Draft:Yang Youji
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Yang Youji (Chinese: 養由基; pinyin: Yǎng Yóujī) was a Chinese military general and notable archer under the reigns of King Zhuang of Chu and King Gong of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period.
Legends
[edit]Yang Youji was known for originating the Chinese proverbs "a hundred shots, a hundred hits" (百發百中)[1] and "to split a willow wand at a hundred paces" (百步穿楊). In Zhan Guo Ce, Shiji[2] and Book of Han, he was recorded to have accurately shot through a willow leaf at a distance of one hundred paces on one hundred consecutive occasions.
According to Zuo Zhuan, in a court competition, Yang demonstrated his extraordinary archery skills by piercing through seven layers of armor with a single arrow, which solidified the trust and favor of King Gong. During the Battle of Yanling, King Gong of Chu was struck in the left eye by an arrow shot by Wei Qi, the Dafu of Jin. In response, the king entrusted Yang Youji with two arrows, commanding him to exact revenge. Yang successfully killed Wei Qi with only the first arrow, and then returned the remaining arrow to the king[3].
After the war, Yang was appointed as the Master of the Royal Stables (宫厩尹) in the Chu administration. After this appointment, he disappeared from historical records.
In medieval Japan, Yang Youji (Japanese Romanization: You Yuuki) was revered as an incarnation of the Bodhisattva Manjushri. According to folklore, he possessed two arrows transformed from the bodhisattva's eyes, which were later bestowed upon the samurais Minamoto no Yorimitsu and Minamoto no Yorimasa.
References
[edit]- ^ Rozkalns, Ugis. "ChinesePod". ChinesePod. Retrieved 2025-10-24.
- ^ "Records of the Grand Historian - Wikisource, the free online library". en.wikisource.org. Retrieved 2025-10-24.
- ^ Selby, Stephen (1999). Chinese Archery. Hong Kong Univ Pr. ISBN 978-9622095014.