there are troubles west of the pass [(i.e., in the Guanzhong region, where the general Wang Jingchong was fostering a rebellion)], how can we, your subjects and ignore the affairs of the state? If we are not to remain, we hope to at least remain until the deceased emperor's burial." Empress Dowager Li was angered, and she went to Liu Chengyou, stating to him, "These are the old and accomplished subjects of the state. Why are you listening to others and expelling them?" When Liu Chengyou blamed the matter on the chancellors in general, Li Tao took the blame by himself, and was relieved of his chancellor position. Subsequently, Yang was given an additional chancellor position, while Guo was made co-chief of staff, such that Yang became the main decision-maker, with the three chancellors no longer having real chancellor authority. Indeed, it was said that even on minor matters, even if the three chancellors concurred, no decision would be carried out unless Yang agreed with it, such that many needed actions became stalled. In particular, Yang, who rose from administrative ranks, disliked people in traditional learning, often stating: "For the state, it is most important that the treasury is full, and the military is strong. Who cares about matters of literature, rites, and music?" Further, as he still resented Su Fengji and Su Yugui (believing that they were behind Li Tao's petition) and also believed that the two Su chancellors had been insufficiently selective in their commissioning of officials, he made the process of commissioning officials to be an arduous one, such that sometimes people who had been promised official positions would not be commissioned for years. Further, those who had received their positions through connections or through seniority were often removed. In 949, after Guo suppressed Li Shouzhen's rebellion (as well as Wang Jingchong's and Zhao Siwan's), Guo declined to be honored alone for his achievements, and therefore all of the high-level officials were honored. In Yang's case, he was given the additional title of You Pushe (右僕射, one of the heads of the executive bureau of government (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng)). Yang was said to be a micromanager. After it became known that one of Wang Jingchong's chief strategists, Zhou Can (), was one of the officials that had been displaced by his reductions on official commissions and thus became discontented, he tried to quell the discontent by ordering