There are many interesting phenomena in the history of our country, where the birth of emperors, kings, generals, and ministers is very special. For example, when Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, was born, “there were two dragons playing outside the gate of the palace, and they passed away in three days”, and when Zhao Kuangyin was born, there was a red light surrounding the delivery room, accompanied by a strange fragrance that persisted throughout the night, hence the name “Xianghaier”. These famous people always find strange things when they are born.
Yang Guozhong was an unavoidable figure in the history of the Tang Dynasty, and it was precisely because of him that the An Lushan Rebellion occurred. Yang Guozhong was born into a prestigious family in Hongnong, and his sister was Yang Guifei. When Yang Guozhong was young, he was a playboy, promiscuous and reckless, addicted to alcohol and gambling. At that time, his people looked down upon him. Later, Yang Guozhong joined the army in Xichuan.
In the fourth year of Tianbao (745 AD), Yang Yuhuan was conferred the title of Noble Consort, and the Yang family began to rise to great heights. At that time, there was a person named Zhang Qiujian who saw the relationship between Yang Guozhong and Yang Yuhuan because he had a disagreement with Prime Minister Li Linfu. Yang Yuhuan saw her brother Yang Guozhong coming to find her, so she spoke a few beautiful words for Yang Guozhong beside the emperor. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang granted Yang Guozhong a decent official position.
The emperor also did not want Li Linfu’s family to dominate, so he trained Yang Guozhong to hold 15 positions in less than a year, becoming a high-ranking official in the court. During his tenure as prime minister, Yang Guozhong monopolized power and deceived superiors and subordinates. He is a great traitor. Later, An Lushan launched the An Lushan Rebellion in the name of suppressing Yang Guozhong. Yang Guozhong was killed by soldiers
This is the kind of person who left behind a very interesting thing, which has been ridiculed by the people for thousands of years. According to the “Legacy of Kaiyuan Tianbao”, “When Yang Guozhong took office in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, his wife was deeply missed and quickly became ill. Suddenly, he had a dream and became pregnant with Guozhong.” Later, Yang Guozhong believed his wife’s words and even said, “This is due to the mutual understanding and emotional connection between husband and wife.” Moreover, his own child must have great potential in the future.
At that time, people laughed heartily when they heard it, and colleagues kept mocking Yang Guozhong. This story is recorded in “The Legacy of Kaiyuan Tianbao”, and its authenticity remains to be verified.