Yang Jun (minister)

Yang Jun (楊駿) (died 23 April 291), courtesy name Wenzhang (文長), was a Western Jin official during the reign of Emperor Wu and regent for Emperor Hui, Emperor Wu's son and successor.

Emperor Wu of Jin was deeply and inherently lustful and indulgent in women, but showed particular favor and respect toward his primary empress, Yang Yan, and after her death, toward her successor and cousin Empress Yang Zhi (the daughter of Yang Jun). As a result, the Yang clan gained significant power and prestige at the imperial court, second only to the imperial family itself. During the early reign of Emperor Wu of Jin, Yang Jun’s official career was not prominent. In the later period of Emperor Wu’s reign, however, the emperor favored close associates and neglected state affairs, at which point Yang Jun was promoted from General Who Guards the Army to General of the Chariots and Cavalry, was enfeoffed as Marquis of Linjin, and was entrusted with governing state affairs. Later, together with his younger brothers Yang Yao and Yang Ji, he maintained close internal and external connections, built up a network of followers, and excluded political opponents, forming what was known as the “Three Yangs.” When Emperor Wu of Jin was on his deathbed, Yang Jun remained constantly by his side and, using the emperor’s authority, altered the appointments of high officials and installed his own trusted associates. Emperor Wu’s final edict intended to appoint both Sima Liang, Prince of Runan, and Yang Jun as joint regents to assist the disabled Emperor Hui of Jin, but Yang Jun intercepted and concealed the edict, thereby securing sole regency. He carried out this act with the assistance of his daughter, Empress Yang, who, relying on her position within the palace, controlled the inner court, moved the ailing emperor to her own residence, regulated access to and from him, and kept Emperor Wu calm and isolated. As a result, she enabled her father to effectively govern according to his own will.

After Emperor Hui of Jin ascended the throne, Yang Jun was appointed Grand Tutor, Grand Commander, and given ceremonial authority with the imperial axe, concentrating all governmental affairs in his own hands. He even dared to move into Emperor Wu's former residence and workplace, Taiji Hall. Because of his harsh, obstinate, and inflexible character, court officials gradually became alienated from him. Due to his limited prestige and ability, in order to consolidate his power, he on one hand widely won over support by generously granting titles and ranks to both central and regional officials, and on the other hand built a large faction and suppressed high-ranking officials who opposed him.

He was also highly wary of Empress Jia, and arranged for his nephews Duan Guang and Zhang Shao to serve closely to Emperor Hui, while appointing his own allies to control the imperial guards. He further required that all imperial edicts issued by Emperor Hui be reviewed by Empress Dowager Yang before implementation. Empress Jia, however, plotted to eliminate Yang Jun through manipulation of Emperor Hui. In the spring of the first year of the Yuankang era (291 CE), she used eunuchs and palace officials Meng Guan and Li Zhao—whom Yang Jun had underestimated—to take advantage of Sima Wei’s arrival at court. That night, she had Emperor Hui issue an emergency decree declaring martial law inside and outside the capital, deposing Yang Jun, and ordering Sima Yao of Dong’an to lead the imperial guards to attack Yang Jun’s residence. Yang Jun, indecisive and cowardly in response, panicked; his residence was breached and he was killed.

Yang Jun was from Huayin in Hongnong Commandery (弘農, roughly modern Sanmenxia, Henan). He had a sister who was the mother of Zhang Shao (張邵), a grandson of Zhang Cheng. Yang's niece Yang Yan was Emperor Wu's first wife and empress. As she neared death in 274, she feared that whoever would be empress next would endanger the crown prince status of her developmentally disabled son, Sima Zhong. She therefore asked Emperor Wu to marry her cousin, Yang Jun's daughter Yang Zhi. Emperor Wu agreed, and after her death later during the year, he married Yang Zhi in 276 and created her empress. Yang Jun, as the empress' father, became an increasingly important official in government, and became exceedingly arrogant. In Emperor Wu's later years, when he became obsessed with feasting and women, Yang Jun and his brothers Yang Yao (楊珧) and Yang Ji (楊濟) became effectively in power.

As Emperor Wu grew ill in 289, he considered whom to make regent. He considered both Yang Jun and his uncle Sima Liang the Prince of Ru'nan, the most respected of the imperial princes. As a result, Yang Jun became fearful of Sima Liang and had him posted to the key city of Xuchang. Several other imperial princes were also posted to other key cities in the empire. By 290, Emperor Wu resolved to let Yang and Sima Liang both be regents, but after he wrote his will, the will was seized by Yang Jun, who instead had another will promulgated in which Yang alone was named regent. Emperor Wu died soon thereafter in May. Crown Prince Zhong succeeded to the throne as Emperor Hui.

Yang Jun became Emperor Hui's regent, and became much criticized for spending his energy on making himself secure—including not attending Emperor Wu's burial. Fearful of Emperor Hui's ambitious wife Empress Jia Nanfeng, he ordered that imperial edicts be co-signed by his daughter, Empress Dowager Yang. Yang knew that he had made a lot of enemies, and tried to pacify them by giving widespread promotions, but those promotions only served to show his weakness. His associates, including his brother Yang Ji, tried to persuade him to alleviate the tension by inviting Sima Liang back to the capital Luoyang to serve as coregent, a move that Yang Jun repeatedly rebuffed.

Empress Jia, who wanted her hand in governance, was dissatisfied with the situation, and conspired with the eunuch Dong Meng (董猛) and the generals Meng Guan (孟觀) and Li Zhao (李肇) against the Yangs. She tried to include Sima Liang in the conspiracy, but Sima Liang declined; instead, she persuaded Emperor Hui's half-brother, Sima Wei the Prince of Chu, to join her plan. In 291, after Sima Wei returned to Luoyang from his defense post with his troops, a coup went into progress.

Empress Jia, who had her husband easily under her control, had him issue an edict declaring that Yang Jun had committed crimes and should be removed from his posts. It also ordered Sima Wei and Sima Yao (司馬繇), the Duke of Dong'an and son of Sima Zhou, to attack Yang's forces and defend against counterattacks. Quickly, it became clear that Yang was in trouble, particularly after he declined his strategists' suggestion to burn the palace gate to temporarily halt the advance of the imperial guards. Empress Dowager Yang, trapped in the palace herself, wrote an edict ordering assistance for Yang Jun and put it on arrows, shooting it out of the palace. Empress Jia then made the bold declaration that Empress Dowager Yang was committing treason. Yang Jun was quickly defeated, and his clan was massacred.

• Fang, Xuanling. Book of Jin (Jin Shu). Vols. 3, 4, 40.
• Sima, Guang. Zizhi Tongjian.