Youzhou
| This article is about the prefecture also known as Fanyang. You may be looking for its capital city, Fanyang. |
Youzhou (幽州, 'Yōu region') was one of the original nine provinces of China.[1] During the Tang dynasty, it was initially a province centred around the city of Fanyang and situated within Hebei circuit,[2] but it was redesignated as Youzhou prefecture (幽州都督府) by the early 8th century.[3] Because of its proximity to the northern frontier, it then became another one of the military districts known as fanzhen (藩鎮) that were established to protect China from nomadic raids and bandits, and its governor became a jiedushi.[3] By 754, Youzhou had been renamed Fanyang after its capital city.[2][4]
History[edit | edit source]
Many shepherds lived in Youzhou, and it was imperative for the local government to help safeguard their livestock. Theft of sheep in the region was a crime punishable by death because of the damage it could cause to many a livelihood there. In the early 8th century, however, there were occasional accounts of entire village populations vanishing in one night, including all the animals.[3] Those who heard and spread the rumours would attribute them to wild tiger attacks, but they were truly the doings of the Golden Turtles,[3] the local branch of the secret organization known as the Order of the Ancients.[5]
One of these cases directly reached the ears of Pei Min, a general routinely in charge of settling disputes and investigating crimes. After two of his subordinates failed to return from their investigation, he personally set off to the village from where the report had come. Finding the village deserted with no trace of struggle, he tracked footprints to a forest by the mountains. There, he slew the thirty-one agents of the Golden Turtles who ambushed him, but their leader, the then little known An Lushan, managed to elude him.[3]
In 732,[6] An Lushan was recruited as a reconnaissance officer by the jiedushi of Youzhou and thus began his rise to power. By 754, he had not only succeeded as jiedushi of Youzhou but had also become the jiedushi of the adjacent territories of Pinglu and Hedong as well.[4] On the eve of his rebellion at the gates of Fanyang, all of northeast China had become his warlord domain.[2][7]
Appearances[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑
Nine Provinces on Wikipedia
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Administrative divisions of the Tang dynasty on Wikipedia
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Assassin's Creed: Dynasty – Beacon Fire (Part 7)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Assassin's Creed: Dynasty – The Flower Banquet (Part 2)
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Dynasty – "The Order: An Lushan"
- ↑ An Lushan on Wikipedia
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Dynasty – Beacon Fire (Part 3)