The Tale of the Yang Family Generals

The Yang Family Generals were a famous military clan in the early Northern Song dynasty. Their heroic deeds spread widely among the people and earned them deep admiration and praise.

The best-known members of the Yang family were Yang Ye, Yang Yanzhao, and Yang Wenguang. Yang Ye was originally a renowned general of Northern Han. After joining the Song, he guarded the Northern Song frontier. Brave and skilled in battle, he won victory after victory and was hailed as "Yang the Invincible." In a battle against the Liao army, he was vastly outnumbered and ultimately died a heroic death.

Yang Ye's son, Yang Yanzhao, carried on his father's mission and continued to defend the frontier, repelling Liao invasions time and again and earning an equally distinguished military record. His fame shook the borderlands. The people of Liao believed that the sixth star of the Big Dipper guarded the northern region of Youzhou and Yanzhou and was their nemesis. They regarded Yang Yanzhao as the celestial star known as the Sixth Lang descended to earth, and so called him Yang Liulang.

Yang Wenguang, Yang Yanzhao's son, was another important member of the Yang family and took part in campaigns against Western Xia and other battles.