tang Dynasty 's predecessorSui Dynasty 's imperial clan, was a brother of the early Tang chancellorsYang Gongren andYang Shidao . As Wu Zetian's mother Lady Yang was a cousin of Yang Xu, she viewed him as a member of her mother's household and treated him well. As of 692, he was serving as the minister of defense (夏官尚書, "Xiaguan Shangsu"), when she gave him the designation of "Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi" (同鳳閣鸞臺平章事), making him a chancellor "de facto". [Yang's biography in both "Book of Tang" and "New Book of Tang" indicated that he received the higher chancellor "de facto" designation of "Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin" (同中書門下三品), but this appeared to be erroneous, as it conflicts with the chronicles of her reign in both of those sources, the table of chancellors in the "New Book of Tang" (see "New Book of Tang", vol. 61 [http://ef.cdpa.nsysu.edu.tw/ccw/02/ntan06.htm] ), and also did not match the chancellor titles during the times of her reign. See "Book of Tang", vol. 6 [http://ef.cdpa.nsysu.edu.tw/ccw/02/tan01.htm] and "New Book of Tang", vol. 4. [http://ef.cdpa.nsysu.edu.tw/ccw/02/ntan01.htm] ] When doing so, she commented that she wanted the members of both her father's and mother's clans to be chancellors (and by that time, her nephewsWu Chengsi andWu Youning were chancellors). Seven months later, as part of a major reorganization of her administration, he was removed from his chancellor position along with Wu Chengsi and Wu Youning, and made the minister of public works (地官尚書). He appeared to have died soon thereafter.Notes and references
* "
Book of Tang ", vol. 62. [http://ef.cdpa.nsysu.edu.tw/ccw/02/tan08.htm]
* "New Book of Tang ", vol. 100. [http://ef.cdpa.nsysu.edu.tw/ccw/02/ntan14.htm]
* "Zizhi Tongjian ", vol. 205.
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