Yang Zongbao

Yang Zongbao
Generals of the Yang Family character
from one 1892 print of the novel Biographies of Generals of the Yang Family (楊家將傳)
Information
Spouse(s)	Mu Guiying
Children	Yang Wenguang, son Yang Jinhua (楊金花), daughter
Father	Yang Yanzhao
Mother	Princess Chai (柴郡主)

Yang Zongbao (楊宗保) is a character in the Generals of the Yang Family legends. In these largely fictionalized stories, he is the son of general Yang Yanzhao and Princess Chai, the husband of Mu Guiying and the father of Yang Wenguang.

According to History of Song, Yang Wenguang was the son rather than the grandson of Yang Yanzhao, and no "Yang Zongbao" was found in either this record or the Records of Longping (隆平集), which mentioned the names of Yang Yanzhao's 2 other sons. However, two surviving genealogy books of the Yangs from Dai County and Yuanping City - both in Shanxi province where the legendary Yang Family originally came from - both recorded Yang Zongbao as one of the three sons of Yang Yanzhao. A "soul-resting" stele discovered in 1985 in Xin'an County, Henan province suggest that a "Yang Zongbao" was indeed a grandchild of Yang Ye's - except a granddaughter rather than a grandson. (Chinese historical records and genealogy books don't usually record names of women.)

In fiction, Yang Zongbao met his eventual wife Mu Guiying when he was ordered to acquire the Dragon-Taming Wood (降龍木) at the Muke Fortress (穆柯寨) where Mu ruled. He was captured by Mu Guiying but married her when she made a marriage proposal.

He died very young in a battle against Western Xia, where he was shot to death by arrows. After his death, Mu Guiying led the other widows in a western expedition against Western Xia.