Yang Wan

Yang Wan (Chinese: 楊綰; died August 27, 777), courtesy name Gongquan (公權), was an official of the Chinese Tang dynasty, serving briefly as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Daizong. He was known for his frugality, and it was said that his becoming chancellor caused a number of other officials to change their wasteful ways.

It is not known when Yang Wan was born, but it is known that his family was from Hua Prefecture (華州, in modern Weinan, Shaanxi). His family traced its ancestry to the Han Dynasty official Yang Zhen (楊震) and a line that included a number of officials of Northern Wei. His granduncle Yang Zaisi served as a chancellor during the reign of Wu Zetian, and his grandfather Yang Wenyu (楊溫玉) was a prominent official at the time, receiving the title of Duke of Hucheng. His father Yang Kan (楊侃) served as a county magistrate during the Kaiyuan era (713–741) of Wu Zetian's grandson Emperor Xuanzong, and both Yang Wenyu and Yang Kan were known for their knowledge of Confucianism. Yang Wan lost his father early, and he served his mother with great filial piety. He was said to be quiet and studious, often spending his time in a small room with history books and maps.

Eventually, at the urging of his relatives and friends, Yang Wan stood for the imperial examinations and passed them, and he was made a scribe to Emperor Xuanzong's crown prince. In 754, on one occasion when Emperor Xuanzong ascended Qinzheng Tower (勤政樓), he ordered that the examinees who had passed the examinations be further offered four special examinations on that day — deep knowledge of the Confucian classics, understanding of Taoist writings, ability to write beautifully, and capability in military strategies — giving them one day to complete the examination. Yang was one of the three selected for writing beautiful poems, and he was promoted to be You Shiyi (右拾遺), a low-level official at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng).

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