Rise of the Yang Family: A Popular Introduction to Chinese Classical Literature

Author: Xiong Damu (Ming Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2003-04-01
Features: The Romance of the Yang Family is an excellent popular novel. The prototypes of Yang Ye, Yang Yanzhao, and Yang Wenguang in the book are all recorded in The History of the Song Dynasty. The heroic deeds of the Yang Family in defending the border and resisting invaders had already been widely circulated during the Song Dynasty. Sixty years after Yang Ye's death, when Yang Wenguang was still alive, the famous litterateur Ouyang Xiu wrote: "Both father and son were renowned generals, their wisdom and courage, and even today, scholars and commoners alike can speak of them." Another litterateur Su Zhe wrote a poem upon passing the Yang Wujun Temple in Gubeikou, saying: "We rode to the frontier for the use of the Central Plains, and our achievements earned respect even in foreign lands."
The Romance of the Yang Family novel tells the story of the Yang Family, headed by the Northern Song Dynasty general Yang Jieye, who remained loyal to the country and resisted the Liao Dynasty. It has been passed down through the ages since the Southern Song Dynasty. Published during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty, The Romance of the Yang Family combines various widely circulated stories and legends about the Yang Family from the Song and Yuan dynasties. The novel portrays a large number of characters from the Yang Family, such as Yang Linggong, Yang Liulang, She Taijun, Mu Guiying, Yang Xuanniang, Jiao Zan, and Meng Liang. These characters are distinct in personality and have been deeply loved by people. In the series of Yang Family novels, The Romance of the Yang Family is considered the cornerstone. All subsequent novels and theatrical works featuring the Yang Family were derived from and expanded upon it.
The novel boldly and passionately portrays many female warriors of the Yang Family who are no less than their male counterparts. They are skilled in martial arts, bold in character, intelligent and graceful, and they dominate the battlefield. They completely break free from the shackles of feudal etiquette, including the codes of female morality and the hierarchy of status. As a result, the stories of the Yang Family have become household tales among the common people, and even a folk saying exists: "In the Yang Family, women surpass men."