Yang Ye
Yang Ye (楊業) or Yang Jiye (楊繼業) (died August 986), named Liu Jiye (劉繼業) before 979 and Yang Chonggui (楊重貴) in his youth, was a Chinese military general of the Northern Han and the Northern Song dynasties. While at Northern Han, he took on the surname "Liu", having been adopted by Northern Han's founding emperor Liu Chong as a grandson. After pledging allegiance to Emperor Taizong of Song, he was stationed at Song's northern border with the Khitan-ruled Liao Dynasty, where, in 980, he played an instrumental role in expelling a major Liao invasion in Yanmen Pass. Early life Yang Chonggui was born in a military family. Growing up, his father Yang Xin (楊信) was named the Linzhou (麟州; modern Shenmu County, Shaanxi) prefect (刺史) during the Later Han (947–951). At a young age, Yang Chonggui was a very good horse archer, always returning with several times more game than others on hunting trips. He used dogs and falcons to hunt and saw it as a way to prepare for a career commanding soldiers as a military general. Career under Northern Han In his 20s, he joined warlord Liu Chong (Liu Min), quickly becoming a chief director of defense (保衛指揮使)