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Yang Xingmi
Late Tang warlord who held Yangzhou as military governor of Huainan, turned back Zhu Quanzhong's army at Qingkou in 897 and was made Prince of Wu, founding the Wu state
At dusk on a hilltop, a large tent stands open with a table holding a map marked with small stones inside, a saddled horse tethered outside, and fire stands burning; campfires dot the river plain below, and one tiny sentry stands on the slope.
Also known as Yang Xingmin · Shi Wuzhong · Wutai Zu · Zi Huayuan
Yang Xingmi, courtesy name Huayuan, came from Hefei in Luzhou; known as a youth for his strength, he was once arrested for banditry and, after his release, enlisted in the prefectural troops. In 883 he seized Luzhou and the Tang court confirmed him as its prefect. After years of fighting Sun Ru and others for the Huainan region he entered Yangzhou in 892 as military governor. When Zhu Quanzhong sent Pang Shigu south in 897, Yang and Zhu Jin crushed that army at Qingkou and killed Pang, which kept the Huai and Yangzi lands out of Zhu's reach. Emperor Zhaozong made him Prince of Wu in 902, and he died of illness in 905; under his son Yang Wo real power slipped to the officer Xu Wen. When Yang Pu took the imperial title in 927 he honoured Yang Xingmi as Emperor Wu with the temple name Taizu.
Life and times
Dates 852 CE–905 CE