Yang Ye

Early life Yang Chonggui was born in a military family. Growing up, his father Yang Xin (楊信) was named the Linzhou (麟州; modern Shenmu County, Shaanxi) prefect (刺史) during the Later Han (947–951). At a young age, Yang Chonggui was a very good horse archer, always returning with several times more game than others on hunting trips. He used dogs and falcons to hunt and saw it as a way to prepare for a career commanding soldiers as a military general.

Career under Northern Han In his 20s, he joined warlord Liu Chong (Liu Min), quickly becoming a chief director of defense (保衛指揮使) after Liu established the Northern Han state in Jinyang (晉陽; modern Taiyuan, Shanxi) in 951.

Liu Jiye was already the Jianxiong Command (建雄軍) military governor when the Song forces invaded again in 979.

Career under Song Knowing Yang Ye's experience in defending the same area from the Liao dynasty, Emperor Taizong named Yang prefect over Daizhou on the frontier and the armed force director (兵馬部署) of the neighboring Sanjiao (三交) military base. Previously Yang was also named a defense commissioner (防禦使). Song forces acquired countless horses, saddles, and armor.

Following this battle, the Liao army would "retreat immediately whenever they saw [Yang] Ye's flag", according to History of Song. Yang Ye's son Yang Yanlang (Yang Yanzhao) was the vanguard general in the attacks of Shuozhou and Yingzhou.

However, another Song force on the east led by Cao Bin was destroyed by a Liao force led by Yelü Xiuge, and tens of thousands of Song soldiers perished. Yang engaged the Liao force in a bloody battle and fought from noon to dusk until he indeed retreated to the end of Chenjiagu, but no Song soldier was there, as Pan and Wang had already left. As the enemy closed in, Yang Ye's son Yang Yanyu (楊延玉) was killed, as was a 72-year-old subordinate Wang Gui (王貴) who continued fighting with his fists after exhausting all arrows. Seeing only around a hundred soldiers around him, Yang Ye told them, "You all have fathers, mothers, wives and children, no point in dying together with me. Return home and serve the emperor later." His men all cried, but nobody left. indicating possible scapegoating against Yang. What exactly happened afterwards is unclear, but a few months later

This temple still stands today in Gubeikou, Miyun County, Beijing.

In fiction In the popular The Generals of the Yang Family legends, Yang Ye married She Saihua, a woman skilled in martial arts and archery. In most versions, his weapon is a poled golden glaive. The older Yang Ye is usually called Yang Linggong (楊令公, literally "Commander Lord Yang").

During the battle of Mount Twin Wolves, he was surrounded by enemies. His eldest three sons had already died and his fourth and fifth sons were missing. His sixth son Yang Yanzhao asked the seventh son to seek aid while he tried to fight a way out for the father. Feeling hopeless, Yang Ye saw in a distance a headstone on the ground. The name on it was Li Ling, a famous Han dynasty general who in 99BC was forced to lead an army of 5,000 to attack the 80,000-men strong Xiongnu army from the north. Fighting valiantly for over 10 days and killing over 10,000 Xiongnu soldiers, Li received no reinforcement and defected to his enemy in the end, resulting in the execution of his entire family back home. Refusing to become another Li Ling, Yang Ye decided to commit suicide by ramming his head on the stele.

The Water Margin character, Yang Zhi, is stated to be one of Yang Ye's descendants, and Yang Ye is mentioned to have been one of the many generations to have wielded Yang Zhi's legendary sabre.

Footnotes