Life

Both Yang Hu's grandfather Yang Xu (羊續) and father Yang Dao (羊衜) were commandery administrators, and his mother was a daughter of the Han dynasty historian and musician Cai Yong. His sister Yang Huiyu was Sima Shi's third wife, subsequently honoured as an empress dowager after Emperor Wu established the Jin dynasty in 266.

Yang Hu lost his father at age 11. He was raised by his uncle Yang Chen (羊耽) and served his uncle faithfully. As he matured, he became known for his intelligence, knowledge, and physical beauty. The general Xiahou Wei became impressed with him and married his niece (Xiahou Ba's daughter) to Yang Hu. After his father-in-law defected to Shu Han in 249 in light of Sima Yi's coup against Cao Shuang, Yang Hu was one of the few who were related by marriage who still dared to associate with the Xiahou clan. He served as a low level official during the reigns of the Cao Wei emperors Cao Mao and Cao Huan. Because he warned Sima Zhao of Zhong Hui's intentions, Sima Zhao trusted his judgment greatly after Zhong Hui rebelled (as he predicted) in 264. After this, he went on to serve as an executive secretary for Sima Zhao.

After Sima Zhao's death in 265, his son Sima Yan succeeded him, and in the following year forced Cao Huan to abdicate in favour of him, ending Cao Wei and establishing the Jin dynasty (as Emperor Wu). Emperor Wu wanted to make Yang Hu a duke, but the latter declined.

Throughout the early part of Emperor Wu's reign, Yang Hu was one of the few key officials who strenuously advocated for the conquest of the rival state Eastern Wu. Emperor Wu, who liked the strategies that Yang Hu submitted, had him take charge of the western border with Eastern Wu and stationed him at Xiangyang. In 272, Yang Hu participated in a failed mission to rescue the Eastern Wu defector Bu Chan from Xiling (西陵; in present-day Yichang, Hubei), and was temporarily demoted, but was soon restored to his rank. After that defeat he set up a détente with the Eastern Wu general Lu Kang and treated the Eastern Wu border residents with kindness, with intent to win over their loyalty. His efforts succeeded, though Lu Kang attempted to counter with his own gestures of goodwill. After Lu Kang's death in 274, the Eastern Wu border residents became increasingly impressed with the Jin dynasty in light of Yang Hu's kindness.

By 277, Yang Hu had fallen ill. While his plans of conquest had already been submitted and accepted by Emperor Wu, they were not ready for implementation. He performed his final act in the service of the empire – by recommending the capable Du Yu to succeed him. Du Yu would eventually go on to be a major part of the campaign against Eastern Wu. He died in 278. The people of Xiangyang built a monument for Yang Hu on Mount Xian (峴山), and ever after Yang Hu's death, visitors to the monument often wept in memory of his benevolent governance, and so the monument became known as the "Monument of Tears" (墮淚碑). After the Jin dynasty conquered Eastern Wu in 280, Emperor Wu had the declaration of victory read at Yang Hu's shrine, and awarded his wife, Lady Xiahou, an estate of over 5,000 taxable households in appreciation.

生平

根據《晉書》所載，羊祜身高約為176公分, 容貌敦雅不俗，鬚眉秀長濃密而整潔。羊祜在曹魏時代歷任中書侍郎、秘書監、相國從事中郎等官職。司馬炎稱帝後，羊祜深得司馬家信任，升任尚書左僕射、車騎將軍，官至征南大將軍。去世後被追認為「太傅」。

《資治通鑑》記載曹爽曾招羊祜和王沈，王沈勸他加入曹爽，羊祜則說曹爽必將敗亡，後來如同其所說。

在晉滅吳的過程中，最初羊祜任荊州都督（269年），掌握荊州晉佔區一帶軍政大權。在此期間羊祜不尚武力，以柔和手段管治，用詭計使吳駐守石城（今湖北鐘祥市）的兵力退卻，並在統轄地區屯田，加強軍事實力。

272年步闡獻西陵城降晉，當時駐守荊州吳占區的陸抗急襲西陵，前往救援的羊祜、徐胤以圍魏救趙計謀分散陸抗兵力，楊肇馳援西陵。然而楊肇在與陸抗的西陵爭奪戰中失利，未能攻下西陵城，獻城降晉的吳將步闡也被陸抗軍隊擒殺。羊祜也沒有攻下重鎮江陵，此乃西陵之戰。羊祜遭到彈劾：「祜所統八萬餘人，賊眾不過三萬。祜頓兵江陵，使賊備得設。乃遣楊肇偏軍入險，兵少糧懸，軍人挫衄。背違詔命，無大臣節。可免官，以侯就第」，被左遷平南將軍。

羊祜經此一戰步步為營，以修築城寨的方式擴大晉的疆土，漢水與長江之間皆為晉所有；同時又對吳地軍民施以信義，不斷動搖吳軍將領的忠誠。他的做法在吳地發揮作用，多位吳軍將領降晉，吳地人民對羊祜心悅誠服，尊敬地稱其為「羊公」，而不稱其名。

吳軍統帥陸抗也稱讚羊祜的德行度量，「雖樂毅、諸葛孔明不能過也」。二者對峙期間最有名的事件是陸抗重病，羊祜派人送去良藥，部下怕藥中下毒，勸陸抗不要吃，陸抗服之不疑，並說：「羊祜豈鴆人者。」在二者對抗期間，荊州戰線處于和平狀態。

後晉武帝想封羊祜為南城郡侯（領泰山郡的南武陽、牟、南城、梁父、平陽五縣），不過羊祜以漢高祖封張良留侯為例，請封鉅平縣侯。與唐《晉書》本傳的追封詔一樣。

晉咸寧四年十一月辛卯日（278年12月27日）羊祜病重臨死之前推舉杜預擔任鎮南將軍。杜預果真不負羊祜舉薦，奇襲西陵，三陳平吳，在其後的滅吳戰爭中擔任西線統帥，計取江陵，招降交、廣。晉滅吳後，武帝流著淚說：「此羊太傅之功也。」

墮淚碑

羊祜病逝後，襄陽百姓為紀念羊祜，在羊祜生前游息之地峴山建廟立碑，原名為晉征南大將軍羊公祜之碑，簡稱羊公碑。此後每逢時節，周圍的百姓都會祭拜他，睹碑生情，莫不流淚，羊祜的繼任者、西晉名臣杜預因此把它稱作墮淚碑。墮淚碑現位于湖北省襄陽市。

東晉習鑿齒的《襄陽耆舊記》記載了墮淚碑的定名由來。

評價

羊祜在朝中不興朋黨、謹言慎行，雖然受他推舉而為官者不在少數，但他事後焚燒推舉手稿，很多獲推舉人竟不知曉受何人推舉。有人批評羊祜過于縝密，羊祜以「是何言歟！夫入則造膝，出則詭辭，君臣不密之誡，吾惟懼其不及。不能舉賢取異，豈得不愧知人之難哉！且拜爵公朝，謝恩私門，吾所不取。」作為回答。

文學

羊祜作為文學家，又喜愛山水，著述理應很多，而且他長期的政治、軍事生涯，也寫有大量的表、疏等文章。但由于他為人謹慎，很多手稿都被付之一炬，多是他人書籍中的片段，已知他的作品是《老子傳》二卷，文集《羊祜集》二卷。流傳至今的只有《雁賦》、《讓開府表》、《請伐吳表》、《再請伐吳表》等8篇，其中的《讓開府表》可與諸葛亮的《出師表》相提並論。《晉書·羊祜傳》說：「祜樂山水，每風景必造。峴山置酒言詠，終日不倦。」以「峴山置酒言詠」推論，羊祜應當留有為數不少的詩作，但現今竟無隻言片語留下。他有一句名言：「天下不如意事，十常居七八」。

羊祜死後，荊州人為避祜之名，「戶」改為「門」。

家世

• 祖父：羊續，曾任東漢南陽太守，為官清廉，有「懸魚拒賄」的事跡。

• 外祖父：蔡邕，文學家。

• 姨母：蔡文姬。

• 嬸嬸：辛憲英。

• 叔叔： 羊耽,羊秘

• 父：羊衜，曾任上黨太守，早逝。

• 生母：濟陽縣君蔡氏，蔡文姬的姊妹。

• 長兄：羊發，母為孔融之女，官至都督淮北護軍。

• 次兄：羊承，羊祜同母兄，因病早亡。

• 妻：夏侯氏（夏侯霸之女，由夏侯威主婚）。

• 姊：羊徽瑜，晉景帝司馬師之妻。

羊祜無子，晉武帝命其兄羊發之子羊暨繼嗣，羊暨以父親已死為由抗命；晉武帝又命羊暨弟羊伊繼嗣，但羊伊以未得生父之命為由不為羊祜服喪，最終仍以本生父為父。太康二年（281年），羊伊的弟弟羊篇獲封為鉅平侯，成為羊祜的繼嗣。

晉孝武帝太元年間，羊發玄孫之子鉅平侯羊法興坐桓玄黨伏誅，爵除。尚書祠部郎荀伯子上表求為羊祜立嗣，未果。

注釋

參考書籍

• 《資治通鑑》

• 《晉書 列傳第四 羊祜傳》

• 《羊祜著述考》

• 《兩漢蜀學考》

• 《三國志集解》

• 《全上古三代秦漢三國六朝文》