Chinese Traditional Story: Zhang Qixian, Prime Minister of the Song Dynasty

After the Northern Song was established, the recovery of the Sixteen states of Yan yun became a strategic national priority. In 986, capitalizing on the death of the Liao Dynasty's elderly ruler and the accession of a young new monarch, Emperor Taizong of Song ordered a large-scale military offensive. The Song army launched a hasty attack with 100,000 troops. Seizing this rare opportunity, the Liao forces decisively defeated the Song army, inflicting heavy casualties and resulting in the death of the renowned general Yang Ye.