Yang Xuangan

Yang Xuangan (楊玄感 Yáng Xuángǎn; died 21 August 613[1]) was a Chinese military general and politician who lived during the Sui dynasty.

He was the oldest son of Yang Su, who was already a major general at the start of the Sui dynasty in 581 but whose honors and power grew as the years went by.

He later served as the governor of Song Province (宋州, roughly modern Shangqiu, Henan), but while still at that position, his father Yang Su died in 604.

He inherited his father's highly honored title of Duke of Chu, and he left governmental service to observe a mourning period.

He soon publicly denounced Emperor Yang of misrule and tyranny, and immediately drew popular support in the region as well as the strongest shipping laborers and sailors.

Li made the comment to his relatives, "The Duke of Chu wanted to rebel, but does not know how to gain final victory.

Also around the same time, Wei Wensheng (衛文昇), the official Emperor Yang left in charge of Chang'an, came to Luoyang's aid with his troops, and Lai also arrived.

Further, the forward forces returning from the Goguryeo front, under the command of Yuwen Shu and Qutu Tong, soon arrived as well, and while Yang Xuangan attempted to prevent them from crossing the Yellow River, attacks from Fan prevented Yang Xuangan from being able to cut Qutu and Yuwen off at the Yellow River, allowing them to cross.

Yang Xuangan was soon losing battles, and under the suggestion of Li Zixiong (李子雄) and Li Mi, he decided to falsely declare that Yuan Hongsi (元弘嗣), the general in command at Honghua (弘化, in modern Qingyang, Gansu), was joining his cause, and that he was going to meet with Yuan.

In anger, Yang Xuangan put Hongnong under siege, despite Li Mi's pleas that he was endangering his campaign by proceeding slowly.