The An Lushan Rebellion occurred during the Tang Dynasty, marking a turning point in the Tang Dynasty’s rise and fall, as well as a turning point in Chinese history where military power grew stronger and weaker. Many people are not familiar with it, so let’s follow the history encyclopedia editor to appreciate it together.
In the 14th year of Tang Tianbao (755), the An Lushan Rebellion broke out, and the once prosperous Tang Dynasty began to decline overnight. Subsequently, the Tang Dynasty was plagued by frequent wars and refugees, entering the desolate middle and late Tang period. Du Fu’s famous poem: “The country is broken, the mountains and rivers are here, and the city is in spring with deep vegetation.” It was written at this time.
When it comes to this event that changed the fate of the Tang Dynasty, one cannot help but mention a person – An Lushan. In official history, An Lushan was a corrupt official and thief who disrupted the prosperous era, and also the main culprit of the An Lushan Rebellion. But to gain a deeper understanding of this person, these are far from enough.
1、 Lushan Wandering Record
An Lushan was born in the Western Regions. His father passed away early and he wandered around with his mother since childhood. During his exile, An Lushan often engaged in petty theft due to lack of food, clothing, and discipline. In the 20th year of the Kaiyuan era (732), An Lushan was caught stealing sheep by Zhang Shougui, the military governor of Youzhou. Just as he was about to be beaten to death by thugs, An Lushan shouted loudly, “Don’t you want to kill two more barbarians? Why kill me!” This fearless shout saved An Lushan’s life. Zhang Shougui appreciated An Lushan’s courage and saw that he was indeed burly and suitable for war, so he let him go. From then on, An Lushan became a small leader beside Zhang Shougui. This small thug from the Turkic people entered his career from then on.
2、 The Path of Beloved Officials
A notorious thug from an unknown place will inevitably have a long way to go before becoming a favored subject of the emperor.
Having struggled in society for a long time, An Lushan has outstanding abilities in seeing and flattery. Following Zhang Shougui, observant An Lushan soon realized that Zhang Shougui was not very satisfied with him. Upon closer examination, it was evident that Zhang Shougui was disgusted by his excessive weight. So An Lushan quickly began to lose weight, while also risking his life to serve. Soon, he won the trust of Zhang Shougui again, and from then on, An Lushan was promoted step by step, finally becoming the deputy envoy of Youzhou Jiedu.
Even as a local official, An Lushan had considerable influence in the court. The reason is that every time an official from the court visits his territory, he will first investigate his preferences and then try to please him by offering bribes. With many ‘brothers’ who praised him in court, An Lushan gained a certain reputation under Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty. Shortly thereafter, An Lushan was promoted to military governor and concurrently held several positions; In the second year, he was awarded the title of Grand General of Chariots and Cavalry; In the third year, he became the first frontier official in the hands of Emperor Xuanzong.
Besides his brothers, An Lushan also has many fathers. My biological father was a Hu person who passed away early, my adoptive father was Zhang Shougui, the military governor of Youzhou, and my godfather was Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. To please Emperor Xuanzong, the ultimate superior, naturally one must also please Concubine Yang. When he recognized Xuanzong as his godfather, An Lushan was 44 years old, while Yang Yuhuan was only 28 years old. An Lushan also asked Yang Yuhuan to perform the ritual of “washing three” for himself, which was a bathing ritual in the Tang Dynasty where mothers had to wash away dirt for their newborns. It’s interesting that Yang Yuhuan suddenly became playful and ordered the guards to wrap An Lushan into a big baby in brocade, put him in a sedan chair, and carry him around the palace while shouting “Lu’er, Lu’er.” An Lushan was also very cooperative, which made Tang Xuanzong, who came to watch, laugh and cry. Because of these things, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang always believed that An Lushan was a simple and honest person. Even in the end, he was lucky enough to believe that An Lushan would not rebel.
3、 Shocking the Nishang
The sound of the Yuyang drum stirred, shattering the melody of the Ni Chang and Yu Yi.
In the 14th year of the Tianbao era (755), An Lushan and Shi Siming launched the An Lushan Rebellion, igniting the 8-year war of the Tang Dynasty and causing a major rift in the stability of the prosperous Tang Dynasty.
An Lushan has never been a simple and honest fat person. He is an ambitious person who hides his strength and bides his time, a diplomat who is proficient in multiple languages, a military strategist who is good at using troops, and a socialite who is good at gathering people’s hearts. It was precisely in this way that he seized the opportunity while crawling and fighting at the bottom of society, and became a powerful figure with a life of nine deaths; He devoted himself to flattery in the power struggle of step-by-step killing, becoming the most trusted favorite of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang; He ignited the flames of war during the most prosperous period of the Tang Dynasty and played the finale for a prosperous era.
And what was the final outcome of this fierce hero? According to history, he gained over 300 pounds in his later years, with ulcers all over his body and blindness in both eyes. He was tragically designed by his own son and killed by his most trusted attendant. His son was immersed in sensual pleasures all day long, utterly foolish, and ultimately killed by Shi Siming. The final outcome of Shi Siming was not much better, as he was also killed by his son. This ending is somewhat laughable. And the two of them in the Changsheng Palace, one was entrusted with the land of Huadian and died on Mawei Slope, while the other wandered around and fled for their lives, only to have a son seize the throne and be bullied by eunuchs. In the end, they died of depression.
Regardless of whether An Lushan was once a favored minister, a fierce warlord, or a pioneer of the regime, his personal fate is so insignificant in the face of the wheels of history and the changes of dynasties.
Beyond the maneuvering of prominent figures, wherever the war of the An Lushan Rebellion raged, there were widespread mourning. The white water flows eastward at dusk, and the green mountains still cry. After a long night, the sound of words fades away, like hearing tears and swallowing softly. The Tang Dynasty ultimately lived up to that saying – prosperity brings hardship to the people; Death brings suffering to the people.
