| Lady Yang |
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| CATEGORIES ABOUT YANG GUIFEI | |
| 719 births | |
| 756 deaths | |
| tang dynasty imperial consorts | |
| chinese taoists | |
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, near Xi'an .]] Yáng Guìfēi (), '), ( June 1 , 719 — July 15 , 756 ), born '''Yáng Yùhuán''' (楊玉環), was one of the Four Beauties of ancient China . She was the beloved consort of the Xuanzong emperor for many years, but was ultimately executed (together with her sisters and her cousin Yáng Guózhōng 楊國忠) because the enraged Imperial bodyguard troops were convinced that the Rebellion Of Anshi was the fault of the Yang family. Yang was born in Yongle (永樂), Pu Prefecture (蒲州) with an ancestry in Huayin (華陰), Hongnong (弘農) (in Shaanxi ) to Yang Xuanyan (楊玄琰), the ''sihu'' (司戶), a finance and food official, in Shu Prefecture (蜀州). A few years after her father's death, sixteen-year old Yang married one of Xuanzong's many sons, the sixteen-year old Li Mei (李瑁), Prince Shou (壽王), and became the "princess Shou" (壽王妃). Three years after Emperor Xuanzong's consort Wu Huifei (武惠妃) died in 737, the highly-placed Eunuch advisor Gao Lishi arranged for Xuanzong to meet Yang in Xingwen Fountain Palace (幸溫泉宮). The emperor then made Yang divorce her husband the prince, and become a Nun with the sobriquet Taizhen (太真 "Utmost Truth") living in Taizhen Palace. Five years later, Prince Li Mei was given another wife, the daughter of General Yuan Zhaoxun (韋昭訓), and Yang was then made a ''guifei'' (imperial consort). Many of Yang's relatives received preference and high titles through her influence:
In addition, members of the Yang family married two Li princesses and two prefects. She also recommended her favorite, the "court jester" An Lushan , to military command, with Disastrous Consequences . Lychee was a favorite fruit for Yang, and the emperor had the fruit, which was only grown in southern China, delivered by the imperial messenger service's fast horses, whose riders would take shifts day and night in a Pony Express -like manner, to the capital. (Most historians believe the fruits were delivered from modern Guangdong , but some believe they came from modern Sichuan .) ( 1235 - 1305 AD).]] More than a decade passed peacefully. Then the terrible Anshi Rebellion broke out and the capital was taken. The emperor and court made their escape to Chengdu . Along the road, at Mawei Relay Station (馬嵬驛站) (today in Xingping (興平縣), Shaanxi ), the soldiers accompanying the imperial party, believing that the Yangs were responsible for the country's upheaval, demanded and obtained the death of Yang Guozhong . Still unsatisfied, the army insisted that Yang Guifei should be killed as well. Rather than turn herself over to them, Yang (then 38) hanged herself or was hanged by Gao Lishi. The following year, the devastated Xuanzong tried to retrieve her body from the Mawei Relay Station, but no body was ever found, so a memorial tomb for her was erected in Xi. A Japanese myth grew up telling that she was rescued, escaped to Japan and lived her remaining life there. In Japanese, she is known as ''Youkihi''. In the following generation, a long poem, "Song of the Everlasting Sorrow" (長恨歌), was written, describing the Emperor's love for her and perpetual grief at her loss; it became an instant classic, known to and memorized by Chinese schoolchildren far into posterity. Yang Guifei is known for being slightly overweight, which was a much sought-after quality at the time. Misinterpretation of quotes describing this in the West has often led to her being described as " Obese ". The term "obese", when used to describe Yang Guifei, must not be viewed in its modern context of someone who is extremely overweight. She was often compared and contrasted with Zhao Feiyan (趙飛燕), the beautiful wife of Emperor Cheng Of Han , because Yang was known for her full build while Zhao was known for her slender build. This led to the Four-character Idiom ''yanshou huanfei'' (燕瘦環肥), describing the range of the types of beauties. CULTURAL LEGACY Yang's story has been often retold. While some literature describes her as the author of much misfortune, other writings sympathize with her as a scapegoat. These stories of varying points of view include: Literature :
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She is also well-known in Japan, and Noh plays have been staged based on her story. EXTERNAL LINKS
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