Yang Yuhuan (Chinese: 楊玉環; 719 – 15 July 756), often known as Yang Guifei or Lady Yang (楊貴妃, with guifei being the highest rank for imperial consorts during her time), and known briefly by the Taoist nun name Taizhen (太真), was the beloved consort of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang during his later years. She is known as one of the Four Beauties of ancient China.
During the An Lushan Rebellion, while Emperor Xuanzong and his cortege were fleeing from Chang’an to Chengdu, imperial guards led by Chen Xuanli mutinied at Mawei Station and demanded Yang’s execution, attributing the decline of the dynasty to her family, particularly her cousin Yang Guozhong. The emperor capitulated and ordered his attendant Gao Lishi to supervise her forced suicide. Their love story is immortalized by Bai Juyi's poem Song of Everlasting Regret.
Yang was born in 719 during the Tang dynasty, early in the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. Her great-great-grandfather Yang Wang (楊汪) was a key official during the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui, and, after the fall of the Sui dynasty, served one of the contenders to succeed Sui, Wang Shichong; Yang Wang was then killed when Wang Shichong was defeated by Tang forces in 621. Yang Wang was from Huayin (華陰; in modern Weinan, Shaanxi), but his clan subsequently relocated to Yongle (永樂; in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi).
Yang's father Yang Xuanyan (楊玄琰) served as a census official at Shu Prefecture (蜀州; in modern Chengdu, Sichuan), and his family went there with him. He appeared to have had no sons, but had four daughters who were known to history—Yang Yuhuan and three older sisters. Yang Xuanyan died when Yang Yuhuan was still young, so the latter was raised by her uncle Yang Xuanjiao (楊玄璬), who was a low-ranking official at Henan Municipality (河南府; modern Luoyang).
On 10 Feb 736, seventeen-year-old Yang married Li Mao, the Prince of Shou and the son of Emperor Xuanzong and Consort Wu. She thus carried the title of Princess of Shou. After Consort Wu died in January 738, Emperor Xuanzong was greatly saddened by the death of his then-favorite concubine. Some time after that, however, Princess Yang somehow came into Xuanzong's favor and the Emperor decided to take her as his consort. However, since Princess Yang was already the wife of his son, Emperor Xuanzong secretly arranged for her to become a Taoist nun, with the tonsured name Taizhen, in order to prevent criticism that would affect his plan of making her his concubine. Yang then stayed, for a brief moment, as a Taoist nun in the palace itself, before Emperor Xuanzong made her an imperial consort after bestowing a new wife on his son Li Mao. Yang became the favorite consort of the Emperor.
On 19 September 745, after Emperor Xuanzong gave the third daughter of the general Wei Zhaoxun (韋昭訓) to Li Mao as his new wife and princess on 28 August, he officially made Taizhen an imperial consort—with the newly restored rank of Guifei, which was greater than the previously highest rank of Huifei, carried by Consort Wu. He bestowed posthumous honors on her father Yang Xuanyan and granted her mother the title of Lady of Liang. He also gave high offices to her uncle Yang Xuangui (楊玄珪) and cousins Yang Xian (楊銛) and Yang Qi (楊錡). Since 745, all within the imperial court and the palace had treated her like the new empress (像皇后; Xiàng huánghòu), and bowed to her as if she was the most powerful woman in the land (天下母; Tiānxià Mǔ), and in the palace, they called her lady (娘子; Niángzǐ), like the honorific used for the empress. Her three older sisters were conferred the ranks of Ladies of Han, Guo, and Qin, and it was said that whenever the noble women were summoned to imperial gatherings, even Emperor Xuanzong's highly honored sister Li Chiying (李持盈), the Princess Yuzhen, did not dare to take a seat more honorable than theirs. Emperor Xuanzong also gave his favorite daughter, Princess Taihua (born of Consort Wu), to Yang Qi in marriage. The five Yang households—those of Yang Xian, Yang Qi, and the Ladies of Han, Guo, and Qin—were said to be exceedingly honored and rich, and all of the officials fought to flatter her.
Around the same time, Yang Guifei introduced her second cousin Yang Zhao (whose name was later changed to Yang Guozhong) to Emperor Xuanzong. Yang Zhao, who flattered the emperor, rose quickly in the ranks.
Yang Guifei became so favored that whenever she rode a horse, the eunuch Gao Lishi would attend her. Seven hundred laborers were conscripted to sew fabrics for her. Officials and generals flattered her by offering her exquisite tributes. In 746, she angered Emperor Xuanzong by being jealous and rude to him, and he had her sent to her cousin Yang Xian's mansion. Later that day, however, his mood was such that he could not eat, and he battered his servants for minor offenses. Gao knew that he missed Yang Guifei, and requested that the treasures in Yang Guifei's palace be sent to her. Emperor Xuanzong agreed, and sent imperial meals to her as well. That night, Gao requested that Emperor Xuanzong welcome Yang Guifei back to the palace, a request that Emperor Xuanzong easily agreed to. Thereafter, she was even more favored, and no other imperial consort drew his favor.
In 747, when the military governor (jiedushi) An Lushan arrived at the capital Chang'an to meet Emperor Xuanzong, Emperor Xuanzong showed him much favor and allowed him into the palace. He had An honor Yang Guifei as his mother and Yang Guifei's cousins and sisters as his brothers and sisters.
In 750, Yang Guifei again offended Emperor Xuanzong with her words, and he sent her back to her clan. The official Ji Wen (吉溫) told Emperor Xuanzong that he had overreacted, and Emperor Xuanzong regretted his actions. He again sent imperial meals to her, and she wept to the eunuchs delivering the meal, stating:
My offense deserves death, and it is fortunate that His Imperial Majesty did not kill me, but instead returned me to my household. I will forever leave the palace. My gold, jade, and treasures were all given to me by His Imperial Majesty, and it would be inappropriate for me to offer them back to him. Only what my parents gave me, I would dare to offer.
She cut off some of her hair and had the hair taken back to Emperor Xuanzong. Emperor Xuanzong had Gao escort her back to the palace, and thereafter had even greater love for her.
In 751, An Lushan again visited Chang'an. On An's birthday on 20 February, 751, Emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei rewarded him with clothing, treasures, and food. On 23 February, when An was summoned to the palace, Yang Guifei, in order to please Emperor Xuanzong, had an extra-large infant wrapping made, and wrapped the obese An in it, causing much laughter among the ladies in waiting and eunuchs. When Emperor Xuanzong asked what was going on, Yang Guifei's attendants joked that Yang Guifei gave birth three days before and was washing her baby Lushan. Emperor Xuanzong was amused by the comic situation and rewarded both Yang Guifei and An greatly. Thereafter, whenever An visited the capital, he was allowed free admittance to the palace, and there were rumors that he and Yang Guifei had an affair, but Emperor Xuanzong discounted the rumors.
Yang Guifei's cousin, Yang Guozhong, had been serving—remotely—as commander of Jiannan Circuit (劍南道; headquartered in modern Chengdu, Sichuan). In 752, following Nanzhao incursions against Jiannan Circuit, chancellor Li Linfu wanted to send Yang Guozhong to Jiannan to personally supervise defenses against the Nanzhao attacks. Yang Guifei interceded on Yang Guozhong's behalf, and Yang Guozhong did not actually report to Jiannan.
Li Linfu soon died, and Yang Guozhong became chancellor.
Yang Guozhong and An Lushan soon were in conflict, and Yang Guozhong repeatedly acted provocatively, such as arresting and executing staff members from An's mansion in Chang'an.
In 755, An finally rebelled and marched his troops toward the capital. In order to try to placate the populace, which believed that Yang Guozhong's conflict with An Lushan had provoked the rebellion, Emperor Xuanzong considered passing the throne to his crown prince, Li Heng. Yang Guozhong, who was not on good terms with the prince, feared this development, and persuaded Yang Guifei and her sisters, the Ladies of Han, Guo, and Qin, to speak against it. Emperor Xuanzong, for the time being, did not abdicate the throne.