Is “Died a martyr in the bloody battle at Xiaoshang River” true?
The 《宋史·杨再兴传》 clearly records that Yang Zaixing encountered the main force of the Jin army at Xiaoshang Bridge, led three hundred cavalry into the enemy formation, killed over two thousand Jin soldiers, and ultimately died after being struck by dozens of arrows. The Jin soldiers burned his remains and obtained two sheng of arrowheads. The original text records: “甲寅，岳飞遣统制杨再兴、王兰等击金人于小商桥，皆战死。”（《宋史·高宗本纪六》） This real historical detail is extremely tragic and heroic; the novel retains it completely, only making minor adjustments to tactical details such as being stuck in the mud.
A fierce general in official history who charged into enemy ranks alone, whose details of heroic martyrdom were adopted by the novel.
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