All that stood in their way was the weak Chinese state of Ch'en in the South. Yang Chien presumably looked forward to a promising career under the Northern Chou, but unexpected events placed him in a far more fateful and consequential position.
In 578 Yü-wen Yung, the emperor of the Northern Chou, died. The crown prince, Yang Chien's son-in-law, succeeded to the throne. This man, who was clearly pathological, proceeded to destroy in a short time the dynasty built by his father. Although he formally abdicated the throne to his young son in 579, he continued to dominate the government from behind the scenes. The fact that Yang Chien's daughter was his consort momentarily posed a great threat to the Yang family when the capricious tyrant, planning to elevate someone else to her place, decided to execute her and her family. But he fell ill and died before he could carry out his intentions.
Before the mad ruler died, Yang Chien had received from friends a forged order instructing him to appear at the bedside of the dying man. The friends wanted him to seize the opportunity that would be offered by the father's death to become regent for the child emperor.
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