Yang Guifei, whose real name is Yang Yuhuan, was conferred the title of Noble Consort by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, and is therefore also known as Yang Guifei. For those who are very interested in this, the History Encyclopedia editor brings detailed articles for your reference.
The Four Great Beauties of ancient China are almost well-known to women and children, including Xi Shi, Wang Zhaojun, Diao Chan, and Yang Guifei, who are all stunning figures. And these four beauties were also drawn into the political center due to their astonishing beauty, and ultimately had a bad ending. Zhaojun has left the frontier and will never return to his hometown, while Diao Chan and Xi Shi are missing. The most regrettable thing is Yang Yuhuan. Although some speculate that she may have narrowly escaped death, the widely accepted theory is that she hanged herself on Mawei Slope. The death of the beauty is regrettable, but the love she received during her lifetime is also astonishing. In fact, Yang Yuhuan has many shortcomings, so why should she be favored?
The word ‘beauty’ encompasses Yang Yuhuan’s life and also makes people subconsciously overlook his shortcomings. Yang Yuhuan has three major shortcomings that must be mentioned. One reason is that the body is relatively overweight. The Tang Dynasty indeed regarded obesity as beauty, and Yang Yuhuan’s plump figure may sound just right, but it is not. Zheng Chuhui’s compilation of the “Miscellaneous Records of the Ming Emperor” mentioned that Yang Yuhuan’s small character was Yuhuan, and later generations also referred to it as such. In fact, the name “Yuhuan” appeared relatively late. In childhood, Yang Yuhuan was known as the “Jade Slave”. Before being conferred the title, she was respectfully referred to as “Jade Lady”. However, after being conferred the title of Noble Consort and gaining weight, she was jokingly called “Yuhuan” by people. That is to say, Yang Yuhuan, who made King Shou fall in love at first sight, and Yang Yuhuan, who left an unforgettable impression on Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, were both Yang Yuhuan when his body was still light and agile. After all, in the Tang Dynasty, where obesity was considered beautiful, apart from Yang Yuhuan, it was rare to hear of any consort with a plump figure. The Dunhuang murals and sculptures in the mid Tang Dynasty were at most plump and could not be called fat. It was not until Emperor Xuanzong’s painting “The Spring Outing of Lady Guo” that fat began to become the mainstream aesthetic. It is more likely that although the Tang Dynasty regarded “fat as beauty”, the so-called “fat” was only “relatively plump”. It was not until the time of Yang Guifei that the rulers’ hobby developed the aesthetic viewpoint of “fat as beauty” to its peak.
The second reason is that Yang Yuhuan is not young. At the age of sixteen, Yang Yuhuan married Prince Shou Li Mao. Five years after marriage, he was sent to a Taoist temple by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang in the name of praying for blessings from his mother, Empress Dowager Dou. After five years in Guanzhong, Yang Yuhuan was finally taken out of Guanzhong and conferred the title of Noble Consort. At this time, Yang Yuhuan was already 26 years old. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang once issued a decree: ‘Men aged fifteen and women aged thirteen or above are eligible for marriage.’ According to research, at that time, women mostly got married between the ages of sixteen and nineteen. Yang Yuhuan, who is 26 years old, is considered older. Of course, some people say that compared to Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Yang Yuhuan is considered a younger wife. That being said, don’t forget that Yang Yuhuan’s competitors are concubines in the imperial harem, and young women are everywhere. Yang Yuhuan is not particularly outstanding.
Thirdly, Yang Yuhuan remained childless throughout her life. Yang Yuhuan served as a concubine in the palace until the death of Ma Wei by hanging, and his favor lasted for eleven years without decline, but he never gave birth to an heir. Children are usually a weapon for women in the harem to compete for favor, but Yang Yuhuan has no offspring. Although this is not a disadvantage for a woman, it is definitely a weakness for a woman in the harem. It is speculated that at that time, Yang Yuhuan favored the imperial harem but did not confer the title of empress for a long time, one important reason being the lack of offspring.
Since Yang Yuhuan has these shortcomings, why can she still be favored? Yang Yuhuan’s unforgettable beauty is certainly important, but she relies not only on her beauty. The most remarkable thing is undoubtedly Yang Yuhuan’s artistic talent, which is also the most appealing aspect to Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. Although Yang Yuhuan stayed with her third uncle Yang Xuantang, her educational environment was very favorable. Yang Yuhuan is highly proficient in music and has excellent performances in pipa, singing, and dancing. According to historical records, Yang Yuhuan’s Hu Zhuan dance swayed and leaped like the wind. And Emperor Xuanzong of Tang was also excellent in music and dance. He once personally composed the “Ni Shang Yu Yi Qu” and invited Yang Yuhuan to share it with him. Emperor Xuanzong once said to others, “If I have Yang Guifei, it is as precious as a treasure. It can be seen that Yang Yuhuan and Emperor Xuanzong of Tang had a common language, and in this context, it is not difficult to understand why Yang Yuhuan was highly favored.
Another aspect of Yang Yuhuan that favored Emperor Xuanzong of Tang was his arrogance and jealousy. Although Yang Yuhuan was favored, she was sent back home multiple times. The reason for returning home several times was due to Yang Yuhuan’s jealousy. One time, it was because Emperor Xuanzong favored Consort Mei, which made Yang Yuhuan jealous and humiliated Emperor Xuanzong and Consort Mei. Later, there was another time when Emperor Xuanzong summoned someone else, and Yang Yuhuan felt jealous and had a big argument with Emperor Xuanzong. Although Yang Yuhuan’s actions do not conform to the virtues of ancient women, occasionally showing a small temper is still very cute. But every time Yang Yuhuan and Tang Xuanzong get angry, their relationship actually heats up. Not interfering in court affairs is another advantage of Yang Yuhuan. Taking Wu Zetian as an example, many women in the Tang Dynasty had a desire for power, but Yang Yuhuan did not. Although Yang Yuhuan’s brothers and sisters were either in high positions or were rewarded, people in the world did not even have new children. But Yang Yuhuan did not actively request these, it was Emperor Xuanzong of Tang who took the initiative to do so.
Although Yang Yuhuan is famous worldwide for her beauty, her enduring popularity is not solely due to her beauty, but also because of her unique charm. Yang Yuhuan is considered by some people to be the ‘evil queen of the country’, and it is not her fault, just her fault.
