The Yang's Saga

TVB had mobilised the entire station to make the miniseries within two weeks in October 1985 in order to compete with ATV for viewership as ATV was sending its Miss Asia Pageant winner Eva Lai to represent Hong Kong in the Miss Asia Pacific International held at Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Wan Chai on 26 October 1985.

Summarize Fact Check

The series is set in late 10th-century China. Zhao Guangyi murders his brother Zhao Kuangyin, the Song Empire's founding emperor, and seizes the throne. In heaven, the Jade Emperor decides to punish Zhao Guangyi by sending the Red-Whiskered Dragon (reincarnated as the Liao Empire's Empress Dowager Xiao) to destroy the Song Empire. The Jade Emperor later changes his mind and sends three immortals – reincarnated as Yang Ye, Bao Zheng and Kou Zhun – to help the Song Empire. Around the same time, the immortals Leizhenzi and Tianhuangnü are banished from heaven for falling in love with each other, and reincarnated as Yang Ye's seventh son Yang Yansi and Yang Yansi's wife Du Jin'e respectively.

In the human world, Yang Ye marries She Saihua and has nine children (seven sons and two daughters) with her. Their sons also meet and marry their respective wives. Within the Song Empire, a rivalry brews between the Yangs and the Pan family, whose patriarch Pan Hong is also a reincarnated immortal holding a grudge against Yang Ye. When Zhao Guangyi sends the Yangs to lead Song forces into battle against Liao invaders, the Pans are ordered to lead Song reinforcements to support the Yangs. However, Pan Hong secretly conspires with the Liao forces to get rid of the Yangs, deliberately refraining from sending the reinforcements in time. As a result, Yang Ye and three of his sons are killed in battle, while Yang Yansi manages to escape and seek help from Pan Hong. Pan Hong, who hates Yang Yansi for unintentionally killing his son earlier, uses the chance to arrest and execute Yang Yansi. The fourth son Yang Yanhui is captured by the enemy but later marries the Liao princess Qinglian, while the fifth son Yang Yande is saved and becomes a monk at Mount Wutai.

Yang Ye's sixth son Yang Yanzhao survives and accuses Pan Hong of treason. Pan Hong is relieved of his command and placed under arrest, while his two sons defect to the Liao Empire. Pan Hong's daughter Consort Pan, who is Zhao Guangyi's concubine, convinces the emperor not to appoint Bao Zheng as the judge in her father's trial as Bao is known for being close to the Yangs. Kou Zhun, who is then put in charge of the trial, uncovers evidence of Pan Hong's treachery and Pan Hong is sentenced to exile. Yang Yanzhao reunites with his lost fifth brother and they work together to kill Pan Hong and his sons, thus avenging their father and fallen brothers.

Meanwhile, Liao forces launch an invasion, forcing Zhao Guangyi to pardon Yang Yanzhao for killing Pan Hong and put Yang Yanzhao in charge of leading Song forces to resist the invaders. In heaven, Lü Dongbin and Zhongli Quan of the Eight Immortals have a competition over the outcome of the Song–Liao battle. On one hand, Lü Dongbin helps the Liao forces deploy the Heaven's Gate Formation, trapping Yang Yanzhao. On the other hand, She Saihua, along with her other surviving sons and the women of the Yang family, receives guidance from Zhongli Quan on how to break the formation and save Yang Yanzhao. The battle concludes with a Song victory. Yang Yanhui is reunited with his family but feels guilty after seeing Qinglian die in battle, so he leaves for good. Yang Yande, having fought alongside his family one last time, decides to continue his new life as a monk. Despite her achievement, She Saihua declines rewards from Zhao Guangyi and chooses to retire and lead a peaceful life.

• The Yang's Saga on Hong Kong Cinemagic
• (in Chinese) The Yang's Saga page on TVB website