Generals of the Yang Family

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Generals of the Yang Family
Yangjiajiang1.jpg
Depiction of Yang Ye's suicide before Li Ling's stele, from one 1823 print of the novel Complete Biographies of Northern Song's Golden Spears (北宋金鎗全傳).[1]
Traditional Chinese 楊家將
Simplified Chinese 杨家将

Generals of the Yang Family is a collection of folklore, plays and novels detailing the military exploits of the Yang family over several generations during the earlier years of Northern Song Dynasty of ancient China. The stories recount the unflinching loyalty and remarkable bravery of the Yangs, and of how they defended Song's borders from foreign invaders. While several generals of the Yang family are profiled in historical texts such as History of Song, most of the popular tales deviate from actual historical records.

Contents

Historical basis [edit]

See also: Yang Ye, Yang Yanzhao, and Yang Wenguang

Yang Ye, a general of the Northern Han Kingdom, was nicknamed "Invincible" (無敵) due to his tactical prowess and unmatched gallantry in battle. He came to serve Song Dynasty after Liu Jiyuan, the ruler of Northern Han surrendered. Emperor Taizong of Song placed great faith in Yang Ye and commissioned him to defend Song's northern border from the Khitan-ruled Liao Dynasty. Yang Ye proved his capability by defeating the Khitans in a battle at Yanmenguan, instilling fear in the enemy but incurring the jealousy of some Song officials as well.

In 986, during a northern campaign against the Liao forces, the Song force commanded by general Pan Mei was attacked by the main enemy force along the way. Pan Mei and others forced Yang Ye to lead an army to resist the much larger enemy despite Yang Ye's opposition. Yang Ye engaged the Liao forces in a bloody battle at Chenjiagu (陳家谷), but the reinforcement did not arrive as promised. Surrounded by the much larger army, Yang Ye was captured by Liao forces and starved himself to death. One of Yang Ye's seven sons was killed. Pan Mei was later relegated by Emperor Taizong for Yang Ye's death.

The most outstanding of Yang Ye's seven sons was Yang Yanzhao, who continued defending Song's northern border from the Liao for more than two decades and the Khitans feared him. Yang Yanzhao's son Yang Wenguang also became an important general and followed Di Qing on a southern campaign against Nong Zhigao. He also defended Song's western borders from Western Xia.

Literary development [edit]

A 19th century mural painting depicting Yang Wenguang at the Long Corridor of Summer Palace, Beijing, China.

In 1051, scholar Ouyang Xiu inscribed this on a Yang family member's tombstone: "The father and the sons being such renowned generals are considered matchless in terms of bravery and intelligence. Everyone in the world, including children in the countryside, can recount their stories." Considering Yang Wenguang was still alive, this indicated that folk legends of the Yangs began very early.[2]

In the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), there were already at least 2 plays about the Yangs, though the scripts haven't survived.[3] More plays were created in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), many in the form of zaju.[3][4]

In Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), a number of novels on the Yang family began to appear. The two that have survived to this day are:[5]

  • Records of the Two Songs, South and North (兩宋南北志傳) by Xiong Damu (熊大木), the earliest version found from 1593[6]
  • Popular Romance of Generations of Loyal and Brave Yang Family Members (楊家府世代忠勇通俗演義) by Ji Zhenlun (纪振伦), the earliest version found from 1606

These novels would become the primary source materials for the legends. In Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), more novels appeared. Some are modifications of the previous novels, some retold particular stories, while some are sequels.[5] Other novels about similar time periods would also feature characters from the Yang family, for example the 3-part Romance of Di Qing (狄青演義) by Li Yutang (李雨堂) first published in 1801.

Jiaqing Emperor who reigned from 1796 to 1820 ordered the compilation of a Song Book to Enlighten Generations (昭代箫韶), containing 240 plays in kunqu about the generals of the Yang family. The compilation was published in 1813 and attributed to Wang Tingzhang (王廷章) and Fan Wenxian (范聞賢). Over the years the opera series were only performed 3 times due to its length.[7] Later, Empress Dowager Cixi ordered its modification into the Peking opera version, a huge project that lasted from 1898 until 1900 when it was interrupted by the Boxer Rebellion and subsequent foreign invasions.[7]

In addition to the plays shown in the Forbidden City, qinqiang, yuju, pingju and many other local Chinese opera forms have all throughout the centuries developed their own stories about generals of the Yang family. Many of the stories aren't found in novels and have vastly enriched the legends.[7] In the 20th century, the stories were greatly popularized in China through the performing art pingshu (storytelling).[7]

Characters [edit]

Due to the existence of many versions including novels and different local Chinese opera, the names of some characters vary among versions, particularly those in the second generation of the Yang family. However, the basic Yang family tree holds. Female characters (shown in pink) are more likely to be omitted in any particular version.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Yang Ye
(楊業)
 
 She Saihua
(佘賽花)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Yang Yanping
(楊延平)
1st son
 
 
 Yang Yanding
(楊延定)
2nd son
 
 
 Yang Yanqing
(楊延慶)
3rd son
 
 
 Yang Yanhui
(楊延輝)
4th son
 
 
 Yang Yande
(楊延德)
5th son
 
 
 Yang Yanzhao
(楊延昭)
6th son
 
 
 Yang Yansi
(楊延嗣)
7th son
 
 
 Yang Yanqi
(楊延琪)
8th child
 
 Yang Yanying
(楊延瑛)
9th child
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Zhou Yunjing
(周雲鏡)
 
 
 Geng Jinhua
(耿金花)
 
 
 Dong Yue'e
(董月娥)
 
 
 Meng Jinbang
(孟金榜)
 
 
 Ma Saiying
(馬賽英)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Du Jin'e
(杜金娥)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Yelü Qiong'e
(耶律瓊娥)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Chai Wenyi
(柴文意)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Yang Zongyuan
(楊宗源)
 
 Yang Zongbao
(楊宗保)
 
 Mu Guiying
(穆桂英)
 
 Yang Qiuju
(楊秋菊)
 
 Yang Qiulan
(楊秋蘭)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Yang Wenguang
(楊文廣)
 
 Yang Jinhua
(楊金花)

In some versions of the story, Yang Ye and She Saihua have an adopted son (called "8th son") Yang Yanshun (楊延順), birth name Wang Ying (王英), son of Yang Ye's late friend Wang Ziming (王子明), who married Jiang Cuiping (姜翠屏) and Yelü Yao'e (耶律瑤娥).[8][9] In most versions this character is omitted due to similarities with "4th son" Yang Yanhui.

Other important protagonists include

Haotian Pagoda in Beijing, where Yang Ye's bones were allegedly kept by the Khitans after his death. The alleged tombs of Jiao Zan and Meng Liang are next to the pagoda today.

Important antagonists include

Basic story [edit]

During theSong Dynasty's invasion of the much weaker Northern Han Kingdom, Emperor Taizu of Song's army was surprised by Northern Han general Yang Ye and suffered a major defeat. Song general Pan Renmei was almost killed by Yang Ye and the Song army had no choice but to retreat. Years later, Emperor Taizu's successor Emperor Taizong initiated another invasion, again stopped by forces led by Yang Ye, his wife She Saihua, and their 7 sons. Pan Renmei was injured by an arrow from She Saihua. Emperor Taizong had to bribe corrupt Northern Han officials who spread rumors to create distrust between Northern Han's ruler Liu Jiyuan and Yang Ye. This eventually led to Liu Jiyuan's defeat and surrender.

After Yang Ye's reluctant surrender, Emperor Taizong awarded his family an impressive mansion in the capital Kaifeng called "Heaven Wave House". Gratified, Yang Ye swore allegiance to the emperor and defeated the Liao Dynasty forces from Song's northern borders again and again. The jealous Pan Renmei, also the emperor's father-in-law, offered to the emperor to name his son Pan Bao the vanguard, but the other ministers were not convinced since Pan Bao had no experience. Pan Renmei then offered to start a martial arts tournament in Kaifeng's Tianqi Temple for a month, and that the Yang family shall not participate. Yang Ye locked his sons at home, but on the last day the 7th son sneaked out the house, joined the tournament, and killed Pan Bao who had been using despicable means to kill his opponents.

After several attempts to kill Yang family members failed, Pan Renmei turned to the Liao army for help and assisted them in luring and besieging the outnumbered Yang Ye, his 7 sons and Emperor Taizong in the border city of Youzhou. With no better options available, Yang Ye's 1st son volunteered to dress as the emperor and meet the Liao prince for a risky peace talk called the "Double-Dragon Meet" in Golden Beach, while the real Emperor Taizong escaped. As feared, the meeting turned out to be a trap, and only his two youngest sons remained when Yang Ye and his men retreated to Twin Wolves Mountain. Yang Ye asked his 7th son to fight a way out to Pan Renmei's camp for reinforcement. The 7th son managed to reach Pan Renmei, but was drugged, tied up and shot to death by countless arrows.

Severely outnumbered in the trap and with no sight of reinforcement, Yang Ye also learned the confirmed deaths of his eldest 3 sons. To avoid being captured, he committed suicide by knocking his head against a stone tablet bearing Li Ling's name. His 6th son managed to fight a way out back to the Song territory, but was confronted by generals ordered by Pan Renmei to kill him. Instead, the generals who all respected Yang Ye told him about his 7th brother's death and let him go. On the way back to Kaifeng, the 6th son also befriended a man named Wang Qin, who unbeknownst to him was a Liao spy.

When Emperor Taizong received the 6th son's report about Pan Renmei's crimes, he also received a report by Pan Renmei accusing the Yangs of treason. The first judge of the case was bribed by Pan Renmei's daughter Consort Pan and tried to help the Pans but that was stopped by the emperor's nephew Zhao Defang, also known as the "Eighth Virtuous Prince". The second judge escaped from his post for fear of offending the Pans. After a long time, the Eighth Virtuous Prince finally located a candidate for the post, a provincial official named Kou Zhun, who despite having only held tiny posts before, had a reputation of intelligence and moral principles. Finally Kou Zhun convicted Pan Renmei of multiple crimes and executed him with the help of the Eighth Virtuous Prince.

As the new commander of the Song army succeeding his father, the 6th son Yang Yanzhao continued to fight the Liao forces under the new emperor. Emperor Zhenzong honored the Yang family by building a stone epitaph, which was disrespected by Xie Jinwu - the son-in-law of Wang Qin who had since become a high official. After Xie Jinwu received a heavy beating by the women in the Yang household, trouble began to arise which resulted in Yang Yanzhao being notified at the border. Worried about his mother, he, without permission, violated the military rules to rush back to the capital with a subordinate Jiao Zan, who couldn't control his anger and killed Xie Jinwu, creating more trouble.

Finally reinstated, Yang Yanzhao accidentally noticed that his 5th brother was a monk at Mount Wutai. Having given his soul to the Buddha in despair after the fighting at Golden Beach, the 5th brother now refused to participate in the Song army or return home, but he proved that blood is thicker than water by helping his brother at a critical time and killing the enemy. Meanwhile, their sister - Yang Ye's 8th child - learned that her father's remains and golden sabre were kept by the Liao in Haotian Pagoda so she went across the border by herself in an attempt to retrieve the items. She was arrested but escaped with help from someone who turned out to be her 4th brother, now under the false identity "Mu Yi" and had married a Liao princess.

When Yang Zongbao, the son of Yang Yanzhao and Princess Chai, travelled to the Muke Fort in search of the Dragon Subduing Wood, which would help in breaking Liao army's Heaven Gate Formation, he met Mu Guiying, who married him after capturing him. Mu Guiying would prove instrumental in breaking the Heaven Gate Formation with the rest of the Yangs. When Yang Yanzhao died, there were few males left in the Yang family. Around that time, Western Xia invaded Song, and Yang Zongbao had been killed in action, so the twelve women in the family participated in the campaign against Western Xia. The women generals of the Yang family proved that they were not inferior to their male counterparts.

Historical and cultural sites [edit]

Xiantong Temple in Mount Wutai, Shanxi Province, where an iron pole kept is said to the one used by Yang Wulang (Yang Ye's 5th son).

Due to the popularity of the stories throughout the Chinese-speaking world, numerous memorial sites including temples and tombs have been built over the centuries throughout China to commemorate Yang Ye and the Yang family. Many locations have no known and realistic relationship with the Yangs, yet still claim that events from the stories occurred there. Some of the most well-known sites include:

  • Invincible Yang Temple (楊無敵廟) in Gubeikou, Beijing, built some time before 1055, when the location was still under Liao control.[10] Over the years many generals renovated the temple to pay their respects, including Xu Da in the 14th century and Feng Yuxiang in the early 20th century. It was destructed in the Cultural Revolution but has since been rebuilt according to old photos.
  • Tian Bo Yang House (天波楊府) in Kaifeng, Henan, the capital of Song Dynasty during the Yangs' time. The name "Tian Bo" (天波; literally "Heaven Wave") is the name of the house of the Yangs in popular legends. The house was built in 1992 as a tourist attraction. The location in Kaifeng was chosen based on records written in the 14th century. Some historians doubt whether the Yangs actually had a house in Kaifeng like the records claimed.
  • Yang Family City (楊家城) in Shenmu County, Shaanxi, Yang Ye's birth place. The city walls were built in 748, but at least since 1098 it has been called Yang Family City. The Seven-Star Temple (七星廟) where Yang Ye and She Saihua allegedly married is located about 25 km away (the name of course refers to their 7 children).

Cultural references [edit]

Stories about the Yang family have been retold in the form of folk tales, stage plays and opera, novels, manhua (comics), films and television dramas.

Literature [edit]

  • "Blue Faced Beast" Yang Zhi (楊志), a character in the classical novel Water Margin, is a fictitious descendant of Yang Ye.
  • Yang Zaixing (楊再興), a general of the Southern Song Dynasty, is also said to be a descendant of Yang Ye in Shuo Yue Quanzhuan (說岳全傳), a semi-fictional biography of Yue Fei. Yang Zaixing had two sons - Yang Zhengyuan (楊正園) and Yang Zhengguo (楊正國).

Opera and music [edit]

Du Jin'e (Yang Qilang's widow), Mu Guiying and Yang Wenguang portrayed by Peking opera actors in a 2007 performance.

Composer Du Mingxin wrote a Beijing opera to a Chinese libretto titled Yang Men Nü Jiang (simplified Chinese: 杨门女将; traditional Chinese: 楊門女將; pinyin: Yáng Mén Nǚ Jiàng; literally "Female Generals of the Yang family"). The opera was based on the Yangju opera Commanding the Troops at 100 Years Old, and was first performed in 1960 by the China Peking Opera Company. The opera is set during the war between the Northern Song Dynasty and the Kingdom of Western Xia, after the death of Song general Yang Zongbao. Yang Zongbao's 100 year old grandmother, She Saihua, along with Mu Guiying and other widows of the Yang family, lead the Song army to resist the invaders.

In 2000 Du Mingxin also produced a symphonic version of the opera for the China Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO), consisting of an overture, three movements and an epilogue. This was the first symphonic work commissioned for the newly established CPO at that time.[11]

Films [edit]

Musical films
  • How Muk Kwai-ying Thrice Captured and Released Yeung Chung-bo (穆桂英三擒三縱楊宗保), a 1956 Hong Kong film in Cantonese opera.
  • Eighth Sister Yeung (楊八妹招親), a 1956 Hong Kong film in Cantonese opera.
  • How Muk Kwai-ying and Yeung Chung-bo Defeated the Heavenly Gate Militia (穆桂英楊宗保大破天門陣), a 1957 Hong Kong film in Cantonese opera.
  • Mu Guiying Battling in Hongzhou (穆桂英大戰洪州), a 1958 Chinese film in Peking opera.
  • Mu Guiying Takes Command (穆桂英掛帥), a 1958 Chinese film in Yuju opera.
  • The Fourth Son (四郎探母), a 1959 Hong Kong film in Cantonese opera.
  • Golden Sword (楊八妹取金刀), a 1959 Hong Kong film in Cantonese opera.
  • Yang Female Warriors (楊門女將), a 1960 Chinese film in Peking opera.
  • Conqueress (無敵楊家將), a 1961 Hong Kong film in Cantonese opera.
  • Muk Kwai-ying Finds a Husband (穆桂英招親), a 1962 Hong Kong film in Teochew opera.
  • She Saihua (佘賽花), a 1984 Chinese film in the shangdanglaozi (上黨落子) opera genre.
Others

Television series [edit]

Musical television series
  • Generals of the Yang Family (楊家將), a 1983 Taiwanese series in Taiwanese opera produced by CTS.
  • Generals of the Yang Family (楊家將), a 1985 Taiwanese series in Taiwanese opera produced by CTS.
  • She Saihua (佘賽花), a 2005 Chinese series in Peking opera first broadcast on CCTV-11.
Others

References [edit]

  1. ^ Essentially the same novel, with slight modifications by publishers and editors, as the second half of Records of the Two Songs, South and North (兩宋南北志傳) written by Xiong Damu (熊大木) in the late 16th century.
  2. ^ Zhang, Ch.1
  3. ^ a b Zhang, Ch.3
  4. ^ The 6 extant ones include: "Meng Liang Steals the Remains from Haotian Pagoda" (昊天塔孟良盜骨); "Xie Jinwu Has Qingfeng Prefecture Torn Down through Trickery" (謝金吾詐拆清風府); "Huang Meiweng Sends Birthday Blessings" (黃眉翁賜福上壽); "Yang Liulang Mobilizes Troops to Break the Heaven Formation" (楊六郎調兵破天陣); "Jiao Guangzan Captures Xiao Tianyou Alive" (焦光贊活拿蕭天佑); and "The Eighth Prince Proclaims an Edict to Save Loyal Officials" (八大王開詔救忠臣).
  5. ^ a b Zhang, Ch.4
  6. ^ Only the last 50 chapters focus on the Yang family and are therefore usually separated from the first 50 chapters in subsequent publications. For the 50-chapter version on generals of the Yang family, see: (Chinese) Xiong Damu, Romance of Generals of the Yang Family
  7. ^ a b c d Zhang, Ch. 5
  8. ^ (Chinese) 民權歌劇團
  9. ^ (Chinese)Yang Yanshun on Baidu Baike
  10. ^ At least 3 poems about this temple at the location were written within 103 years of Yang Ye's death by Song envoy messengers to Liao. They are: "Passing Gubeikou's Invincible Yang Temple" (過古北口楊無敵廟) written by Liu Chang (劉敞) in 1055; "Passing Gubeikou's Invincible Yang Temple with Zhongxun" (和仲巽過古北口楊無敵廟) written by Su Song (蘇頌) in 1079; and "Gubeikou's Invincible Yang Temple" (古北口楊無敵廟) by Su Che (蘇轍) in 1089.
  11. ^ Symphony Accompanies Heroine Tales

Sources [edit]

  • (Chinese) Toktoghan et al., History of Song, vol. 272
  • (Chinese) Zhang Yongting (张永廷) (2012). Historical Truths behind the Generals of the Yang Family (杨家将的历史真相). Beijing: Central Compilation & Translation Press. ISBN 9787511711632. 
Generals of the Yang Family
First generation
Second generation
Third generation
Fourth generation
Other characters
Film adaptations
Television adaptations
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