Princess Gaoyang was the daughter of Emperor Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty. We don’t know Li Shimin’s feelings towards this daughter, but she liked an unusual person. Isn’t Buddhism prevalent in the Tang Dynasty? Princess Gaoyang, on the other hand, was fond of these monks and even recruited several male pets. Even when Li Shimin found out, he killed his beloved. In the end, Li Shimin did not feel sad when he died.
In order to achieve a “political alliance”, Li Shimin betrothed his daughter Princess Gaoyang to the second son of Prime Minister Fang Xuanling, Fang Yi’ai, when she had just reached adulthood.
However, Princess Gaoyang was not satisfied with the posthumous love of a warrior. Not long after marriage, Princess Gaoyang met Monk Bianji during a hunting trip. They fell in love at first sight and had a close relationship in the grass hut of Bianji.
Later, Princess Gaoyang gave her two personal maidservants to her husband, meaning “Let’s play our own games, neither of us cares about the other!” In this way, the princess’s extramarital affair with the monk lasted for eight or nine years.
Princess Gaoyang also presented Li Shimin with a jade pillow as a tribute to her foreign country, and gave it to her beloved monk Bianji.
After the truth was revealed, Emperor Taizong of Tang was furious and issued an edict to execute the debate monk by beheading him and killing more than ten servants who did not report their grievances.
After the death of Master Bianji, Princess Gaoyang said with extreme sadness, “Bianji is my true love!” From then on, Princess Gaoyang harbored hatred towards her father Li Shimin, and she did not feel any sadness until Li Shimin’s death. Later, Princess Gaoyang publicly recruited three monks, including Monk Zhixu, as “male pets”. Monk Zhixu instigated Princess Gaoyang to launch a palace coup and was eventually executed.
So, why does Princess Gaoyang of the Tang Dynasty like monks?
The Li family of the Tang Dynasty was influenced by the bloodline of the northern Hu people, and the sexual concept of the Tang Dynasty was relatively open. Li Shimin took his younger brother and daughter-in-law as concubines, Li Zhi appointed his illegitimate mother Wu Zetian as empress, Li Longji took his daughter-in-law Yang Yuhuan as his noble concubine, and Princess Taiping openly kept male pets… In addition, Princess Gaoyang had nowhere to vent her dissatisfaction with her marriage, and coupled with her preference for being a gentle and elegant scholar, Princess Gaoyang ultimately chose to have an affair with a knowledgeable and handsome monk.
