"Romance of the Yang Family" "Romance of the Myriad Flowers Pavilion"

Author: Neng Damu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: 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 Song Dynasty. The heroic deeds of the Yang Family in defending the borders and resisting invaders had already spread throughout the Song Dynasty. Sixty years after Yang Ye's death, when Yang Wenguang was still alive, the renowned litterateur Ouyang Xiu wrote: "Both father and son were famous generals, renowned for their wisdom and courage as invincible. Even today, scholars and commoners alike can speak of them." Another litterateur Su Zhe, while passing through the Yang Wujie Temple at Gubeikou on his way to the Liao Kingdom, wrote the poem: "My galloping was originally for the, and my fame once earned me respect even in foreign lands." Romance of the Yang Family focuses on the heroic deeds of four generations of the Yang Family in resisting foreign invasions, starting from Yang Ye's sacrifice by striking the Li Ling Stele while imprisoned, and ending with the 12 widows' triumphant victory in the west. It is filled with patriotic passion, praising the heroic spirit of the Yang Family, who continued to fight forward and faced death without fear. In particular, the story of the 12 widows inheriting their ancestors' will and leading troops into battle is deeply moving. However, despite their loyalty, they suffered relentless persecution by treacherous officials, which also provokes reflection. It is not a historical romance; many of its main plots lack historical evidence and are instead filled with thick mythical elements—such as summoning wind and rain, turning beans into soldiers, and excessive descriptions of superstition and the supernatural. This traditional piece has been widely circulated and remains popular, especially in genres like storytelling (pingshu) and drum singing (gushu), where it continues to be performed with enduring appeal.