15 Facts About Yang Ye

Yang Ye or Yang Jiye, named Liu Jiye before 979 and Yang Chonggui in his youth, was a Chinese military general of the Northern Han and the Northern Song dynasties.

At a young age, Yang Ye Chonggui was a very good horse archer, always returning with several times more game than others on hunting trips.

Yang Ye used dogs and falcons to hunt and saw it as a way to prepare for a career commanding soldiers as a military general.

Yang Ye showed enough gallantry in battles, some against the neighboring Khitan-ruled Liao dynasty, for the new ruler to bestow the youngster the name Liu Jiye so that they share the same surname.

Yang Ye would join his soldiers in military exercises, enduring the same hardship as his inferiors.

Winters were very frigid in the area, but Yang Ye never asked anyone to start a fire for him as he handled military matters outdoors.

Emperor Taizong allegedly forwarded the letters to Yang Ye to show his trust.

Elsewhere, Gao Hua, a capable subordinate general whom Yang Ye valued and promoted, captured Liao general Dapengyi.

Yang Ye 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.

Yang Ye was captured when his horse was gravely wounded by an arrow from Liao general Yelu Xidi.

Yang Ye's severed head was presented to the young Emperor Shengzong of Liao and his mother Empress Dowager Xiao Yanyan.

Yang Ye was given an army of brave soldiers and served at the borders.

Yang Ye shall be honored as a grand commandant and the military governor of the Datong Command, and his family awarded 1,000 rolls of textile and silk and 1,000 stones of rice.

Yang Ye's six surviving sons were given official appointments, especially Yang Yanzhao, who would become a prominent general himself.

The older Yang Ye is usually called Yang Linggong.