生平

他是隋文帝族侄觀德王楊雄的長子，楊雄在隋朝初年與高熲、蘇威、虞慶則號稱四貴。

北周大象二年（580年），楊恭仁以功臣子賜爵武陽縣開國公，尋授儀同大將軍。隋文帝開皇元年，進封成安郡開國公，後授左宗衛車騎將軍。

隋文帝仁壽三年（603年），楊恭仁為甘州刺史。他為政不糾纏細節，戎人、漢人各得其所。隋文帝對楊雄說：「恭仁在州，甚有善政，非唯朕舉得人，亦是卿義方所致也。」同年徵召回朝任宗正少卿。

隋煬帝大業五年（609年），遷工部侍郎。六年，楊恭仁轉任吏部侍郎。九年，授謁者大夫。613年，楊玄感造反，煬帝命恭仁率兵經略，恭仁于破陵大敗楊玄感。楊玄感兄弟挺身逃走，楊恭仁與屈突通等追至閿鄉將其擒獲。軍隊凱旋，煬帝召楊恭仁入內殿，說：「我聞破陵之陣，唯卿力戰，功最難比。雖知卿奉法清慎，都不知勇決如此也。」納言蘇威也說：「仁者必有勇，固非虛也。」

大業十一年（615年），授遼東道行軍總管，跟隨隋煬帝征討高句麗，破高麗軍三萬人，拜銀青光祿大夫。蘇威及左衛大將軍宇文述、御史大夫裴蘊、黃門侍郎裴矩等受詔參與官員任免，多受賄賂。楊恭仁正直不阿附裴蘊，于是被排擠出中央，出任河南道黜陟大使，討捕農民起義。他在譙郡（今安徽亳州）被朱粲打敗，奔還江都。

618年春，宇文化及殺害隋煬帝，立他的侄子秦王楊浩為帝。宇文化及殺害了大批的隋朝高官和宗室，但是沒殺楊恭仁，反而任命他為吏部尚書。宇文化及率驍果軍北返，敗于李密，宇文化及派楊恭仁守魏縣（今河北邯鄲）。當時元寶藏據有魏郡，619年，唐朝大臣魏徵勸說元寶藏，捉住楊恭仁送于京師，獻給唐高祖。唐高祖李淵在隋朝時和楊恭仁就是朋友，遂封楊恭仁為上柱國，承襲觀國公爵位。

武德二年（619年）春三月，楊恭仁被任命為門下省黃門侍郎。因為楊恭仁熟悉西北軍情，唐高祖任命楊恭仁為河西道安撫大使、檢校涼州總管，參與平定割據涼州的李軌。楊恭仁很有治績，自蔥嶺已東，都向唐朝朝貢。楊恭仁治下，東突厥未敢犯境。 619年冬十月，遙授楊恭仁門下省納言，他仍在涼州主持軍務。又平定逆賊賀拔威，請功時轉授第六弟楊威為騎都尉。

武德三年（620年），改任侍中。武德六年（623年）四月，唐高祖召他回長安為中書令、吏部尚書，不久又回涼州主持軍務。武德九年（626年）六月，唐高祖次子秦王李世民發動玄武門之變，殺死了太子李建成、齊王李元吉，唐高祖被迫立他為太子。楊恭仁被解除宰相職位，轉任右衛大將軍、鼓旗將軍，領京城以西六十餘府。

八月，唐高祖傳位給唐太宗李世民，唐太宗以楊恭仁為雍州牧（首都最高行政長官），加左光祿大夫，行揚州大都督府長史（揚州大都督是皇子越王李泰，李泰年幼沒有上任）。貞觀五年（631年），任檢校左領軍大將軍事。以年老請求致仕退休，皇帝給他加勛位至特進。貞觀八年（634年），任河北道大使，考察吏治。不久被任為使持節、都督洛懷鄭汝四州諸軍事、洛州（隋朝和唐高宗以後的東都洛陽）刺史，但隨即稱病歸家。楊恭仁為人謙恭，時人把他比成漢朝的石慶。他的幼弟楊師道娶唐高祖之女桂陽公主，侄女楊氏為唐太宗婕妤，從侄女為巢剌王李元吉妃，侄子楊思敬娶唐高祖之女安平公主。貞觀十三年（639年）十二月，楊恭仁去世，年七十二，被追贈開府儀同三司、使持節、潭州等七州都督、潭州刺史，陪葬昭陵，謚號孝。

家庭

從武德年間到武則天時期，楊恭仁一族之內，有駙馬三人，王妃五人，贈皇后一人，任三品已上官員二十餘人，號稱盛族。

• 弟：楊師道，靈州總管

• 子：楊思誼

　• 孫：楊嘉賓，晉州刺史

• 子：楊思訓，左屯衛將軍，襲觀國公爵。因為右衛大將軍慕容寶節之妻打抱不平，被寶節愛妾在酒宴上毒死

　• 孫：楊嘉本，左衛將軍

　　• 曾孫：楊慎交，祕書監，襲爵觀國公，娶唐中宗女長寧公主

　　　• 玄孫：楊洄，衛尉卿，娶唐玄宗女咸宜公主

　　　　• 楊悅，娶唐玄宗女衛國公主

　　　• 玄孫：楊沐

• 子：楊思訥，鳳州刺史。夫人鄭氏，沛公鄭元璹女

傳記資料

• 《隋書》卷四十三 列傳第十一 觀德王傳

• 《新唐書》卷一百 列傳第二十五 楊恭仁傳

• 《舊唐書》卷六十二 列傳第十二 楊恭仁傳

• 《資治通鑑》卷187, 188, 189, 190

Background

It is unknown when Yang Gongren was born. He was the oldest son of Yang Xiong (楊雄), a distant nephew of the Sui dynasty's founder Emperor Wen, who was considered one of the four most powerful officials at one point early in Sui, with Gao Jiong, Yu Qingze (虞慶則), and Su Wei and who was created an imperial prince with various titles, eventually the title of Prince of Guan.

During the Sui dynasty

Late in the reign of Emperor Wen (some time between 601 and 604), Yang Gongren became the governor of Gan Province (甘州, roughly modern Zhangye, Gansu). It was said that he had a good grasp on general governance and intentionally refused to dwell on details, and that in doing so comforted the non-Han residents of the province. It was said that Emperor Wen told his father Yang Xiong, "Gongren governs the province well. It is not only that I selected the right person, but because you have taught him in the ways of righteousness."

Early in the reign of Emperor Wen's son Emperor Yang, Yang Gongren was the assistant minister of civil service matters. When the general Yang Xuangan rebelled in 613, Yang Gongren was one of the generals Emperor Yang sent against Yang Xuangan, and he participated in destroying Yang Xuangan. He received great praise from both Emperor Yang and Su Wei.

However, it was said at the time that the matters of civil service were being controlled by Su, Yuwen Shu, Pei Yun (裴蘊), and Pei Ju, and that they were largely corrupt. Yang Gongren was considered honest and was not tolerated by Pei Yun, and therefore was instead commissioned to lead the army against agrarian rebels in the modern Hunan region. He was, however, defeated by the rebel general Zhu Can at Qiao Commandery (譙郡, roughly modern Bozhou, Anhui), and forced to flee to Emperor Yang's then-___location at Jiangdu (江都, in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu).

In spring 618, the general Yuwen Huaji killed Emperor Yang in a coup and declared Emperor Yang's nephew Yang Hao the Prince of Qin emperor. While he killed a large number of high level officials and imperial Yang clan members, he did not kill Yang Gongren and made Yang Gongren the minister of civil service matters. After Yuwen advanced north of the elite Xiaoguo Army (驍果) but was defeated by Li Mi, he headed further north, and he left Yang Gongren defending Wei (魏縣, in modern Handan, Hebei). In 619, the Tang official Wei Zheng, however, persuaded another official Yuwen left at Wei, Yuan Baozang (元寶藏), to seize Yang Gongren and submit to Emperor Gaozu of Tang. Yuan delivered Yang Gongren to the Tang capital Chang'an. As Emperor Gaozu, while a Sui official, was a friend of Yang Gongren's, he released Yang Gongren and made him the assistant head of the examination bureau of the government (門下省, Mengxia Sheng) and created him the Duke of Guan.

During Emperor Gaozus reign

Emperor Gaozu soon made Yang Gongren the commandant at Liang Prefecture (涼州, roughly modern Wuwei, Gansu), because of his familiarity with the region. Yang was able to govern effectively, and it was said that tribes east of the Pamir Mountains were all nominally submitting to Tang as a result. At times, when Eastern Tujue forces attacked, he was able to repel them, but his own territory nevertheless suffered losses from Eastern Tujue raids. In winter 619, Yang was nominally given the title of Nayan (納言) -- the title for the head of the examination bureau, one considered as a post for a chancellor, but it was also explicitly stated that he did not actually take on the responsibilities of Nayan, but remained at Liang Prefecture.

In 623, Emperor Gaozu recalled Yang to Chang'an to be Zhongshu Ling (中書令), the head of the legislative bureau of government, considered to be a chancellor post as well. He also was made the minister of civil service affairs. He also continued to nominally serve as the commandant at Liang Prefecture.

In 626, Emperor Gaozu's son Li Shimin the Prince of Qin, in an intense rivalry with his brother Li Jiancheng the Crown Prince, ambushed Li Jiancheng and another brother, Li Yuanji the Prince of Qi (who supported Li Jiancheng) at Xuanwu Gate and killed them, and then effectively forced Emperor Gaozu to create him crown prince. He also took effective rein of the government and reorganized it. As part of the reorganization, Yang was removed from his posts, but remained a general.

During Emperor Taizongs reign

Two months later, Emperor Gaozu yielded the throne to Li Shimin, who became emperor (as Emperor Taizong). He initially made Yang Gongren to be the governor of the capital prefecture Yong Prefecture (雍州), and then made him the assistant to the commandant at Yang Prefecture (揚州, roughly modern Yangzhou) -- Emperor Taizong's favorite son Li Tai the Prince of Yue. (As Li Tai did not actually report to Yang Prefecture, Yang Gongren was effectively commandant.) In 631, he became the commandant at Luo Prefecture (洛州, roughly modern Luoyang, Henan), an important ___location as the effective eastern capital. At a later point, he retired, although the year of his retirement was not clear.

It was said at this time that Yang Gongren was humble and courteous, even to people who were below him in rank, and was compared to the humble Han dynasty chancellor Shi Qing (石慶). His clan became an honored one, as his younger brother Yang Shidao married Emperor Gaozu's daughter Princess Guiyang; his niece was wife and princess of Li Yuanji and later became a favorite concubine of Emperor Taizong; and his nephew Yang Sijing (楊思敬) married another daughter of Emperor Gaozu, the Princess Anping.

Yang died in 639. He was given posthumous honored and buried near the tomb of Emperor Taizong's wife Empress Zhangsun, which would eventually become Emperor Taizong's tomb as well.