Yuwen Huaji - Coup Against Emperor Yang

Coup Against Emperor Yang

Emperor Yang, believing that he was well-protected by the elite Xiaoguo Army and not wanting to return to the turbulent north, considered moving the capital to Danyang (丹陽, in modern Nanjing, Jiangsu). Meanwhile, Xiaoguo soldiers were largely from Guanzhong (i.e., the region around the capital Chang'an), and they missed their home. Once they saw that Emperor Yang was not intending to return, they considered fleeing. Several Xiaoguo officers—the chief among whom were Sima Dekan (司馬德戡), Pei Qiantong (裴虔通), and Yuan Li (元禮) -- planned an organized plot to flee. When two of the officers involved in the plot, Yuwen Zhiji's friend Zhao Xinshu (趙行樞) and Yuwen Zhiji's nephew Yang Shilan (楊士覽), discussed the plan with Yuwen Zhiji, Yuwen Zhiji opined that if the Xiaoguo soldiers fled, they would surely be chased down and executed; rather, he suggested that they carry out a coup instead. At the suggestion of Zhao and Xue Shiliang (薛世良), they decided to invite Yuwen Huaji to be their leader. Yuwen Huaji, who was described to be cowardlly, initially panicked when offered the leadership, but eventually accepted.

In late spring 618, the Xiaoguo officers carried out their plot, and as they were trusted officers, they were able to quickly gain access to the palace. They quickly entered the palace, initially declaring that they were only intending to ask Emperor Yang to return to Chang'an, but soon showed that they intended more by starting to denounce Emperor Yang of his crimes, as well as killing his youngest son Yang Gao the Prince of Zhao. Emperor Yang offered to commit suicide by poison, but poison could not be found quickly, and so one of the officers, Linghu Xingda (令狐行達), strangled him with his scarf as he requested.

Yuwen Huaji briefly considered declaring Emperor Yang's brother, the former Prince of Shu Yang Xiu, emperor, but the other coup leaders opposed the idea, and so Yang Xiu and his sons were put to death, as were Emperor Yang's son Yang Jian the Prince of Qi, Emperor Yang's grandson Yang Tan (楊倓) the Prince of Yan, and other members of the imperial Yang clan. A number of high level officials, including the prime minister Yu Shiji, Pei Yun (裴蘊), Lai Hu'er (來護兒), Yuan Chong (袁充), Yuwen Xie (宇文協), Yuwen Jiong (宇文皛), and Xiao Ju (蕭矩) the Duke of Liang (the nephew of Emperor Yang's wife Empress Xiao), were also put to death. However, as Emperor Yang's nephew Yang Hao the Prince of Qin was a friend of Yuwen Zhiji, Yuwen Zhiji protected him, and Yang Hao was not killed. Yuwen Huaji also spared two other key officials -- Pei Ju (on the basis that Pei had treated the Xiaoguo soldiers well) and Su Wei (on the basis that Su had largely been ignored by Emperor Yang late in his reign).