Yang Chengxin (his dates are disputed: 918–961 in one chronology and 921–964 in another) was a military commander active from the Five Dynasties into the early Northern Song. His courtesy name was Shouzhen and he was also known as Yang Xin. He was a Shatuo.
His registered native place was Kaifeng; his ancestral origin was Taiyuan, he had previously lived in Yangqu, and he was buried at Xin'an.
Life
Early in life, he entered service as a yaxiao through his father's appointment. After the Khitans destroyed Later Jin, he inherited his father's post and became military governor of Pinglu.
In 934 he held the titles 檢校太子賓客, 殿中侍御史, and 銀青光祿大夫, and served as 節院使 for the 振武軍 and 義武軍 commands. In 944 he became prefect of Lanzhou (蘭州) and held 檢校司徒; he also served as 衙內都指揮使 at the 宣武軍, Luoyang, and 平盧軍 commands, and held the title 右羽林軍將軍.
In the fourth year of the Kaiyun era (947), he became military governor of Pinglu, received the honorary titles 檢校太保 and 檢校太傅, and was enfeoffed as 恆農縣開國子 and 恆農郡開國公. Under Later Han he served successively as military governor of An and Fu; in the first year of Qianyou (948) he received 檢校太尉 and 特進, and in the following year 檢校太師 and the military governorship of Baoda.
Under Later Zhou, repeated battle successes brought him the Zhongzheng military governorship, the title 同中書門下平章事, and merit-subject designations. In 954 he was enfeoffed as Duke of Han and Duke of Qi and received the title 開府儀同三司. He also bore the title Duke of Lu. In 955–956 he served as 左衛上將軍, 右羽林軍統軍, and 都排陣使.
At the beginning of the Song, he was concurrently appointed 侍中. In 960 he served as 侍中 and prefect of Hezhong, governed military and civil affairs in Shouzhou, and held the Huguo military governorship. During the campaign against Li Jun, he was appointed commander of the western side of Zezhou and also held the title 馬步軍都部署. After Li Jun was pacified, he was transferred to Hezhong and served as governor of Hezhong's military and civil administration. In 961 he became 中書令; in 963, the first year of Qiande, he was enfeoffed as Duke of Zhao. He held successive frontier commands, governed with diligence but without harshness, and was skilled in many arts.
Family and posthumous associations
His great-grandfather was Yang Cheng, his grandfather Yang Mi, his father Yang Guangyuan (d. 943), and his mother was Zhao. He had an elder brother, Yang Chengxun, and a younger brother, Yang Chengzuo.
He married first Zhang and then Bai (935–967); their daughter married Wu Zaicheng. His son was Yang Shenyu, his grandson Yang Song, and his nephews were Yang Bin and Yang Yu. The inscription for his tomb was composed by Hu Ting and calligraphed by Zhang Jinen.
References
- CBDB Yang Chengxin (19634)
- 搜韵 楊承信 (27982)
- Wikidata Yang Chengxin (Q45392769)