Yang Rong

Yang Rong (1371–1440), originally named Zirong and styled Mianren, was a native of Jian'an (present-day Jian'ou) in Fujian. A statesman and man of letters of the early Ming dynasty, he is grouped with Yang Shiqi and Yang Pu as the "Three Yangs" and was known at the time as "East Yang." He passed the imperial examination in the second year of the Jianwen reign and later served in the Grand Secretariat for thirty-eight years, rising to the office of Shaoshi and receiving the posthumous title Wenmin. In literature he was a representative figure of the Taige style, marked by a dignified and even tone and often comprising official and travel compositions. The Beizheng Ji in this collection records what he saw and heard on a northern campaign, combining documentary value with literary quality, while the Yang Wenmin Ji gathers his prose and verse. One work on management also appears, showing the reach of his reading and research interests. Public information is limited, and the details of his life rest mainly on the clues above, with emphasis on his Taige-style writing and travel records.