Yang Feng

Historical Record

Yang Feng, a General of Chariots and Cavalry in the late Eastern Han, was active mainly around the time of Emperor Xian's relocation of the capital to Luoyang. He was at first a subordinate general of Li Jue, but later, dissatisfied with Li Jue's conduct, he conspired with Song Guo and others to assassinate Li Jue; when the plot was exposed he led troops in revolt. This caused Li Jue's army to lose heart and his power to decline by the day ^c:2517. Through the mediation of Zhang Ji, Emperor Xian of Han was able to set out eastward from Chang'an. When the imperial carriage reached the area of Xinfeng and Baling, Guo Si intended once more to seize the Son of Heaven and return him to Meiwu. At this point Yang Feng led his troops to receive the imperial carriage, defeated Guo Si, and drove him in retreat to the Southern Mountains. Then Yang Feng, together with the General Dong Cheng, escorted the Son of Heaven back to Luoyang ^c:2517.

However, Li Jue and Guo Si soon regretted releasing the Son of Heaven; the two were reconciled and pursued Emperor Xian to Caoyang in Hongnong. Yang Feng urgently summoned the White Wave commanders of Hedong — Han Xian, Hu Cai, Li Le, and others — to fight Li Jue and Guo Si together. In this battle Yang Feng's army was defeated, and Li Jue and the others took the chance to let their soldiers plunder the high ministers, officials, and palace women ^c:2517. The Son of Heaven was forced to abandon his carriage and travel on foot, crossing the Yellow River northward, and finally reached Anyi under the escort of Yang Feng, Han Xian, and others. At Anyi, Emperor Xian traveled by ox-cart, with only a little more than ten close attendants accompanying him. Yang Feng, together with Han Xian, Hu Cai, Li Le, and Dong Cheng, jointly held the reins of government, and they were respectively enfeoffed as General Who Campaigns East, West, and North. During this time, Yang Feng sent the Grand Coachman Han Rong to Hongnong to make peace with Li Jue and Guo Si, in the hope of ransoming back the plundered palace women and officials ^c:2517.

Owing to years of war, compounded by locust plagues and drought, food was scarce, and the whole court fell into hardship. Conflicts among the generals were deep and hard to reconcile, and in the end Yang Feng, Han Xian, and Dong Cheng decided to escort the Son of Heaven back to Luoyang. Along the way, the Grand Administrator of Henei, Zhang Yang, met Emperor Xian at Zhidao and provided grain supplies ^c:2517. When Emperor Xian reached Luoyang, the palaces were all destroyed, the officials scattered and homeless, cold and starving. At this time Yang Feng, together with Han Xian, jointly memorialized to make Cao Cao General Who Stabilizes the East and to have him inherit his father's title of Marquis of Feiting ^c:12404.

Among Yang Feng's generals was one named Xu Huang, styled Gongming, a man of Yang in Hedong. In his early years Xu Huang followed Yang Feng in campaigns against bandits with merit and was appointed Commandant of Cavalry. During the chaos of Li Jue and Guo Si, Xu Huang urged Yang Feng to escort the Son of Heaven back to Luoyang, and Yang Feng adopted his advice. After the Son of Heaven crossed the river to Anyi, Xu Huang was enfeoffed as Marquis of the Capital Pavilion. When Emperor Xian reached Luoyang and the conflict between Han Xian and Dong Cheng grew sharper by the day, Xu Huang again urged Yang Feng to submit to Cao Cao. Yang Feng was for a time inclined to follow this, but in the end went back on it. Cao Cao then campaigned against Yang Feng in the region of Liang, and Xu Huang thereupon went over to Cao Cao ^c:2518. Yang Feng's deeds thereafter have no clear record in the histories.

In the Novel

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Yang Feng's image is further developed, his traits of loyalty and righteousness as well as fickleness made more prominent. He first appears when Li Jue wished to kill the imperial envoy Huangfu Li; at that time Yang Feng, as Commandant of Cavalry, together with Jia Xu, remonstrated with Li Jue, pointing out that killing the imperial envoy would give Guo Si a pretext to raise troops and would invite the intervention of the feudal lords ^c:2519.

Subsequently, Li Jue, on the words of a sorceress, was enfeoffed as Grand Marshal, yet gave no reward to the generals who had braved death in battle. Yang Feng was much displeased at this, feeling that he and Song Guo and others had braved death yet their merit counted for less than the sorceress's. He conspired with Song Guo to start a fire by night as a signal and to attack and assassinate Li Jue from within and without. However, the plot was not kept secret, and Song Guo was killed. Seeing the affair foiled, Yang Feng led his troops to take refuge at Xi'an ^c:12395.

When Emperor Xian was on his way east under Zhang Ji's escort, Guo Si pursued again, intending to seize the carriage. At this point Yang Feng led an army flying the banner "Yang Feng of the Great Han" and hurried from the Zhongnan Mountains to protect the Son of Heaven. At Huayin county, Guo Si's subordinate general Cui Yong rode out hurling abuse, and Yang Feng's leading general Xu Huang rode forth, cutting down Cui Yong in a single clash and routing Guo Si's army ^c:12397. Yang Feng was thereupon commended by Emperor Xian, and when asked who had slain the general, he recommended Xu Huang ^c:12397.

When escorting Emperor Xian across the river, Yang Feng proposed joining horse-reins together and tying them around the Emperor's waist so that he could get down to the boat. The imperial uncle Fu De brought out more than ten bolts of white silk, joining them together as a rope. The Marching Colonel Shang Hong carried the Emperor down to the boat on his back ^c:12399. After crossing the river, Li Le falsely claimed that Li Jue and Guo Si's pursuing troops had come, intending to seize the carriage, and was cut down by Xu Huang with a single stroke of his axe ^c:12400 (this episode differs markedly from the historical fact in which Li Le was an escorting general).

After Emperor Xian reached Luoyang, because the city walls were in ruins, Li Jue and Guo Si came to attack again, and Yang Feng and Han Xian expressed willingness to fight the enemy to the death. But Dong Cheng advised retreating to Shandong, and the Emperor adopted this view ^c:2521. When Cao Cao led his army into Luoyang, Yang Feng and Han Xian, fearing that Cao Cao would monopolize power and not tolerate them, used the pretext of pursuing Li Jue and Guo Si to lead their troops to encamp at Daliang ^c:12402 (this differs somewhat from the historical fact that Yang Feng once memorialized to make Cao Cao General Who Stabilizes the East).

Under Man Chong's persuasion, Xu Huang decided to leave Yang Feng and go over to Cao Cao. When Yang Feng learned of it, he was furious and led his army in pursuit, only to run into Cao Cao's ambush. Yang Feng and Han Xian were finally defeated and went over to Yuan Shu ^c:2522.

Later, after Yuan Shu proclaimed himself Emperor, Yang Feng and Han Xian were appointed by Yuan Shu as commanders of one of the seven armies sent to campaign against Xu Province ^c:5753. While attacking Lü Bu, Yang Feng and Han Xian set fire by night and admitted Lü Bu's army into the camp, causing Zhang Xun a great defeat. Then together with Lü Bu they defeated Ji Ling ^c:5754. After his victory, Lü Bu wished to keep Yang Feng and Han Xian in Xu Province, but Chen Gui dissuaded him, holding that if these two held Shandong, within a year all the cities would fall to Lü Bu. Lü Bu adopted Chen Gui's advice and stationed the two at Yidu and Langya ^c:5755. Thereafter Yang Feng has no clear further record in the novel.

Key Relationships

* Li Jue: Yang Feng was at first his subordinate general, but later, dissatisfied with his conduct, he betrayed him and conspired to assassinate Li Jue, causing his power to decline ^c:2517. In the novel, Yang Feng rebelled in anger because Li Jue richly rewarded a sorceress while slighting his generals ^c:12395.
* Xu Huang: Yang Feng's subordinate general, and also an important strategist and fighting general of his. Xu Huang repeatedly offered advice to Yang Feng, including escorting the Son of Heaven back to Luoyang ^c:2518 and submitting to Cao Cao. In the end Xu Huang went over to Cao Cao when Cao Cao campaigned against Yang Feng ^c:2518. In the novel, Xu Huang is a fierce general under Yang Feng, who cut down Guo Si's subordinate general Cui Yong ^c:12397 and Li Le (novel only) ^c:12400.
* Liu Xie (Emperor Xian of Han): Yang Feng played an important role as a protector during Emperor Xian's journey east and return to Luoyang, defeating Guo Si and escorting the Son of Heaven ^c:2517. In the novel, Yang Feng showed a certain loyalty to Emperor Xian and escorted the carriage many times ^c:12397.
* Yuan Shu: The histories do not clearly record Yang Feng going over to Yuan Shu. In the novel, after his defeat by Cao Cao, Yang Feng, together with Han Xian, went over to Yuan Shu ^c:2522 and became one of his generals, taking part in the campaign against Lü Bu ^c:5753.
* Han Xian: The histories record that Yang Feng, together with the White Wave commanders Han Xian, Hu Cai, Li Le, and others, escorted the Son of Heaven and held the reins of government ^c:2517. In the novel, Han Xian was on close terms with Yang Feng, the two advancing and retreating together and finally going over to Yuan Shu together ^c:2522.
* Dong Cheng: The histories record that Yang Feng, together with Dong Cheng, escorted the Son of Heaven back to Luoyang ^c:2517 and jointly held the reins of government. In the novel, Dong Cheng once advised the Emperor to retreat to Shandong, which differed from Yang Feng's decision ^c:2521.

Iconic Scenes

* Conspiring to assassinate Li Jue and leading troops in revolt: Dissatisfied with Li Jue's tyranny, Yang Feng conspired with Song Guo and others to assassinate Li Jue, and when the plot was exposed led his troops in revolt; this act directly caused Li Jue's power to decline and created the conditions for Emperor Xian's journey east ^c:2517. In the novel, this event is depicted as Yang Feng rebelling in anger because Li Jue richly rewarded a sorceress while slighting his generals ^c:12395.
* Defeating Guo Si and escorting Emperor Xian back to Luoyang: On Emperor Xian's journey east, Guo Si intended to seize the carriage; Yang Feng led troops to defeat Guo Si and, together with Dong Cheng, escorted the Son of Heaven back to Luoyang, displaying his merit in protecting the carriage ^c:2517. In the novel, in this scene Xu Huang first showed his prowess by cutting down Cui Yong ^c:12397.
* Jointly holding the reins of government with the White Wave commanders: After the Son of Heaven reached Anyi, Yang Feng, together with Han Xian, Hu Cai, Li Le, and Dong Cheng, jointly held the reins of government, showing his important standing at the court of the time ^c:2517.
* Xu Huang going over to Cao Cao: When Cao Cao campaigned against Yang Feng, his subordinate general Xu Huang finally chose to go over to Cao Cao; this event marked a further weakening of Yang Feng's power and foreshadowed his eventual end ^c:2518. In the novel, Xu Huang, under Man Chong's persuasion, was unwilling to kill his lord, but finally still chose to leave Yang Feng ^c:12403.
* Going over to Yuan Shu and taking part in the campaign against Lü Bu (novel only): In the novel, after his defeat by Cao Cao, Yang Feng went over to Yuan Shu and, as Yuan Shu's general, took part in the campaign against Lü Bu, even starting a fire by night to help Lü Bu defeat Zhang Xun ^c:5754. This episode displays Yang Feng's fickle character in the novel.
* Being stationed at Yidu and Langya (novel only): Lü Bu adopted Chen Gui's advice and stationed Yang Feng and Han Xian at Yidu and Langya rather than keeping them in Xu Province, averting the trouble the two might bring ^c:5755.