[1][2][3]) was a general of the Chinese Tang dynasty, who came to control Dongchuan Circuit (東川, headquartered in modern Mianyang, Sichuan) as its military governor (jiedushi) due to his association with the powerful eunuch Tian Lingzi.
That year, the powerful eunuch Tian Lingzi, who was in command of the Shence Armies, faced with the prospects that the court of Emperor Xizong would face threats from the ever-growing agrarian rebellions, began to prepare a contingency flight plan from the capital Chang'an to the Shu (蜀, i.e., modern Sichuan and Chongqing) region.
Tian thus recommended four close associates—Yang, Tian's brother Chen Jingxuan, Niu Xu (牛勗), and Luo Yuangao (羅元杲)—to be candidates to be military governors of the three circuits covering the region—Xichuan (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu, Sichuan), Dongchuan, and Shannan West (山南西道, headquartered in modern Hanzhong, Shaanxi).
[4] Around the new year 881, the major agrarian rebel Huang Chao captured Chang'an, forcing Emperor Xizong to flee toward Xichuan's capital Chengdu.
[5] In spring 883, while Emperor Xizong was still at Chengdu, he bestowed on Yang the honorary chancellor title of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事).
In spring 884, Tian, fearing that Yang would rise against him, decided to recall him to the imperial government to serve as You Pushe (右僕射), a highly honored position carrying little actual power.
He advanced to Fucheng (涪城, in modern Mianyang) and sent his officer Hao Juan (郝蠲) to try to capture Mian Prefecture but was unable to do so.