Yang Zong 楊綜

In Chapter 107 of the Romance, when Sima Yi shuts the city gates and raises troops, the Minister of Agriculture Huan Fan urges Cao Shuang to take the Son of Heaven to Xudu, summon troops from outside and attack Sima Yi. But the Palace Attendant Xu Yun, the Master of Writing Chen Tai and Yin Damu, Colonel of the Palace, say that the Grand Tutor means only to take away his military authority and has no other intention, and Cao Shuang, unable to decide for a day and a night, throws down his sword and says that it will be enough to give up office and live as a rich old man. Romance, Ch. 107 §14–18

Xu Yun and Chen Tai have Cao Shuang first hand over his seal and ribbon to Sima Yi. When Cao Shuang has the seal sent, the Registrar Yang Zong clutches the seal and ribbon and, weeping, says that if his lord gives up his military authority today and goes to surrender with himself bound, he will not escape execution at the Eastern Market. Cao Shuang says that the Grand Tutor will never break faith with him and gives the seal and ribbon to Xu Yun and Chen Tai to take ahead to Sima Yi, and the soldiers, seeing that their commander's seal is gone, all scatter in every direction. Romance, Ch. 107 §19

Sima Yi sends Cao Shuang and his two brothers back to their private residence and has it guarded; then, taking the testimony of the Gate Eunuch Zhang Dang, he interrogates He Yan and the others, beheads Cao Shuang, his brothers and all those implicated with them in the marketplace, and exterminates their three sets of kin. Thereupon the Grand Commandant Jiang Ji says that Lu Zhi and Xin Chang, who cut through the barrier and seized the gate to get out, and Yang Zong, who seized the seal and would not hand it over, must none of them be let go. Sima Yi, saying that they are men of righteousness who each served their own master, restores each of them to his former post. In the Romance Yang Zong's name appears only in these two places in this chapter. Romance, Ch. 107 §20–23 · 27