How did An Lushan gradually come to power in history and ultimately change the Tang Dynasty

In 755 AD, An Lushan, the military governor of Sanzhen, rose up and aimed his sword at the Central Plains, leading to the outbreak of the An Lushan Rebellion. Speaking of this, everyone must have heard of it.
The Tang Dynasty is a country that future generations long for. We admire its inclusive and open thinking, and aspire to a time when people could enter officialdom through the imperial examination system. We yearn for the strength of that dynasty, and it is said that during that time, the geographical territory of the Tang Dynasty expanded to European countries. We yearn for an era where obesity was considered beautiful, and people did not have to change their minds based on others’ opinions.
That era produced the first female emperor in the history of our country. The fact that a female emperor could be produced in the Tang Dynasty throughout history shows that that era had a tolerant attitude. Wu Zetian used herself to demonstrate that even women could gain recognition from the world and sit firmly on the throne of the emperor with their own abilities.
The period under the rule of Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, is known as the Zhenguan Reign. Li Shimin was able to know and use people wisely, was good at receiving advice, and put the people first. It is said that during the Zhenguan Reign, the people could sleep without closing their doors because the politics were clear and the foreign policy was both benevolent and powerful. The Zhenguan Reign laid the foundation for the development of the prosperous era of Kaiyuan. The period under Emperor Xuanzong of Tang was known as the Kaiyuan Reign, which was the highest peak of development in Tang history and the pinnacle of development in Tang history.
The turning point in the development of the Tang Dynasty also occurred during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. It was during this period that the famous An Lushan Rebellion occurred, which led to the decline of the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty. Even the strongest countries experienced decline, and the An Lushan Rebellion led to even more serious situations of regional separatism.
The An Lushan Rebellion plunged people’s lives into a chaotic era, and Du Fu lived in that era. Many people were helpless in the face of the chaos. An Lushan led many people to rebel, catching the emperors and ministers of the Tang Dynasty off guard. Without An Lushan, perhaps the development of the Tang Dynasty would have lasted even longer.
An Lushan’s mother was a wizard, but she did not conceive a child for a long time after getting married. It was only after her mother prayed for blessings that she became pregnant with a son, An Lushan. An Lushan’s father passed away early, and his mother remarried with him. From then on, An Lushan lived a life of dependence on others, suffering from contempt and injustice at his stepfather’s house. He escaped from his stepfather’s house several times without success, and finally escaped from his stepfather’s house to start his own life.
After escaping from his stepfather’s house, he became a middleman on the journey to and from the Western Regions. Through long-term communication with people from different places, he learned the languages of six countries and became a communication expert. At that time, he became a difficult person to welcome in a place where the languages were not spoken.
At a young age, An Lushan learned to read people’s eyes and their expressions when interacting with different people. An Lushan’s life experiences were legendary. At the age of 29, while stealing sheep, he met his first benefactor Zhang Shougui. After a yin-yang mistake, he became Zhang Shougui’s godson. At first, Zhang Shougui caught An Lushan and intended to punish him, but seeing his different aura and insight, he enrolled him in the military camp, and An Lushan began his military life.
After entering the military camp, An Lushan relied on his intelligence and wisdom to receive help and support from many influential people. He gained the appreciation and love of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang through his own abilities, and he also requested Yang Guifei to recognize him as his godson. Yang Guifei, who was in her twenties, had a godson in her forties, and Emperor Xuanzong was in his sixties, which made people sneer at him.
An Lushan is very fat, reportedly weighing over 300 pounds. There are legends that An Lushan has a pig head and a dragon body, while others say it has a dragon head and a pig body. Although An Lushan may seem chubby, he was able to perform the Hu Xuan dance to please Yang Guifei and Tang Xuanzong, causing his body, weighing over 300 pounds, to spin like a small whirlwind.
In the eyes of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, An Lushan was a very honest person. The people he sent to investigate An Lushan were all bought off by An Lushan. The news that Emperor Xuanzong received was how sincere and honest An Lushan was, and how filial he was to them.
In fact, An Lushan’s shrewdness in the court was not only because he pleased Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and Yang Guifei, but also because he bribed many people in the court to speak well of An Lushan.
An Lushan worked hard to develop his power in the military, making everyone in the army serve him. When someone told Xuanzong about this, Xuanzong not only did not believe him, but also killed him. Later, An Lushan launched a rebellion and created the famous Ma Wei Mutiny. Yang Guozhong was killed in this incident, and Yang Yuhuan destroyed Xiangyu Meteorite in this mutiny. An Lushan alone led the development of the Tang Dynasty to a downhill path.
Summary: The prosperous Tang Dynasty began to change due to the presence of An Lushan alone. In the eyes of the world, An Lushan was seen as a chaotic courtier and thief, with a fat head and big ears calling out for someone else’s adoptive father and mother. However, with his own abilities, he transformed from a person who was looked down upon by others to someone who could please many people, and even successfully rebelled, resulting in the situation of Tang Dynasty’s feudal lords being divided.