There are many stories about the exploits
of generals from Yang Family and their faithful service to Northern Song Dynasty.
In the early days of Northern Songs, people in the frontier had always been annoyed
by Liao. Yang Ye led his army to guard Yanmen Pass, a town of military importance.
In 980, Liao commanded 100,000 troops to attack on Yanmen Pass. At that time, he
had only several thousands of troops. However, leaving the major troops in camp
to hold their ground, he, with his only hundreds of cavalries, rounded the back
of Liao troops, and launched a surprise assault. Liao army were unprepared and suffered
a crushing defeat.
In addition, Yang Ye achieved other great victories. From then on, Liao troops had
hardly seen his battle flags when they began to shiver. And people nicknamed him
"Mr Invincibility".
Two years later, Song Taizong was determined to launch a large scale offensive attack
to Liao. Yang Ye was appointed as the assistant of the Chief Commander in the western
route. Everything went well at the very beginning. However, since the eastern route
had made a rash advance to the enemy, Song lost its battle and had to retreat. Due
to a mortal failure in a strategic decision, Yang Ye suffered an ambuscade. After
all of his soldiers died, he still insisted on fighting, but was wounded and captured
at last. In the camp of Liao troops, Yang Ye rejected hauling down his colors. He
died in a hunger strike.
After he died, his offspring inherited his unfulfilled wish, safeguarding the border
of Song Dynasty. His son Yang Yanzhao and his grandson Yang Wenguang fought many
glorious battles to repel the incursions by Liao. The deeds of Yang Family generals
became the stuff of fold legend.
Reference data
Pact of Chanyuan
Khitan was an ancient nomadic tribe in Liaohe River valley. In 916, Yelu Abaoji
founded the State of Khitan, then renamed as the "Liao", choosing Shang Du (in today's
Inner Mongolia) as its capital. In the time of the military confrontation between
Khitan and Five Dynasties, Liao expanded its forces after it had got the 16 prefectures
of You and Yun ceded by Shi Jintang. this posed a threat to the security of Northern
Song. In 1004, the empress dowager and the emperor Shengzong of Liao (Yelu Longxu)
declared a war on Northern Song. Northern Song army suffered several defeats and
Liao army marched south. In the 11th month, Liao army reached Chanzhou, a place
of strategic importance by Yellow River, posing a threat to Dongjing, the capital
of Northern Song. Both the government and populace were on tenterhooks. At this
very moment, Song Zhenzong, under the insistence of his minister Kou Zhun, decided
to go out to battle. His action did encourage the morale of his soldiers when the
two armies were locked in a face-off. Shortly after, they signed a pact. According
to it, the government of Northern Song would send 100,000 taels of silver coin,
200,000 bolts of thin silk. Historically, this is what we call "pact of Chanyuan".
From then on, there was no large scale war being waged. Economic and cultural communication
had been further developed.
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