YANG GUIFEI 楊貴妃

李白 (清平調): (一) 雲想衣裳花想容，春風拂檻露華濃。若非群玉山頭見，會向瑤台月下逢。(二) 一枝紅艷露凝香，雲雨巫山枉斷腸。借問漢宮誰得似，可憐飛燕倚新妝。(三) 名花傾國兩相歡，長得君王帶笑看。解釋春風無限恨，沉香亭北倚闌干。

Yang Yuhuan 楊玉環 was born in Yongle 永樂, Pu Prefecture 蒲州, in 719 during the Tang Dynasty. She was talented in music, singing and dancing. 楊家有女初長成，養在深閨人未識。 Yang is regarded as one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. 天生麗質難自棄。 She is said to have an extremely pretty face that puts all flowers to shame. 貴妃羞花。

At the age of fourteen, Yang married Li Mao 李瑁, the eighteenth son of Emperor Xuanzong 唐玄宗. The emperor had been looking for the most beautiful woman to be her concubine. 漢皇重色思傾國，御宇多年求不得。 Captivated by Yang’s heavenly beauty 回眸一笑百媚生, 六宮粉黛無顏色, he conspired to order his son to give her up and to orchestrate her to become a Taoist nun. This was a plot to facilitate her transition from the prince’s wife to the reigning emperor’s consort, thus evading criticism. In 745, after bestowing his son a new wife, Xuanzong transferred Yang to his harem. And he conferred her the title of Guifei, literally “Imperial Consort”. Yang since became the most favorite lady among thousands of concubines. 後宮佳麗三千人，三千寵愛在一身。

Yang lived a profligate life. She was presented with lavish gifts. The Huaqing hot springs, 華清池 was given to her, where she spent many hours relaxing and bathing to maintain her fresh skin 春寒賜浴華清池，溫泉水滑洗凝脂。The emperor’s favors also extended to her relatives. Her three sisters were appointed to nobility, and her cousin, Yang Guozhong 楊國忠, Prime Minister. 姊妹弟兄皆列土。

The Emperor and Yang were head over heels in love with each other. All his time was occupied indulging in the infatuation with his Guifei. 雲鬢花顏金步搖，芙蓉帳暖度春宵。春宵苦短日高起，從此君王不早朝。承歡侍宴無閒暇，春從春遊夜專夜。 He exceedingly enjoyed her singing and dancing performances. The sound of music could often be heard from within the lofty, luxurious palace. 驪宮高處入青雲，仙樂風飄處處聞。緩歌慢舞凝絲竹，盡日君王看不足。金屋妝成嬌侍夜，玉樓宴罷醉和春。 He progressively neglected state affairs and the day-to-day running of his empire. Consequently, much of his power was seized by the corrupt court officials.

In 755, a powerful military governor 節度使 named An Lushan 安祿山 of Turkish descent launched a rebellion (Anshi Insurgence 安史之亂) under the banner of eradicating the corrupt government of Prime Minister Yang Guozhong. An Lushan and his rebel army advanced undefeated towards the capital Chang’an 長安. 漁陽鼙鼓動地來，驚破霓裳羽衣曲。 Xuanzong commanded his imperial guards to escort him, Yang, her family and his royal clan members fleeing to Chengdu 成都. 九重城闕煙塵生，千乘萬騎西南行。

As the emperor’s cortege arrived Mawei Courier Station 馬嵬驛, the soldiers mutinied, executing Yang Guozhong and Yang’s family members. In addition, they demanded the death of Yang; they blamed her for distracting the emperor thus ruining the state. 六軍不發無奈何。In order to appease his troops, Xuanzong reluctantly ordered Yang to commit suicide. She was thirty-eight years old. He was very devastated. 花鈿委地無人收，翠翹金雀玉搔頭。君王掩面救不得，回看血淚相和流。

Yang has scandalously been depicted as the woman who harmed the country by distracting the emperor, eventually leading to the deterioration of the Tang Dynasty. On the other hand, she is also sympathetically seen as a vulnerable victim or scapegoat in the system of feudal monocracy.

Yang Guifei’s flamboyant love story with a tragic ending has been narrated in myriad works of literature, poetry, painting, theatre, television series and movies. The most famous poem was composed by the Tang poet, Bai Juyi 白居易, titled “Song of Everlasting Sorrow 長恨歌.”

臨別殷勤重寄詞，詞中有誓兩心知。七月七日長生殿，夜半無人私語時。在天願作比翼鳥，在地願爲連理枝。天長地久有時盡，此恨綿綿無絕期。

About the author:

Dr. Patrick Lau was born in Hong Kong and immigrated to the U.S. after high school. He retired from the VA Northern Indiana Heath Care System where he served as Chief Radiologist and moved to Florida with his wife in 2011. He was an active member & contributor of IACA and ICMA while in Indiana. Dr. Lau is also a scholar of art and literature and a prolific writer, he has been a dedicated columnist for Indy Asian American Times since 2010.