Sima Xiangru
Like a number of the other well-known writers of the Han dynasty, Yang was from Shu (modern Sichuan province), specifically the area of Pi (modern Pi County, Sichuan). Yang claimed that his family had moved south from the state of Jin during its civil infighting in the 6th century BCE. As a youth Yang was an admirer and imitator of his elder Shu compatriot Sima Xiangru and the "grand "fu"" style of the early Han period. His ability and success in "fu" composition earned him a summons to the imperial capital at Chang'an to serve as an "Expectant Official", responsible for composing poems and "fu" for the emperor.