杨

CIVILIZATION DOSSIER

Yang Guozhong杨国忠

TangHistory × Fiction

In the Romance of Sui and Tang, Yang Guozhong was the cousin of Yang Guifei, serving as the Right Chancellor. He once expelled Li Bai, and later held a grudge against Li Bai for grinding ink. He advocated that An Lushan be stationed in Hedong, and was at odds with An Lushan, eventually being killed.

Open this figure in the atlas ↗ Read the key relationships and their sources ↓
DIRECT FIGURES
24
RELATION RECORDS
44
SOURCE WORKS
3

RELATIONSHIP COMPASS

Yang Guozhong, and the people around them.

Open one chapter at a time. Each chapter gives the relationship first, then the source text behind it.

01
KINSHIP

Kinship

Blood, marriage and sworn bonds

3 figures · 4 records
02
ALLEGIANCE

Allegiance

Rulers, appointments and allegiance

9 figures · 13 records
5 more in the complete record
03
CONFLICT

Conflict

Battles, captures and defeat

17 figures · 22 records
13 more in the complete record
04
THE UNSEEN

Mythic acts

Transformation, aid and divine punishment

1 figure · 1 record
Complete relationships and verbatim sources ↓Open in the civilization atlas ↗

12 key relationships are shown here. The complete record remains below.

In history · Old Book of Tang

A powerful minister of the Tang Dynasty, he ousted Yu Xiulie. His residence was later given as a prison. As a powerful minister, he dismissed Chen Xilie from the position of Chancellor.

In fiction · New Book of Tang · Romance of Sui and Tang

As a supervising official, he erased Li Bai's examination paper. As the brother of Yang Guifei, he was powerful and sought Ji Wen to rescue the imperial consort. As the Right Chancellor, he once expelled Li Bai, and later ground ink for Li Bai.

Across source works

How this figure changes across texts

Works are shown side by side, not as a chronology. No influence between texts is inferred.

  1. Official history

    Old Book of Tang

    42 profile notes
    26 relations33 verified quotations
    • Emperor Xuanzong of Tang→ ruler-subject →Yang Guozhong
    • Emperor Xuanzong of Tang→ kill →Yang Guozhong
    • Yang Guozhong→ plot against →Emperor Suzong of Tang
    • Yang Guozhong→ impeach →An Lushan
    Verified original text · 33
    1. 又刻石为杨国忠之形

      carve stone · Old Book of Tang, 礼仪志四

    2. 上令杀杨氏奴，昌裔亦停官。

      kill · Old Book of Tang, 后妃上

    31 more verified quotations in the relationship records below.

    Open work page →

  2. Literature / legend

    Romance of Sui and Tang

    18 profile notes
    15 relations23 verified quotations
    • Emperor Xuanzong of Tang→ ruler-subject →Yang Guozhong
    • Yang Guozhong→ subject →Emperor Xuanzong of Tang
    • Yang Guozhong→ impeach →An Lushan
    • An Lushan→ attack →Yang Guozhong
    Verified original text · 23
    1. 杨国忠兄弟……姊妹，作福作威

      trust · Romance of Sui and Tang, 081

    2. 玄宗将此屏赐与国忠

      赐屏 · Romance of Sui and Tang, 084

    21 more verified quotations in the relationship records below.

    Open work page →

  3. Official history

    New Book of Tang

    46 profile notes
    19 relations20 verified quotations
    • Yang Guozhong→ subject →Emperor Xuanzong of Tang
    • Yang Guozhong→ impeach →An Lushan
    • An Lushan→ attack →Yang Guozhong
    • Yang Guozhong→ battle →Tubo
    Verified original text · 20
    1. 杨国忠以右相兼文部尚书，建议选人视官资

      suggest · New Book of Tang, 选举志下

    2. 司空杨国忠以为正库物不可以给士

      hold office · New Book of Tang, 食货志一

    18 more verified quotations in the relationship records below.

    Open work page →

History vs. fiction

In official history, Yang Guozhong abused power as a relative of the imperial consort and brought disaster to the state, while the novel fabricates a case where Li Bai ordered him to hold an inkstone and grind ink in court.

  • novel inventionLi Bai ordered Yang Guozhong to hold an inkstone and grind ink

    The Old Book of Tang, Biographies of Empresses and Consorts, Part 1, records that Yang Guozhong, as the cousin of the imperial consort, monopolized power and acted arbitrarily, stating that 'since the Kaiyuan era, no noble family has been as powerful and prosperous as the Yangs,' ultimately leading to chaos and ruin. In Chapter 082 of the Sui and Tang Romance, borrowing the episode of writing a letter to intimidate the barbarians while drunk, it is written that Li Bai, when proclaiming the foreign letter, ordered the powerful to serve him, 'removing boots and grinding ink, old grudges now released,' making Yang Guozhong hold an inkstone and grind ink in the court, thereby expressing the pride of a literatus. This event is not recorded in official history.

Relationship network

25 figures · 153 links
Yang GuozhongYang GuozhongEmperor Xuanzong of TangEmperor Xuanzong of TangEmperor Suzong of TangEmperor Suzong of TangAn LushanAn LushanLi MiLi MiTuboTuboLi LinfuLi LinfuYan ZhenqingYan ZhenqingZhang YizhiZhang YizhiGeshu HanGeshu HanLi MiLi MiCui QunWang SiliWang HongLi BaiYang GuifeiChen XilieCui GuangyuanZhang HaoCui YuanZhang JiJi WenWei LunYang ShenjinWei Zhi
historyliteraturedual
Open full atlas →

To keep this page fast, the 40 most important records are shown here.View all 44 relationships in the atlas →

Sources: New Book of Tang, 三王鲁辛冯三李曲二卢传; Old Book of Tang, 于休烈令狐峘归崇敬奚陟张荐蒋乂柳登沈传师传; Romance of Sui and Tang, 080; New Book of Tang, 三郑高权崔传; Old Book of Tang, 刑法志; Romance of Sui and Tang, 081; New Book of Tang, 于志宁曾孙 休烈四世孙 敖附 庞严五世孙 琮高冯张行成族子 易之 昌宗传; Old Book of Tang, 刘幽求锺绍京郭元振张说传

This page was extracted from classical texts with AI assistance and revised; errors remain possible. Spotted a mistake? Tell us →

Compiled with AI assistance from public-domain texts; for cultural reference. Mythological accounts vary — corrections welcome.