Yang Jun

Who was Yang Jun?

Yang Jun, nickname Azhi, formally Prince Xiao of Qin, was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty. He was a son of Emperor Wen and his wife Empress Dugu Qieluo, who died as a result of an illness caused by poisoning by his jealous wife Princess Cui. His son Yang Hao was later briefly declared emperor by the general Yuwen Huaji after Yuwen killed his brother Emperor Yang in 618.

Yang Jun was born in 571. He was the third son of Yang Jian and Dugu Qieluo, after Yang Yong and Yang Guang. When Yang Jian seized the throne from Emperor Jing of Northern Zhou in 581, ending Northern Zhou and establing Sui Dynasty as its Emperor Wen, he created his sons princes, and Yang Jun was created the Prince of Qin. In 582, Yang Jun, at age 11, was made the governor of Luo Province and titularly the commander of the armed forces east of the Hangu Pass. In 583, he was made the commandant at Qin Province and was in charge of the surrounding provinces. It was around this time that Yang Jun began to be a devout Buddhist and became known for his kindness, and at one point he requested permission from Emperor Wen to become a monk, a request that Emperor Wen denied.