Yang Yanzhao was the eldest son of the famous general Yang Ye of the early Northern Song Dynasty (960-1123). Yang Ye had been stationed at the Yanmen Pass for many years and was the enemy of the Khitanians who opposed the Song. They were so afraid of him that they called him “The Invincible Yang.”
Yang Yanzhao followed his father on the battlefield from the time he was young and learned fighting skills. In addition, he was intelligent, clever, and brave, so he was very much loved by Yang Ye, who once said: “This son is like me.” Yang Ye would bring him to be honed in battle whenever he went to war. Yang Yanzhao did not retreat even though he was hit in the arm by a stray arrow during a battle.
In the second year of Emperor Chenzong’s reign in 999, the Khitan attacked the Song Dynasty again, and the Song army was repeatedly defeated. In September of the same year, the Khitan attacked Suicheng, defended by Yang Yanzhao.
The Khitan army was in high spirits because they were under the command of Empress Xiao of the Khitan. On the other hand, the Song army had fewer than 3,000 defenders, and reinforcements were delayed, which put the Song army in danger. Luckily, Yang Yanzhao responded wisely by sending all city residents to take turns defending the city day and night and holding out until the end of October.
Usually, it was not very cold in the early winter, but suddenly, the weather changed drastically, and a cold front came. The temperature dropped overnight. Seeing that the opportunity could not be missed, Yang Yanzhao immediately ordered the people and soldiers in the city to draw water and pour it over the city wall, which immediately became solid and smooth, and the Khitan army was unable to attack, so they had to bypass them and attack other places.
This strategy relieved the risk of being captured by the Khitan army. Emperor Song Zhenzong praised Yang Yanzhao for his “witty military management and defense of the fortress.” Suicheng was also known as “Iron Suicheng.”
Yang Yanzhao annihilated the Khitan army
Several years later, the Khitan attacked the Song Dynasty again. Yang Yanzhao and Yang Si jointly defended the state of Baozhou and laid an ambush at the foot of Yangshan, northwest of Suicheng. When the Khitan army attacked the city, Yang Yanzhao lured the enemy to the foot of Yangshan with a few cavalrymen. Then, the ambushers rose and annihilated the Khitan army in one swoop. This was the famous “Ambush at Yangshan.”
After the “Tamuiam Alliance” agreement between the Song Dynasty and the Khitan, Yang Yanzhao refused the court’s order not to harm the Khitan’s cavalry and continued to pursue the Khitan cavalry with his generals. After the Khitan army was defeated, Yang Yanzhao ignored the court’s order not to pursue the Khitans and led more than 10,000 of his men to chase the Khitan army to the border area, where he even captured the ancient city.
Although Yang Yanzhao’s actions broke the court’s rules and were envied by some villains, Emperor Song Zhenzong knew that he was loyal to his country, so he did not punish or stop him.
Yang Yanzhao lived a frugal life and led his soldiers well, and he could share wealth and woe with his soldiers. He was always the first to fight in battles, and when discussing merits and rewards, he humbly transferred his merits to his subordinates. Sometimes, he even shared his salary and rewards with his subordinates, so the soldiers greatly trusted and loved him.
Yang Yanzhao was the eldest son in his family, so why was he called “the Sixth one” by the Khitan army? It was because the Khitan people had always believed that the sixth star in the Big Dipper was the one that restrained the Khitan. Yang Yanzhao was a famous general who fought against the Khitan, and the Khitan people were so afraid of him that they thought he had descended from the star that restrained the Khitan, so he was called “the Sixth one.”
During more than 20 years of fighting with the Khitan, Yang Yanzhao’s bravery, loyalty, and skill in leading his troops led to repeated defeats of the Khitan. It provided a solid and powerful defense for the security of the Northern Song Dynasty. In Chinese history, Yang Yanzhao has symbolized bravery, intelligence, and loyalty.
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