Growing up, his father Yang Xin (楊信) was named the Linzhou (麟州; modern Shenmu County, Shaanxi) prefect (刺史) during the Later Han (947–951).

At a young age, Yang Chonggui was a very good horse archer, always returning with several times more game than others on hunting trips.

[2] Yang showed enough gallantry in battles,[2] some against the neighboring Khitan-ruled Liao dynasty, for the new ruler to bestow the youngster the name Liu Jiye so that they share the same surname.

Winters were very frigid in the area, but Yang never asked anyone to start a fire for him as he handled military matters outdoors.

[2] Within two years of his surrender, Yang was promoted to the nominal post of surveillance commissioner (觀察使) of Yunzhou (雲州, modern Datong, Shanxi, then still under Liao control), while retaining his appointments in Daizhou and the Sanjiao military base.

One of the three forces was led by Pan Mei, assisted by Yang Ye, along with military supervisors Wang Shen (王侁) and Liu Wenyu (劉文裕).

[3] As the Liao force with over 100,000 soldiers marched westward, Pan and Yang Ye were in Daizhou and received orders to help the civilians of the four conquered prefectures retreat back to Song territory.

Yang reiterated his belief that such a move would bring defeat, which was met by Wang's rebuttal of "You sir have been called 'invincible', but today you are so hesitant in face of the enemy and reluctant to fight.

Yang had no choice but to reply, "I am not evading death, but this is a bad situation which would make soldiers die and injure in vain.

He pointed at the end of a valley called Chenjiagu (陳家谷, in modern Shuozhou): "Gentlemen, please put infantrymen with arrows on both sides of that place, so that they could attack from both directions and provide assistance in case I retreat there.

[9] Yang engaged the Liao force in a bloody battle and fought from noon to dusk until he indeed retreated to the end of Chenjiagu, but no Song soldier was there, as Pan and Wang had already left.

Seeing only around a hundred soldiers around him, Yang Ye told them, "You all have fathers, mothers, wives and children, no point in dying together with me.

[3] Yang Ye's severed head was presented to the young Emperor Shengzong of Liao and his mother Empress Dowager Xiao Yanyan.

This was such a great victory for the Liao, where Buddhism was the state religion, that Kailong Temple (開龍寺) in the capital Shangjing (上京, in today's Baarin Left Banner) conducted religious activities for a month and provided food for over 10,000 monks.

In comparison, the family of a lesser general He Huaipu (賀懷浦) who also died in the same battle was compensated 100 rolls of silk, 100 strings of coins, 20 bottles of wine, and 15 sheep,[10] indicating possible scapegoating against Yang.

What exactly happened afterwards is unclear, but a few months later[7] Emperor Taizong proclaimed the following edict:[2] ... Yang Ye, the Yunzhou surveillance commissioner, has a heart strong like gold and stone and a character intrepid like wind and clouds.

Grand general Pan Mei shall be demoted by three ranks; military supervisor Wang Shen shall be stripped of all positions and exiled to Jinzhou (金州); and Liu Wenyu shall be stripped of all positions and exiled to Dengzhou (登州).Yang Ye's six surviving sons were also given official appointments, especially Yang Yanzhao, who would become a prominent general himself.

Its earliest mention was a 1055 poem "Passing Gubeikou's Invincible Yang Temple" (過古北口楊無敵廟) by Song politician Liu Chang (劉敞), who went to Liao on a mission that year.

Fighting valiantly for over 10 days and killing over 10,000 Xiongnu soldiers, Li received no reinforcement and defected to his enemy in the end, resulting in the execution of his entire family back home.

Refusing to become another Li Ling, Yang Ye decided to commit suicide by ramming his head on the stele.