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Hu Yanzan呼延赞

Song CourtHistory × Fiction

Hu Yanzan killed Ouyang Fang to avenge his father, then sought refuge with Geng Zhong. In a dream, he learned spear techniques from Yuchi Gong. Later, he returned to Song and served as a vanguard, using a stratagem to capture Jietian Pass, and fought Yang Yande to a draw. Framed by Pan Renmei, he fled to Taihang Mountain, but was later summoned back to court.

DIRECT FIGURES
14
RELATION RECORDS
25
SOURCE WORKS
2

RELATIONSHIP COMPASS

Hu Yanzan, and the people around them.

Open one chapter at a time. Each chapter gives the relationship first, then the source text behind it.

01
KINSHIP

Kinship

Blood, marriage and sworn bonds

1 figure · 1 record
02
ALLEGIANCE

Allegiance

Rulers, appointments and allegiance

10 figures · 12 records
5 more in the complete record
03
CONFLICT

Conflict

Battles, captures and defeat

2 figures · 4 records
04
THE UNSEEN

Mythic acts

Transformation, aid and divine punishment

6 figures · 8 records
2 more in the complete record

12 key relationships are shown here. The complete record remains below.

In history · History of Song

A Song general, brave and daring, with tattoos covering his body.

In fiction · Generals of the Yang Family

Son of Hu Yanting, adopted by Ma Zhong, later killed Ouyang Fang to avenge his father. ; Son of Hu Yanting, killed Ouyang Fang's family to avenge his father, then sought refuge with Geng Zhong and Geng Liang. ; Hu Yanzan, son of a prime minister, skilled in martial arts, sought refuge with Geng Zhong to take revenge, later sworn brothers with Li Jianzhong and others, and learned spear techniques from Yuchi Gong in a dream.

Across source works

How this figure changes across texts

Works are shown side by side, not as a chronology. No influence between texts is inferred.

  1. Official history

    History of Song

    1 profile notes
    2 relations2 verified quotations
    • Hu YanzanaffiliatedWang Quanbin
    • Hu YanzanaffiliatedCui Han
    Verified original text · 2
    1. 从王全斌讨西川

      affiliated · History of Song, 王继忠傅潜张昭允戴兴王汉忠王能张凝魏能陈兴许均张进李重贵呼延赞刘用耿全斌周仁美传

    2. 从崔翰戍定州

      affiliated · History of Song, 王继忠傅潜张昭允戴兴王汉忠王能张凝魏能陈兴许均张进李重贵呼延赞刘用耿全斌周仁美传

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  2. Literature / legend

    Generals of the Yang Family

    28 profile notes
    23 relations31 verified quotations
    • Emperor Zhenzong of Songruler-subjectHu Yanzan
    • Hu Yanzanpresented headEmperor Zhenzong of Song
    • Emperor Taizu of Songconfer titleHu Yanzan
    • Emperor Taizong of SongappointHu Yanzan
    Verified original text · 31
    1. 以呼延赞为保驾大将军

      ruler-subject · Generals of the Yang Family, ch. 29

    2. 大将军呼延赞为保驾

      appoint guard · Generals of the Yang Family, ch. 33

    29 more verified quotations in the relationship records below.

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History vs. fiction

In the official history, Huyan Zan was brave and reckless, tattooed with 'loyal heart to kill the enemy' all over his body, while the novel embellishes that he learned spear techniques from Yuchi Gong in a dream.

  • According to the 'History of Song: Biography of Huyan Zan', he was exceptionally brave, 'tattooed all over his body with the characters 'loyal heart to kill the enemy', and even his wife, children, and servants were all tattooed like that.' He also made the 'breaking formation sword' and the 'demon-subduing pestle'. The official history has no record of him learning spear techniques from a deity in a dream. In 'Romance of the Yang Family Generals', Chapter 2, it is fictionalized that Huyan Zan stayed overnight in a broken temple, saw a statue with the inscription 'Shrine of Yuchi Gong of the Tang Dynasty', and in a dream learned the invincible divine spear from Yuchi Jingde. This is purely a fictional deification in the romance.

Relationship network

15 figures · 82 links
Hu YanzanHu YanzanEmperor Zhenzong of SongEmperor Zhenzong of SongEmperor Taizu of SongEmperor Taizu of SongEmperor Taizong of SongEmperor Taizong of SongCao BinCao BinYang YanzhaoYang YanzhaoPan RenmeiPan RenmeiYang YeYang YeYuchi JingdeYuchi JingdeWang QuanbinWang QuanbinEight KingsEight KingsYang ZongbaoLady LiuGao QiongCui Han
historyliteraturedual
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Sources: History of Song, 王继忠傅潜张昭允戴兴王汉忠王能张凝魏能陈兴许均张进李重贵呼延赞刘用耿全斌周仁美传; Generals of the Yang Family, ch. 1; Generals of the Yang Family, ch. 2; Generals of the Yang Family, ch. 3; Generals of the Yang Family, ch. 4; Generals of the Yang Family, ch. 5; Generals of the Yang Family, ch. 6; Generals of the Yang Family, ch. 7

This page was extracted from classical texts with AI assistance and revised; errors remain possible. Spotted a mistake? Tell us →

Compiled with AI assistance from public-domain texts; for cultural reference. Mythological accounts vary — corrections welcome.