The Jiaolai basin was formed during the rapid exhumation of the Sulu orogenic belt and Jiaobei terrane. Its evolutionary history plays a crucial role in understanding exhumation and denudation of the Sulu orogenic belt and Jiaobei terrane and destruction of the north China Craton (NCC). In this study, we focused on the Yangjiazhuang Formation of the Laiyang Group, located in the eastern margin of the Jiaolai basin, as the research target. A systematic approach was employed, including field geological survey, petrographic analyses, detrital zircon U- Pb dating and whole rock element measurements. Based on the comprehensive studies on the Yangjiazhuang Formation, the following conclusions were drawn: ① the sedimentary age of the Yangjiazhuang Formation is well- defined between 125 and 115 Ma, corresponding to the Apian stage of the Early Cretaceous; ② geochemical analysis of the mudstone indicates that the provenance of the Yangjiazhuang Formation experienced relatively weak chemical weathering, with primary sedimentation processes playing a dominant role. The upper continental crust (UCC) materials were identified as the primary source; ③ variations in sedimentary provenance and diversity suggest that, in addition to the Sulu orogenic belt, the Jiaobei terrane also served as a significant source during the middle to late stages of sedimentation. Considering the regional tectonic context, we propose that the rapid uplift and exhumation of the Sulu orogenic belt and Jiaobei terrane were closely linked to large- scale crustal extension and thinning associated with the destruction of the NCC.