Yang Du's ancestors have been farmers for generations. He went to his grandfather Yang Litang to join the Hunan Army under Li Xubin and served as the sentry commander, holding the rank of fourth-rank commander. Uncle Yang Ruisheng joined the army with his father, and father and son were in the same camp. Yang Litang was killed in the Battle of Sanhe, and Yang Rui narrowly escaped death. Yang Ruisheng was later promoted to the rank of commander-in-chief due to his military merit and was stationed in Guide Town, Chaoyang Town and other places. His father, Yang Yisheng, was the fourth son (the second and third sons died in infancy). He worked as a farmer and a drummer. Yang Du was his eldest son. He also had a younger brother, Yang Jun (also known as Chongzi), and a younger sister, Yang Zhuang (known as Shuji). Yang Du lost his father when he was ten years old, and he was adopted by his uncle. Yang Jun is good at poetry, writing, calligraphy, painting and printing, and Yang Zhuang is also good at poetry and prose. When Yang Ruisheng was stationed in Guide, he invited Yang Du and his sister to his residence. At the age of sixteen, he changed his name to Du, with the courtesy name Xizi. When his uncle moved to Chaoyang Town outside the Pass, Yang Du and his sister returned to Xiangtan.

In the eighteenth year of Guangxu (1892), Yang Du passed the examination as a scholar. In the 19th year of Guangxu (1893), Shuntianfu Township Examination was held; in the 20th and 21st years of Guangxu's reign, both the Jiawu and Yiwei examinations failed. During the examination period, he wrote a letter on the bus, and he also agreed, and got to know Liang Qichao, Yuan Shikai, Xu Shichang, etc. Returning to his hometown, he studied under the famous Confucian king Kai Yun (Renqiu, Xiangqi) of Dongzhou and Chuanshan Academy in Hengyang. In the 21st year of Guangxu (1895), when Yang Du was 21 years old, Wang Kaiyun personally went to the Yang family to recruit him as a student. The relationship between teachers and students was so close that Yang Du was deeply loved by Wang Kaiyun and could joke around casually. Wang Kaiyun often called Yang Du "Yang Xianzi" in "Xiang Qilou Diary". Yang Du studied at Wang Kaiyunmen for three years. He was fascinated by the royal and imperial arts, which had a profound impact on his subsequent life. He once said to his friends: "Yu Cheng is not enough to be an emperor's teacher. However, if a king rises, he will definitely come to get the Dharma. Is it possible that the Dharma will be given?" Yang Jun and Yang Zhuang also studied in the Wang family, and Yang Zhuang later married the fourth son of the Wang family. There are also Xia Shoutian, Bazhi Tutuo, Yang Rui, Liu Guangdi, Liu Kueyi, Qi Baishi, etc. in the same sect.

Later, due to changes in the current situation, Yang Du also became interested in new learning. In the twenty-fourth year of Guangxu (1898), during the Hunan New Deal, Tan Sitong, Xiong Xiling, Tang Cichang, and Liang Qichao set up a current affairs school in Changsha. Cai E (Gen Yin), Liu Kuiyi, and Yang Dutong attended lectures and discussed state affairs together. In the twenty-eighth year of Guangxu's reign (1902), Yang Du ignored Wang Kaiyun's dissuasion and went to Japan at his own expense without telling his teacher. He entered the accelerated normal course of Tokyo Hongwen College and was classmates with Huang Xing, that is, Huang Keqiang. Influenced by students studying in Japan, his thoughts became increasingly radical, and he founded "Study Travel Translation and Compilation" with Yang Dusheng, a fellow student in Hunan who studied in Japan. Six months later, at the graduation meeting, Jigoro Kano, the president of Japan's Higher Normal School, made disparaging remarks about the Qing people. Yang Du had a heated debate with him on the spot about issues of national character and education. Soon after, it was published in Liang Qichao's "Xinmin Congbao" under the title "China Education", thus gaining support and praise for students studying in Japan in China. In order to obtain financial support for organizing "Study Travel Translation", Yang Du was forced to return to China. Later, he was ordered by his master to pay an audience with Zhang Zhidong and was praised by Zhang Zhidong.

In the 29th year of Guangxu's reign (1903), Yang Du was recommended to Beijing to take part in the newly opened Special Economics Jinshi Examination, and won the first and second place. The first-class one is Liang Shiyi, the future finance minister of the Beiyang government, Yang Du's political aide and political enemy. Because the name Liang Shiyi was said to be "Liangtou Kangwei", and "Kangliang" was hated by the Empress Dowager Cixi because of the Reform Movement of 1898, Liang Shiyi was removed from the name. Yang Du was implicated. He was also a "Hunan Normal University student" and had attacked the imperial court in Japan. He made dissatisfaction with the imperial court in his policy papers. He was suspected of being an associate of Tang Caichang and the revolutionary party. He was also expelled and wanted. Yang Du fled to his hometown and married Zhongying, the Huang family of Zhonglu. Soon, Yang Du went to Tokyo again and studied at Hongwen College. His younger brother and sister also studied in Japan earlier (in the 29th year of Guangxu) as the first batch of government-sponsored overseas students in Hunan Province. In autumn, Yang Du and Liang Qichao met in Yokohama. In October, feeling that "the national affairs are sad and unpredictable", he wrote "Hunan Youth Song" with Liang Qichao's "Youth China Theory", which was published in Liang Qichao's "Xinmin Congbao". Among them was "If the country of China is destroyed, unless all the people of Hunan are destroyed" Death. No matter how much the head is thrown, it won’t hurt, and no one with the slightest right will get it!" (Full text of "Hunan Youth Song"). At this time, Yang and Liang "are the best in the world if the two of them get along with each other."

In the 30th year of Guangxu's reign (1904), Yang Du transferred to the accelerated course of Hosei University in Japan and concentrated on studying the constitutionalism of various countries; he and Wang Jingwei classmate. At this time, the patriotic enthusiasm of the students studying in Japan was high, and the royalists and the revolutionary factions each promoted their own ideas. Yang Du advocated constitutional government and did not intervene in the debate between the two factions. He is enthusiastic about national affairs, friendly to his classmates, and outstanding in talent, and is quite famous among Chinese students studying in Japan. During his stay in Japan, Cai E was "the best friend to Yang Du" and would always go to Yang Du's house for dinner on holidays.

In the 31st year of Guangxu's reign (1905), Yang Du was elected as the Secretary-General of the Students' Association in Japan, and was later elected as the general representative of the delegation of students studying in the United States and Japan to protect the Guangdong-Hankou Railway. He took the lead in petitioning for the abolition of the Sino-US Guangdong-Han Railway loan contract renewal in the 26th year of Guangxu's reign (1900), advocating for the recovery of road rights and self-operation to safeguard national sovereignty, and published the "Guangdong-Han Railway Discussion". He returned to China as the general representative, and based on his teacher's countermeasures, he proposed that the government and gentry raise funds to handle it themselves. Meet Zhang Zhidong and get Zhang Zhidong's support. Soon after the Guangdong-Hankou Railway was taken over and run by himself, he successfully completed the task and his reputation greatly increased.

He debated with Sun Yat-sen several times in Tokyo on the issue of the Chinese revolution. "They gathered for three days and nights without rest. They discussed the pros and cons of the reform and the protection of the country without any rest. They talked freely about the pros and cons of the revolution." He did not agree with it. Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary thoughts, but he introduced Huang Xing to Sun Yat-sen and promoted Sun Huang's cooperation. Soon after the Chinese League was established, Sun Yat-sen strongly invited Yang Du to participate, but he refused to participate and wanted to do his own thing. He said: "My Lord has established a constitutional monarchy, and I will succeed, and I hope you will help me; you will call for national revolution, and if you succeed, Du will give up all his ideas." , Mr. Yi is working hard for national affairs, and we should not interfere with each other today. "We still adhere to the path of constitutional monarchy to save the country." In the 31st year of Guangxu's reign (1905), Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology promulgated the "Rules for Banning Qing Students Studying in Japan" and said the Qing people were "indulgent and despicable". Students studying in Japan protested in groups. Yang Du submitted a letter of protest in the name of the Secretary-General. There are two groups among students studying in Japan, one group advocates running their own schools and the other group advocates compromise. Chen Tianhua, a native of Hunan, jumped into the sea angrily. As Director-General Yang Du has been accused by some of his incompetence. In the 32nd year of Guangxu (1906), the Qing government sent five ministers including Zhenguo Gong Zaize, Duanfang, and Xu Shichang to go abroad (Europe, the United States, and Japan) to inspect constitutional government. In order to make a deal, Xiong Xiling went to Japan to ask Yang Du and Liang Qichao to draft a report. Yang Du wrote "The Outline of Chinese Constitutional Government Should Draw on the Strengths of Eastern and Western Countries" and "Implementing Constitutional Procedures" (Liang Qichao wrote "A Comparison of the Constitutional Governments of Eastern and Western Countries"). This won him great fame. That year, the Qing government issued an edict to prepare for the establishment of a constitution based on this report.

In the 33rd year of Guangxu (1907), Yang Du founded the monthly "China News" in Tokyo and served as the chief editor. He "did not talk about revolution, only constitutionalism." Yang and Liang went their separate ways. . He published many articles such as the 140,000-word treatise "Gold and Ironism", which promoted the constitutional monarchy, advocated the establishment of political parties, convened a parliament, and implemented constitutional government. "China Xinbao", "Xinmin Congbao" and "Minbao" are almost a tripartite force. It also organized a political and customary survey meeting (later renamed the Constitutional Government Seminar and the Constitutional Government Association), with the establishment of an elected chamber as the central goal of the constitutional movement. In the same year, Liang Huankui and Fan Xudong prepared the Hunan Constitutional Association and intended to support Yang Du as its president. In October, Yang Du returned to China and Uncle Qia passed away. In December, the Hunan Constitutional Association was established, with Yang Du as the president. He drafted the "Petition for the Elected House of the All People of Hunan Province", asked his teacher Wang Kai to revise it, and contacted many Hunan celebrities to jointly submit a petition, launching the Qing Dynasty Congress petition movement. The first of its kind. In the spring of the thirty-fourth year of Guangxu (1908), Yuan Shikai and Zhang Zhidong jointly recommended Yang Du, saying that he was "proficient in the constitution and can be put to great use". He went to Beijing to serve as a constitutional editor and reviewer, and was a fourth-rank candidate (he only had the title of Juren). fame). Yuan Shikai arranged for him to deliver a speech on the essence of constitutionalism to the royal family in the Summer Palace, and strongly advocated the establishment of a democratically elected parliament. Most of the Qing government's "constitutional" documents were written by Yang Du. At this time, the imperial court wanted to implement the "rule of law" and called on the princes and ministers to "study the law." Therefore, Yang Du was appointed as a senior "lecturer" and was able to visit the Summer Palace to "teach" these princes, princes and ministers legal knowledge, and opened lecture on the Constitution.

In the third year of Xuantong (1911), in the "Royal Cabinet" established by the Qing government, Yang Du was the director of the Bureau of Statistics. Yang Du and Yuan Shikai had a deep personal relationship, their relationship was extraordinary, and they had a sense of knowing each other. He determined that Yuan Shikai was the "extraordinary person" he was looking for, and he was the emperor's master. When the regent Zaifeng wanted to kill Yuan Shikai, Yang Du dared to refuse the imperial edict and risked his life to save him. After the Wuchang Uprising broke out, he came to Yuan Shikai's hometown and became Yuan Shikai's staff. In the third year of Xuantong (1911), he was appointed Minister of Education in Yuan Shikai's cabinet. He felt that Yuan was being excluded from within. Because he had close relationships with Sun Yat-sen, Huang Xing and Yuan Shikai, he and Wang Jingwei launched the "National Economic Association"; as one of Yuan Shikai's representatives, he was responsible for mediating between the north and the south. In the autumn of the first year of the Republic of China (1912), Huang Xing strongly invited him to join the Kuomintang in Beijing, but he did not agree. Later, Hu Ying and others asked him to join the party. He proposed that he could only consider it unless the Kuomintang gave up its idea of ??a party cabinet. He also invited his teacher, Wang Kaiyun, who was the director of the National History Museum, to come out.

In the third year of the Republic of China (1914), after Yuan Shikai dissolved the National Assembly, Yang Du was appointed to the Political Council and participated in politics. In April of the fourth year of the Republic of China (1915), Yang Du submitted "On the Constitution of the Monarch to Save the Nation", "If China does not abolish the Communist Party of China, it will If you establish a monarch, there is no hope of making the country strong, there is no hope of making the country rich, and there is no hope of establishing a constitution, and it will eventually lead to the destruction of the country. Therefore, using autocratic power to carry out the cause of establishing a constitution is an excellent opportunity for a saintly monarch to establish a great cause." Yuan Shikai praised him highly. It's a "word of wisdom". In that year, during Yuan Shikai's tenure as Vice Minister of Government, he co-organized a preparatory meeting with Sun Yuyun, Liu Shipei, Li Xiehe, Hu Ying, Yan Fu and others and served as chairman. He advocated constitutional monarchy and advocated for Yuan Shikai to proclaim himself emperor. Yuan Shikai was very kind to him and personally gave him a plaque with an inscription, calling him "an outstanding talent of his generation". As soon as the Hongxian monarchy came into being, he was reviled and denounced by the whole country. He was called a traitor in his hometown, and his former friend Liang Qichao called him a "vile, shameless, squirming lover."

In June of the fifth year of the Republic of China (1916), Yuan Shikai passed away. Before his death, he shouted, "Yang Du has mistaken me!". Yang Du wrote a couplet to express his condolences to Yuan Shikai: "Japan's peace misleads China, but China will not mistreat Japan's peace; it will take a thousand years to return, and I will not judge this prison again. The Ming Dynasty owes Hong Xian, and Hong Xian does not betray the Ming Dynasty; Jiuyuan can "Zhang Taiyan discussed the key to the failure of Hongxian's monarchy. There are three people opposing three people. The first of them is Liang Qichao's opposition to Yang Du. Li Yuanhong succeeded as president and issued an order to punish the wanted culprits of the monarchy, and he was listed first. After Yuan Shikai's death, Yang Du became disheartened and became a Buddhist monk. He studied Buddhism behind closed doors in the foreign concessions of Tianjin and Qingdao, rethinking life and reflecting on the past in the transcendental Buddhism. Under the name "Tiger Zen Master", he wrote many essays and verses on Buddhism.

In the sixth year of the Republic of China (1917), Zhang Xun launched a mutiny and Zhang Xun's restoration took place. The Qing government invited Yang Du to Beijing to participate, but he refused. He telegraphed Zhang and Kang, "Those who can be hurt are sacred." After this sacrifice, I will never see you again. I will live in sorrow and despair, and there will be no way to save the country. From now on, I will go to the mountains with my hair untied, and I will not listen to the world anymore." He announced that he would go to the mountains with his hair untied and study Buddhism and Zen. He believed that the basic spirit of Zen is selflessness, and proposed a "new Buddhist theory" of "selflessness". In the seventh year of the Republic of China (1918), he was pardoned and returned to Beijing. After the failure of the constitutional monarchy, his political views gradually turned to democracy and peace. In the eleventh year of the Republic of China (1922), Chen Jiongming rebelled. He was entrusted by Sun Yat-sen, and as Zhongshan's special envoy, he lobbied Cao Kun through Xia Shoutian (Xia Shoutian was Cao's secretary at this time), stopped Wu Peifu from aiding Chen, and helped Sun Yat-sen survive the political crisis. Sun Yat-sen said: "Yang Du is a good man and can fulfill the promises of a politician" (referring to the Tokyo Times). In the eleventh year of the Republic of China (1922), Yang Du joined the Chinese Kuomintang in Shanghai. Sun Yat-sen sent a special telegram to the entire party, saying that Yang Du "comes back this time with a strong will. Fortunately, he will not be doubted in the past." After that, Yang Du assisted Zhang Zongchang in Shandong in the Northern Expedition. Zhang Zongchang also obeyed Yang Du. Only when Yang Du interceded for journalist Lin Baishui did Zhang Zongchang agree. He began to associate with some Communist Party members, came into contact with Marxism, and met Li Dazhao through Sun Yat-sen in Shanghai.

In the 16th year of the Republic of China (1927), Yang Du tried to rescue Li Dazhao and Cheng Shewo in Beijing. In the seventeenth year of the Republic of China (1928), he lived in Shanghai and pretended to make a living by selling calligraphy and paintings. He was a "purge guest" of Du Yuesheng's family and provided a lot of information to the Communist Party. Joined the China Mutual Aid Association and donated a large sum of money. Yang Du's last article was "The Du Family Ancestral Hall" written for Du Yuesheng. Yang Du believes that Du Yuesheng is a chivalrous and Confucian figure: "When I first heard the name of Du Jun, I thought that he must be strong and strong in martial arts and high-spirited; when he got to know him, he would be humble and humble, and as cowardly as a Confucian, he would not be jealous of him. Goodness should not be limited by its ability. People yearn for it because of its virtue."

In the autumn of the 18th year of the Republic of China (1929), during the White Terror, Yang Du applied to join the Communist Party of China. He was introduced by Pan Hannian and approved by Wu Hao (Zhou Enlai). He secretly joined the party and met Zhou Enlai. Single line contact. After Zhou Enlai left Shanghai, Xia Yan had a single line of contact with him. Someone once ridiculed him for speculation, and he retorted: "How can there be speculation in today's white terror?" His identity as a party member was rarely known until Zhou Enlai was critically ill more than forty years later. In the winter of 1975, when Zhou Enlai was seriously ill and talking to Wang Yeqiu, he said that when revising "Cihai", the evaluation of modern Chinese historical figures must be objective and fair. He specifically mentioned Yang Du's joining the Communist Party in his later years: "He joined the party in his later years and was led by me until his death." In his later years, Yang Du prepared to write the "General History of China" based on Sun Yat-sen's suggestion. A lot of preparations were made and the outline was written, but no one left it unfinished.

In June of the 20th year of the Republic of China (1931), Du Yuesheng's ancestral hall in Pudong was completed. Yang Du wrote an article "Du Family Ancestral Hall" and asked Zheng Xiaoxu to write it as a congratulatory gift for the two of them; in addition, Yang Du also wrote An "Ode to the Inauguration of Du's Family Ancestral Hall" was written, and a stone tablet was erected. Du Yuesheng relied on Yang Du very much and asked him to serve as the director of the inauguration ceremony. Yang Du was grateful for the opportunity. In the office where people came and went, he was busy day and night, hands on everything, and was very responsible for his friends; Du Yuesheng also cared about Yang Du very much and knew that He was very addicted to opium, so he specially asked people to prepare a set of smoking utensils and a smoking couch so that he could enjoy himself while busy. But after all, Yang Du was nearly sixty years old and suffered from lung and stomach problems. After being tired, Yang Du's old illness relapsed. He died of illness in the Shanghai Concession more than two months after returning home. After his death, he was buried in Wanguo Cemetery (now Soong Ching Ling Cemetery). Zhou Enlai and Pan Hannian went to express their condolences.