It is not known when Yang Renquan was born, but it is known that he was from Hu Prefecture. During the reign of Wuyue's second king Qian Yuanguan, he became a commander of his headquarter guards, and was said to be capable and intelligent. The first historical reference to Yang was in 933, when Qian Yuanguan was dealing with his younger brother Qian Yuanxiang, who was then the acting prefect of Ming Prefecture, and was said to be arrogant and unlawful in his actions, often making inappropriate requests to Qian Yuanguan and being cruel toward his staffers. Qian Yuanguan sent Yang to Ming to summon Qian Yuanxiang back to the capital Qiantang. Yang's subordinates believed that the mission might be dangerous and that he should take military precautions, but Yang, ignoring them, wore regular clothes and headed for Ming. When Yang arrived at Ming, Qian Yuanxiang became frightened and returned to Qiantang with him without incident. Qian Yuanguan then put Qian Yuanxiang under house arrest. In 940, Wuyue's southern neighbor Min was in civil war, as its emperor Wang Yanxi and Wang Yanxi's younger brotherWang Yanzhengthe prefect of Jian Prefecture were battling each other, and Wang Yanxi's generals Pan Shikui and Wu Xingzhen were putting Jian under siege. Wang Yanzheng sought aid from Qian Yuanguan. Despite advice by the chancellor Lin Ding against doing so, Qian Yuanguan launched an army commanded by Yang and Xue Wanzhong to aid Wang Yanzheng. of Ningguo Circuit and chancellor Before they could arrive, however, Wang Yanzheng had already defeated Wang Yanxi's army himself and therefore asked the Wuyue army to withdraw, offering it gifts for doing so. Yang refused, and set up camp near Jian. Wang Yanzheng, in fear, turned to Wang Yanxi and asked him for aid. Wang Yanxi sent his nephew Wang Jiye to aid Wang Yanzheng and also sent another army to cut off the Wuyue army's supply route. With torrential rains arriving and the food supply running low for the Wuyue army, Wang Yanzheng attacked it and defeated it, forcing Yang to withdraw.
Service under Qian Hongzuo
In 941, Qian Yuanguan died, and his son Qian Hongzuo succeeded him as king. It appeared that Yang Renquan continued to carry the title of military governor of Ningguo. In 943, Qian Hongzuo, whose first wife Lady Du had died, married Yang Renquan's daughter Consort Yang as his second wife. Yang Renquan thereafter became a chancellor, but died not long after, as did Consort Yang.
