Yang Zhao
It is unknown when Yang Zhao was born. His family was from Pu Prefecture (蒲州, roughly Yuncheng, Shanxi) and traced its ancestry to the great Han dynasty official Yang Zhen (), as well as officials of Later Yan, Northern Wei, and Sui dynasty. Yang Zhao's great-great-grandfather Yang Wang () was an important official during Sui. His grandfather Yang Youliang () served as a county magistrate for Tang, and his father Yang Xun () served as a military officer. His mother Lady Zhang was a sister of Wu Zetian's lovers Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong.