Yang Tong

Who was Yang Tong?

Yang Tong, known in traditional histories by his princely title of Prince of Yue or by his era name as Lord Huangtai, posthumous name Emperor Gong, courtesy name Renjin, was an emperor of the Chinese Sui Dynasty. During the disturbances that permeated throughout the Sui state late in the dynasty's history, his grandfather Emperor Yang left him in charge of the eastern capital Luoyang, and after Emperor Yang was killed by the general Yuwen Huaji in 618, the Sui officials in Luoyang declared Yang Tong emperor. However, soon one of those officials, Wang Shichong, seized power, and in 619 had Yang Tong yield the throne to him, ending Sui. Soon, he was killed on Wang's orders.