Yang Jian (Sui prince)

Yang Jian (Chinese: 楊暕; 585–618), courtesy name Shiku (世胐), nickname Ahai (阿孩), was an imperial prince of the Chinese Sui Dynasty. During the reign of his father Emperor Yang, he carried the title of Prince of Qi. When his father was killed in a coup led by the general Yuwen Huaji in 618, Yang Jian and his sons were also killed.

Yan Jian was born in 585, during the reign of his grandfather Emperor Wen. He was the second son of Emperor Wen's son Yang Guang the Prince of Jin and Yang Guang's wife Princess Xiao. Yang Jian was considered handsome in his childhood, and Emperor Wen loved him. In 593, Emperor Wen created him the Prince of Yuzhang. As he grew in age, he studied the Confucian classics and histories. In 599, Emperor Wen made him the head of the legislative bureau (Neishi Sheng, 內史省), one of the five main bureaus of government.

In 600, due to Yang Guang's machinations, Emperor Wen deposed Yang Jian's uncle Yang Yong the Crown Prince, and created Yang Guang crown prince instead. In 601, Yang Jian was made the commandant at Yang Province (揚州, roughly modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu), to replace his father Yang Guang.

In 604, Emperor Wen died—a death that traditional historians, while admitting a lack of direct evidence, generally believed to be a murder ordered by Yang Guang. Yang Guang took the throne as Emperor Yang. In 606, Emperor Yang created Yang Jian the greater title of Prince of Qi. Soon thereafter, Yang Jian's older brother Yang Zhao the Crown Prince died, and while under traditional Confucian principles of succession, one of Yang Zhao's sons should be created crown prince, but Emperor Yang did not do so, creating Yang Zhao's sons only imperial princes, and it was commonly believed that Yang Jian would become crown prince. As a result, Yang Jian became particularly honored by others, and when Emperor Yang sought people to serve on Yang Jian's staff, young nobles were anxious to be included, and Yang Zhao's guards were transferred to Yang Jian. He was made the mayor of the eastern capital Luoyang as well.

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