Yang Yanzhao

Who is Yang Yanzhao?

Yang Yanzhao was a military general in ancient China's Northern Song Dynasty. For over 2 decades he defended Song's northern border against the Khitan-ruled Liao Dynasty, helping Song thwart Liao's repeated invasion attempts between 999 and 1004.

He was one of Yang Ye's 7 sons. History of Song mentions that he was called Yang Liulang by the Khitans who feared him. In the largely fictional legends of Generals of the Yang Family, Yang Yanzhao is Yang Ye's 6th eldest son to explain this nickname, even though historians believe he was actually the eldest or 2nd eldest son.