Yang Guifei facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Imperial Consort Yang 楊貴妃
Yang Guifei Leaving the Bath by Gu Jianlong (1606–after 1689)
Born	Yang Yuhuan (楊玉環) 719 Yongle, China
Died	15 July 756(756-07-15) (aged 37) Mawei Station, Xianyang, Shaanxi, China
Burial	Mawei Station, Xianyang, Shaanxi (grave later not excavated)
Spouse	Li Mao, Prince of Shou Emperor Xuanzong of Tang
Father	Yang Xuanyan
Mother	Lady of Liang

Yang Yuhuan (Chinese: 楊玉環; 719 – 15 July 756), often known as Yang Guifei (楊貴妃, with Guifei being the highest rank for imperial consorts during her time), and known briefly by the Taoist nun name Taizhen (太真), was the beloved consort of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang during his later years. She is known as one of the Four Beauties of ancient China.

Background

Yang was born in 719 during the Tang dynasty, early in the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. Her great-great-grandfather Yang Wang (楊汪) was a key official during the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui, and, after the fall of the Sui dynasty, served one of the contenders to succeed Sui, Wang Shichong; Yang Wang was then killed when Wang Shichong was defeated by Tang forces in 621. Yang Wang was from Huayin (華陰; in modern Weinan, Shaanxi), but his clan subsequently relocated to Yongle (永樂; in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi).

Yang's father Yang Xuanyan (楊玄琰) served as a census official at Shu Prefecture (蜀州; in modern Chengdu, Sichuan), and his family went there with him. He appeared to have had no sons, but had four daughters who were known to history—Yang Yuhuan and three older sisters. Yang Xuanyan died when Yang Yuhuan was still young, so the latter was raised by her uncle Yang Xuanjiao (楊玄璬), who was a low-ranking official at Henan Municipality (河南府; modern Luoyang).

Princess and Taoist nun

In 733, fourteen-year-old Yang Yuhuan married Li Mao, the Prince of Shou and the son of Emperor Xuanzong and Consort Wu. She thus carried the title of Princess of Shou. After Consort Wu died in 737, Emperor Xuanzong was greatly saddened by the death of his then-favorite concubine. Some time after that, however, Princess Yang somehow came into Xuanzong's favor and the Emperor decided to take her as his consort. However, since Princess Yang was already the wife of his son, Emperor Xuanzong stealthily arranged her to become a Taoist nun, with the tonsured name Taizhen, in order to prevent criticism that would affect his plan of making her his concubine. Yang then stayed, for a brief moment, as a Taoist nun in the palace itself, before Emperor Xuanzong made her an imperial consort after bestowing a new wife on his son Li Mao. Yang became the favorite consort of the Emperor.

Imperial consort

In 745, after Emperor Xuanzong gave the daughter of the general Wei Zhaoxun (韋昭訓) to Li Mao as his new wife and princess, he officially made Taizhen an imperial consort—with the newly restored rank of Guifei, which was greater than the previously highest rank of Huifei, carried by Consort Wu. He bestowed posthumous honors on her father Yang Xuanyan and granted her mother the title of Lady of Liang. He also gave high offices to her uncle Yang Xuangui (楊玄珪) and cousins Yang Xian (楊銛) and Yang Qi (楊錡). Since 745, all within the imperial court and the palace had treated her like the new empress (像皇后, Xiàng huánghòu), and bowed to her as if she was the most powerful woman in the land (Tiānxià Mǔ, 天下母), and in the palace, they called her lady (娘子, Niángzǐ), like the honorific used for the empress. Her three older sisters were conferred the ranks of Ladies of Han, Guo, and Qin, and it was said that whenever the noble women were summoned to imperial gatherings, even Emperor Xuanzong's highly honored sister Li Chiying (李持盈), the Princess Yuzhen, did not dare to take a seat more honorable than theirs.

When Li Linfu died, Yang Guozhong became chancellor.

An Lushan's rebellion and Consort Yang's death

Yang Guozhong and An Lushan soon were in conflict, and Yang Guozhong repeatedly acted provocatively, such as arresting and executing staff members from An's mansion in Chang'an.

In 755, An finally rebelled and marched his troops toward the capital. In order to try to placate the populace, which believed that Yang Guozhong's conflict with An Lushan had provoked the rebellion, Emperor Xuanzong considered passing the throne to his crown prince, Li Heng. Yang Guozhong, who was not on good terms with the prince, feared this development, and persuaded Consort Yang and her sisters, the Ladies of Han, Guo, and Qin, to speak against it. Emperor Xuanzong, for the time being, did not abdicate the throne.

In 756, Yang Guozhong forced General Geshu Han to engage An Lushan, at least partly out of fear that the general himself might attempt to usurp the throne. Geshu Han was defeated and Tong Pass, the last major imperial defense, fell to An's forces. With the situation becoming desperate, Yang Guozhong suggested fleeing to Chengdu, the capital of Jiannan Circuit. On 14 July, Emperor Xuanzong, along with Consort Yang, her family, and his immediate clan members, secretly left Chang'an, heading toward Chengdu. With him were Yang Guozhong, his fellow chancellor Wei Jiansu, the official Wei Fangjin (魏方進), the general Chen Xuanli, and some eunuchs and ladies in waiting close to him.

On 15 July, Emperor Xuanzong's cortege reached Mawei Courier Station (Chinese: 馬嵬驛; pinyin: Mǎwéi Yì, in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi). The imperial guards were hungry and angry at Yang Guozhong. Tibetan emissaries, who had followed the emperor, were also complaining to Yang Guozhong that they had not been fed. General Chen Xuanli believed that Yang Guozhong's actions had provoked this disaster and reported to Li Heng that he planned to accuse Yang Guozhong.

In this tense situation, soldiers of the imperial guard declared that Yang Guozhong was planning treason in collaboration with the Tibetan emissaries. They killed Yang Guozhong, his son Yang Xuan (楊暄), Consort Yang's sisters, the ladies of Han and Qin, and Wei Fangjin. Yang Guozhong's wife Pei Rou (裴柔) and his son Yang Xi (楊晞), along with Consort Yang's sister, the Lady of Guo, and her son Pei Hui (裴徽) tried to flee, but were killed. The soldiers then surrounded Emperor Xuanzong's pavilion and refused to leave, even after the Emperor came out to comfort them and ordered them to disperse.

Emperor Xuanzong then sent Gao Lishi to ask General Chen Xuanli for his advice. Chen's reply was to urge the Emperor to put Consort Yang to death. Initially the Emperor refused, but after Wei E (韋諤, Wei Jiansu's son) and Gao Lishi spoke in agreement with Chen, the Emperor eventually agreed. He had Gao take Consort Yang to a Buddhist shrine, where she took her own life. She was buried at Mawei, without a coffin, but with masses of fragrance wrapped in purple blankets.

In 757, Prince Li Heng, who had taken the throne as Emperor Suzong, recaptured Chang'an and welcomed ex-Emperor Xuanzong, then Taishang Huang (retired emperor) back to the capital. Emperor Xuanzong went through Mawei on his way back to Chang'an. He wanted to locate Consort Yang's body and rebury her with honor. The official Li Kui spoke against it, pointing out that the imperial guard might again mutiny if he did so. However, Emperor Xuanzong secretly sent eunuchs to rebury her with a coffin. When he returned to Chang'an, he had a painter create a picture of Consort Yang in a secondary palace, and often went there to view the portrait.

Gallery

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  Imperial Consort Yang is teaching a parrot to chant sutras, Liao dynasty (907–1125).

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  Detail showing Yang Guifei mounting a horse, from 1250 to 1300.

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  Painting of Hosoda Eishi titled "The Chinese beauty Yang Guifei". Edo period, about AD 1800–20.

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  The Chinese emperor Minghuang and his concubine Yang Guifei, with attendants on a terrace. By Kanō Eitoku (1543–1590).

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  Yang Guifei. By Takaku Aigai, 1821.

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  Yang Guifei (Yôkihi) Viewing Cherry Blossoms from Verandah. Edo period, circa 1823.

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  Minghuang and Yang Guifei, from Shaanxi

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  Tomb of Yang Guifei

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  Yang Guifei in a Flower Garden, woodblock print with colors

See also

In Spanish: Yang Guifei para niños

• Huaqing Pool
• Li Bai