Yu Zhanao is a character from the story of Jiu'er that Jiang Yuanman recounts. He is described as a burly, hot-blooded man with strength and advantage on his side, having a bandit nature. Jiang Wanyin questions how Yu Zhanao could have just carried Jiu'er away without taking advantage of her, suggesting he would have tossed her into the sorghum field instead. He is portrayed as a bandit character in the story, representing a threat and a source of tragedy. The story is set against the backdrop of the northern Tatars seizing five counties during the late dynasty.
