Life

Yang Zhong was Yang Zhen's son, titled General of Ningyuan County (宁远将军). He is described as a tall handsome man with a long beard.

After the establishment of the Northern Zhou dynasty, Yang Zhong was appointed as a marshal and commanded more than ten generals including Yang Zuan (杨纂), Li Mu (李穆), Wang Jie (王杰), Tian Hong (田弘), and Murong Yan (慕容延). Later, together with the 100,000 troops of the Turkic Khanate , they attacked Jinyang, a city located Northern Qi. In the Northern Zhou dynasty, Yang Zhong was named Duke of Chenliu (陈留郡公), later changed to Duke of Sui (随国公).

After his son became emperor, he was honoured with the title of Emperor Wuyuan (武元皇帝) and Lady Lü, his legal wife and the biological mother of Yang Jian, was named Empress Yuanming (元明皇后吕氏).

Research

According to the Book of Zhou and Book of Sui, Yang Zhong was born in the Yang clan of Hongnong (弘农杨氏), but this statement is difficult to confirm.

Chen Yinke (陈寅恪), a Chinese historian, did not agree that Yang Jian's family was born in Wuchuan County, Inner Mongolia. According to him, Yang Zhong was from a Han Chinese family. Judging from the intermarriage practice of families at that time, Yang Zhong may have been born in the Yang clan of Shandong (山东杨氏).

However, scholar Wang Tongling (王桐龄) deduced that Yang Jian's family might have Xianbei blood, or perhaps even purely Xianbei, leading to the belief that he was born in the Yang clan of Hongnong .

Family

Consort and their respective issue(s):

• Empress Yuanming, of the Lü clan (元明皇后吕氏), personal name Kutao (苦桃)

　• Princess Cheng'an (成安公主), first daughter

　　• married Dou Rongding (窦荣定), Duke of Chenyi (陈懿公), and had issue (three sons including Dou Kang).

　• Yang Jian (杨坚, 21 July 541 – 13 August 604), Emperor Wen of Sui (隋文帝), first son

　• Yang Zheng (杨整, 540 – 576), Prince Jing of Cai (蔡景王), second son

　• Yang Zan (杨瓒, 550 – 16 September 591), Prince Mu of Teng (滕穆王), third son

　• Princess Changle (昌乐公主), second daughter

　　• married Dou Lutong (豆卢通), Duke Chen of Nan (南陈郡公), and had issues (a son).

• Lady Li, of the Li clan of Longxi (陇西李氏)

　• Yang Song (杨嵩), Prince Xuan of Dao (道宣王), fourth son

　• Yang Shuang (杨爽), Prince Zhao of Wei (卫昭王), fifth son

• Unknown

　• Princess Yang (杨氏), third daughter

　　• married Li Licheng (李礼成), Duke Jun of Jiang(绛郡公)

生平

杨忠出身于北魏武川镇，是宁远将军杨祯之子，美髭髯，身长七尺八寸，体格相当魁梧，长相瑰伟，武力绝伦，识量沉深，有将帅之略。曾随北海王元颢、汝南王元悦、临淮王元彧南逃萧梁，后随陈庆之北伐北魏被尔朱荣打败。尔朱度律把他编入独孤信旗下。北魏在534年分裂为东魏、西魏时，杨忠随独孤信加入西魏阵营，因功升为车骑大将军，获当时丞相宇文泰重用，被赐鲜卑姓普六茹与小字揜于 (鲜卑语意：猛兽)。他曾经在收复东魏的荆州失败后在萧梁待了三年。

北周建立后，杨忠被任命为元帅，统辖杨纂、李穆、王杰、田弘、慕容延等十多员大将，由北路征伐北齐，攻陷了北齐二十多座重镇。其后又与突厥汗国兵十万会攻北齐晋阳，损伤大半。北周时杨忠被封为使持节、大将军、大都督、陈留郡公、十二大将军之一，后晋封上柱国、随国公。

北周天和三年（568年），杨忠生病回到北周都城长安。同年七月杨忠病死，时年六十二岁，諡曰桓，大象二年（580年）尊为隋桓公，开皇元年（581年）杨坚建隋朝后，再追尊为武元皇帝，庙号太祖。

特徵

杨忠为人勇猛异常，且膂力过人，临阵常身先士卒。宇文泰喜爱杨忠的勇猛与容貌，便将他留在身边。杨忠曾跟随宇文泰到龙门打猎，独自抵挡一头猛兽，左手紧抱兽腰，右手拔出兽舌。宇文泰很赞赏杨忠的武勇。当时鲜卑人把猛兽称作「揜于」，因此宇文泰把「揜于」作为杨忠的表字。西魏大统四年（538年）河桥之战时，杨忠仅率五位勇士力守桥梁以殿后，敌人大军终不能前进。

家庭

妻妾

• 吕苦桃，生杨坚、杨整、杨瓒，追谥元明皇后

• 李氏，生杨爽

子女

• 成安公主，嫁隋朝上柱国、左武卫大将军、陈懿公窦荣定

• 隋文帝杨坚

• 杨整，北周车骑大将军、陈留郡公，隋朝追尊蔡景王

• 杨瓒，隋朝上柱国、滕穆王

• 杨嵩，北周兴城公，隋朝追尊道宣王

• 杨爽，隋朝上柱国、纳言、卫昭王

• 昌乐公主，嫁隋朝大将军、洪州总管、南陈安公豆卢通

• 杨氏，嫁隋朝上大将军、宁州刺史、绛郡公李礼成

学术研究

根据《周书》《隋书》记载，杨忠家族出身弘农杨氏，但这个说法在现代研究中难以肯定。

陈寅恪不认同杨坚家族出身于武川。根据杨忠之妻吕苦桃出身山东寒族，以当时世族通婚惯例来看，杨忠家族可能出身于寒门山东杨氏。

学者王桐龄推论杨坚家族可能有鲜卑血统，或是纯粹的鲜卑人，伪托为弘农杨氏出身。森安孝夫引用学者推论，以杨忠身高达2米，外貌轮廓分明，可能有高加索人种血统。

中华人民共和国学者蒙曼则认为杨坚的族属是汉族。