Yang Guozhong

Prime minister of the Xuanzong Dynasty of the Tang Dynasty in China. His real name was Zhao, a member of the Yang clan of Yongle, Puzhou (Rui County, Shanxi Province), and his uncle was Zhang Yizhi, a favorite of Empress Wu Zetian. Yang Guifei was his great-grandfather's sister. He was an uneducated scoundrel who became a soldier, but when Yang Guifei gained the favor of Xuanzong, he was appointed as a relative and became the inspector general. He had Yang Guifei investigate the emperor's intentions, obtained information from the palace, and gained influence. He then allied himself with the prime minister Li Linfu to advance in his career. He was good at calculations, and as Duzhi Langzhong, he demonstrated his financial skills, and was given the name Guozhong by Xuanzong. In 751, he led an army of 70,000 on an expedition to Nanzhao, but failed to report it. When Li Linfu died, he was appointed prime minister in 752. He tried to monopolize power, came into conflict with An Lushan, and triggered the An Lushan Rebellion. When Lushan's army approached Chang'an, he abandoned the capital and tried to flee to Sichuan, but was killed by soldiers along with Yang Guifei at Mawei Station (Xingping County, Shaanxi Province).

[Hideo Kikuchi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、唐の玄宗朝の宰相。本名は釗(しょう)、蒲州(ほしゅう)永楽（山西省芮城(ぜいじょう)県）の楊氏の一員で、則天武后(そくてんぶこう)の寵臣(ちょうしん)張易之(えきし)は舅(おじ)。楊貴妃は従祖妹（またいとこ）にあたる。無学のならず者で軍人となったが、楊貴妃が玄宗の寵を受けると親戚(しんせき)として登用され、監察御史(かんさつぎょし)となり、楊貴妃に帝の意向を探らせ宮中の情報を握って勢力を得、宰相李林甫(りりんぽ)と結び出世を図った。計算に明るく度支郎中(たくしろうちゅう)となって財政手腕を発揮、玄宗から国忠の名を賜った。751年南詔(なんしょう)遠征に7万の軍を率いて失敗したが報告せず、李林甫が死ぬと後任として宰相に任ぜられ（752）、権勢独占を図って安禄山(あんろくざん)と対立、安史の乱を誘発した。禄山の軍が長安に迫ると都を捨てて四川(しせん)に逃亡しようとし、途中、馬嵬(ばかい)駅（陝西(せんせい)省興平県）で楊貴妃とともに兵士らに殺された。

［菊池英夫］

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