[Romantic Anecdotes of the Tang Dynasty Court] [95] [Author: Xu Xiaotian]

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Chapter Ninety-Five: Emperor Wuzong Takes Ruthless Actions to Revenge His Old Grudge; Empress Zheng's Cruel Heart. The eunuchs, having overheard Qiu Shiliang's words, joined forces with their own faction and secretly engaged in bribery and power-grabbing behind Emperor Wuzong's back. However, Emperor Wuzong was a wise ruler who personally managed all affairs of state, large and small. Even if the eunuchs wanted to cheat in secret, they had no opportunity. Therefore, the eunuchs secretly plotted to find out the emperor's hobbies and then devise a way to cater to them, making the emperor infatuated with these hobbies and neglecting state affairs. Later, they learned that the emperor had a great fondness for wine, so the eunuchs devised a plan to collect famous wines from various places. Emperor Wuzong's love of wine spread far and wide, and Su Yunzhong, the governor of Youzhou, came to join in the fun. He presented twelve jars of famous wine and a beautiful woman to serve him wine, sending them all to the palace.
This woman was originally a prostitute from Yangzhou named Xiao Cui. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also adept at persuading guests to drink. Whenever a grand banquet began, Xiao Cui'er would sing the "Eight Immortals of Wine Song" in her delicate voice. With each verse, she would urge guests to drink. The guests, captivated by her beauty and enchanting voice, would unconsciously raise their cups and drink heartily. Xiao Cui'er also possessed a wealth of novel drinking games, and her room was filled with jade tablets and ivory sticks. Each stick represented a different drinking game, both elegant and sensual. The sticks were engraved with beautiful phrases, so much so that even those who couldn't drink were tempted to drink a few cups to join in the fun. Therefore, a group of scholars, officials, and wealthy merchants would crowd into Xiao Cui'er's boudoir, lingering there, reluctant to leave. Xiao Cui'er's fame grew day by day. Even high-ranking officials would frequently summon her to their residences to drink with them, sometimes for ten days at a time, not letting her out.
From then on, Xiao Cui'er disregarded the scholars and merchants, focusing solely on currying favor with high-ranking officials and nobles. Every time she traveled in a luxurious carriage, she was surrounded by a retinue, parading ostentatiously through the streets. Now, she even went so far as to curry favor with the emperor. Although Emperor Wuzong was a wise ruler, upon seeing this beautiful woman, who could sing and laugh, he was completely captivated. The palace eunuchs, seeing that they had even charmed the wise emperor, secretly took advantage of his unconscious state to solicit bribes and power. Emperor Wuzong, having acquired Xiao Cui'er, spent his days drinking, singing, and playing drinking games with her at the Jiangyun Pavilion. He got the once-wise emperor completely drunk. At that time, a military governor named Du Cong, seeing the emperor so intoxicated, submitted a memorial strongly urging the emperor to revitalize the country. Meanwhile, Emperor Wuzong, due to excessive drinking, had damaged his lungs and was bedridden, deeply regretting his lustful and alcoholic ways. Reading Du Cong's memorial now fills me with immense sorrow! Leaning against the headboard, I weep incessantly! My lung disease worsens day by day, and I struggled until winter, when I finally passed away. At this time, the power of the palace eunuchs grew ever stronger. When Emperor Wuzong's condition became critical, they held a secret meeting in the palace, intending to establish Prince Guang as the crown prince. Speaking of Prince Guang, he had a romantic tale that circulated in the palace. Prince Guang was Emperor Wuzong's younger brother and Emperor Xianzong's youngest son. His mother, Lady Zheng, was originally a concubine of the former Chancellor Li Qi. Li Qi and Emperor Xianzong had been inseparable since childhood in the Eastern Palace. Sometimes, Emperor Xianzong would play at Li Qi's house from morning till night, thoroughly enjoying himself!
He would forget to return to the Eastern Palace and stay at Li Qi's residence. Li Qi's wives, concubines, and children would also chat and laugh freely with Emperor Xianzong. Of all the concubines, only Zheng was exceptionally beautiful, especially skilled in cooking. Emperor Xianzong, being a connoisseur of fine food, had enjoyed delicious food and wine at Li Qi's home. Li Qi, wanting to please Xianzong, ordered Zheng to come out and pay her respects. Little did they know that their fates were intertwined; upon meeting, they were instantly captivated. From then on, Xianzong frequented Li Qi's home even more often. However, their interactions changed drastically. Previously, when Xianzong visited Li Qi, he always waited until Li Qi was home, where they would eat, drink, play, laugh, and be very affectionate.
But after Xianzong fell for Zheng, he would secretly visit her when Li Qi was not home. As the Crown Prince and future emperor, who dared to interfere in his affairs? Every time Emperor Xianzong visited Li Qi's home, he would indulge in passionate and unrestrained intimacy with Lady Zheng in the garden. Later, Li Qi himself broke into their embrace several times, causing Li Qi a pang of jealousy and great distress. However, he refused to compromise his duty as a subject for the sake of his love for his daughter. Therefore, Li Qi suppressed his pain and offered his beloved concubine to Emperor Xianzong.
Emperor Xianzong was overjoyed and took Lady Zheng into the palace. Within half a year, she gave birth to Prince Guang. After Emperor Xianzong ascended the throne, he favored Lady Zheng and also Prince Guang.
Unfortunately, Prince Guang, born amidst fear and shame, was somewhat dull-witted from a young age. He was also extremely cruel, and the other princes in the palace did not affectionately associate with him, secretly saying he was an illegitimate child. Seeing that he ignored public opinion, Emperor Xianzong had no choice but to appoint Emperor Wenzong as crown prince.
Seeing that he could not gain power, Prince Guang remained content and quietly waited in the palace for over ten years. Suddenly, he rose to prominence again. It turned out that Prince Guang had maintained close ties with a group of eunuchs in the palace.
The eunuchs all called him "Uncle Tai." During Emperor Wuzong's reign, Uncle Tai wielded great power. Everyone in the palace respected him; therefore, the eunuchs relied on Uncle Tai's influence to form cliques and pursue their own interests. Uncle Tai gradually developed ambitions. Furthermore, his mother, Consort Zheng, actively encouraged the eunuchs to support Prince Guang, promising them many benefits after the success of their scheme. The eunuchs secretly plotted in the palace, joining forces with ministers outside, and forged an imperial edict stating that the prince was too young and that Prince Guang should be made Uncle Tai, in charge of military and political affairs. After Emperor Wuzong's death, Uncle Tai actually sat high in the court, deciding on all matters. His handling of state affairs was orderly and efficient, earning the complete trust and respect of the civil and military officials!
At that time, Chancellor Li Deyu petitioned the Imperial Uncle to become Emperor Xuanzong. However, upon ascending the throne, Xuanzong proved to be shrewd and ruthless, dismissing all the eunuchs who had previously held power under false pretenses. He also showed little kindness to officials outside the capital, thus incurring resentment both within and outside the court. Because of his status as Emperor, Xuanzong honored his mother, Zheng, as Empress Dowager. Fearing that Li Qi, while in court, might reveal Emperor Xianzong's past affairs and damage the reputation of his mother and son, he falsely accused Li Qi of treason and had his entire family executed.
During Emperor Wuzong's reign, there was a favored concubine, Lady Wang, who was beautiful and charming. Emperor Wuzong adored her. Lady Wang had been selected to enter the palace during Emperor Muzong's reign; at only thirteen years old, she was already skilled in singing and dancing. By fourteen, she had grown even more slender. When Emperor Wuzong was still the crown prince, he was immediately captivated by her! Emperor Muzong then bestowed her upon the crown prince. After Wuzong ascended the throne, he originally intended to make Lady Wang his empress, but because of her humble origins and inability to bear children, Chancellor Li Deyu strongly advised against it, fearing it would invite ridicule from the people. However, this Lady Wang was truly captivating. What captivating appearance could she be? Not only were her features beautiful, but she was also slender, with fair skin and a graceful figure. Most captivatingly, she and Wuzong, both clad in armor and riding horses, went hunting at the foot of the Western Hills. Standing side-by-side, they appeared as a perfect couple, strong yet graceful, utterly enchanting. It turned out that Wuzong also possessed fair skin and a tall stature. Now, Wuzong wished to make her empress, but was dissuaded by his ministers, and had no choice but to temporarily relegate her to the status of Lady Wang, whom everyone in the palace called Lady Wang.
Consort Wang remained in the palace until Emperor Wuzong's death, her favor never waning. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also quick-witted, always anticipating the emperor's desires. Emperor Wuzong was captivated by her. Those who love beautiful women inevitably expend extra effort in bed. As a result, Emperor Wuzong's health gradually deteriorated.
At that time, Emperor Wuzong was a devout follower of Taoism but abhorred Buddhism. He decreed that only two Buddhist temples be allowed to remain in the capital, Luoyang, with thirty monks allowed in each temple. Each prefecture was also allowed only one temple; all others were to be destroyed. Monks and nuns were forced to return to secular life, their land confiscated, temple timber used for government offices and post stations, and all bronze statues, bells, and chimes melted down to be recast as coins. In total, over 4,600 temples were destroyed, along with more than 40 abandoned monasteries. A total of 265,000 nuns were forced to return to secular life, tens of millions of hectares of fertile land were confiscated, and 150,000 slaves were seized. There have been three emperors who opposed Buddhism: Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei, Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou, and Emperor Wuzong of Tang. This period is known in Buddhism as the "Three Wu Disasters." Emperor Wuzong, having vehemently opposed Buddhism, devoted himself to Taoism. In the early years of his reign, he summoned the Taoist priest Zhao Guizhen to the palace to teach him the art of talismans and appointed him as a Taoist professor.
Outside the Xi'an Palace, a temple called Wangxian Temple was built to house the monks. Every day after court, Emperor Wuzong would go to the temple to listen to lectures on Buddhist scriptures with utmost reverence. Taking advantage of this, Guizhen (a Taoist priest) gathered a large following and, catering to the emperor's wishes, concocted elixirs of pleasure and immortality for him. After taking them, Emperor Wuzong felt his energy increase dramatically, his libido intensified, and he engaged in sexual activity from dusk till dawn without ceasing. Only concerned with pleasing Consort Wang, Emperor Wuzong neglected the harm to his health, gradually becoming haggard and emaciated. Consort Wang repeatedly advised the emperor to reduce his consumption of the elixirs. However, Emperor Wuzong, preoccupied with immediate pleasure, failed to consider the future consequences. Sure enough, in the sixth year of the Huichang era, Emperor Wuzong fell seriously ill and died. On his deathbed, only Consort Wang stood by his side. Unable to speak, Emperor Wuzong pointed at Consort Wang, staring intently with his eyes.
Knowing that the Emperor was reluctant to part with her, Consort Wang quickly knelt before the imperial bed, wiping away her tears, and said, "After Your Majesty's long life, I wish to follow you to the underworld." Before she finished speaking, Emperor Wuzong breathed his last.
At that time, Emperor Xuanzong ascended the throne and had long heard of Consort Wang's beauty. Consort Wang was weeping before the Emperor's bed when Xuanzong issued an edict summoning her. Knowing the new Emperor's ill intentions, Consort Wang excused herself to change clothes in her room. She retreated into her chamber, closed the doors tightly, hastily untied her sash, and hanged herself. Xuanzong was deeply grieved! He posthumously conferred upon Consort Wang the title of Virtuous Consort. On the day of her funeral, the palace concubines, remembering her kindness and lamenting her beauty, all wept as she departed. Xuanzong, in particular, upon seeing the death of a beautiful woman, sighed deeply and remained melancholy all day long. Empress Dowager Zheng, who originally doted on the emperor, saw that he was so preoccupied with missing his concubines that he neglected his meals and sleep. So, she selected ten beautiful women from the harem for Emperor Xuanzong to choose from. With these beauties before him, Emperor Xuanzong found solace.
At this time, all power in the palace was in the hands of Empress Dowager Zheng. However, from the very beginning of her reign, Empress Dowager Zheng and Grand Empress Dowager Guo had forged a deep and lasting enmity. Why?
Grand Empress Dowager Guo had lived peacefully in Xingqing Palace for many years, enjoying a life of comfort and respect during the reigns of four emperors: Muzong, Jingzong, Wenzong, and Wuzong. Even after Emperor Xuanzong ascended the throne, while he and the Grand Empress Dowager shared a mother-son bond, their relationship was strained because Xuanzong was Zheng's son. Zheng was the legitimate mother, while Guo had secretly entered the palace. A woman's jealousy is innate. Having gained the emperor's favor, Lady Zheng inevitably became arrogant and often behaved disrespectfully in front of Empress Guo. Empress Guo, the granddaughter of Guo Ziyi, came from a family of scholars and officials who valued reputation above all else. She could not tolerate Lady Zheng's frivolous behavior. Since the empress dowager had always held power over the six palaces, Lady Guo secretly vented her resentment on Lady Zheng, hiding it from Emperor Xianzong. Lady Zheng, knowing her position was illegitimate, could only endure the beatings and scoldings. Now, having risen in status as empress dowager through her son's rise, she seized the opportunity to retaliate against Lady Guo for all her past grievances.
Emperor Xuanzong, also wanting to avenge his mother, was extremely disrespectful to the Empress Dowager Guo. Lady Zheng then instigated palace eunuchs to spread rumors that Emperor Xianzong's sudden death was due to poisoning by the Empress Dowager. This rumor quickly spread throughout the palace. When this reached Emperor Xuanzong's ears, how could he not be filled with grief and indignation? He then instructed the eunuchs of Xingqing Palace to cut off the Empress Dowager's food. Guo, an elderly woman in her sixties or seventies, had lived a life of luxury and had never been bullied. Now, suddenly faced with this tragedy, how could she bear it? Overwhelmed with sorrow, she spent her days in tears. At that time, all the eunuchs and maids in the palace had left, leaving only the Empress Dowager, utterly alone and dejected, sitting sullenly in the palace. There was one old maid who had served the Empress Dowager for over twenty years, a very loyal woman. All the other palace maids had left, but this old maid endured the hunger and refused to leave. The Empress Dowager repeatedly ordered the maid to leave the palace, but the maid said, "This servant is willing to serve the Empress Dowager until death." One night, the Empress Dowager woke up around midnight, feeling extremely sorrowful. Seeing the bright moon
shining through her window, she quietly got up, climbed the Qin Zheng Tower, and gazed at it for a while. Overwhelmed with grief, she felt a surge of bitterness. Without thinking, she threw herself down the tower. Just as her upper body was leaning out of the window, the old palace maid reached out and caught her around the waist. The Empress Dowager went back into the room, embraced herself, and wept bitterly. As dawn approached, she suddenly died. Therefore, a rumor circulated in the palace: "The Empress Dowager committed suicide by poison." Emperor Xuanzong was still furious and did not want the Empress Dowager to be buried with Emperor Xianzong, so he buried her in the outer garden of Jingling Mausoleum. A court official named Wang Hao petitioned to have her buried in the ancestral temple, but Emperor Xuanzong refused. Wang Hao submitted another memorial, stating, "The Empress Dowager is the granddaughter of the Prince of Fenyang, served Emperor Xianzong as his wife, and has served five emperors. She is a model
for the nation, and the proper rites for the legitimate heir must not be disregarded." Emperor Xuanzong ignored this and demoted Wang Hao to magistrate of Jurong. Aside from his misconduct towards the Empress Dowager, Emperor Xuanzong was diligent in governing the country, educating his children, and upholding proper etiquette. Although Emperor Xuanzong was filial to Empress Dowager Zheng, her younger brother, Guang, was of low birth and crude in manners, originally stationed in Hezhong. Emperor Xuanzong frequently received memorials from the remonstrating officials impeaching him, so he summoned him back to the capital, appointed him Right Commander of the Imperial Guards, and no longer allowed him to govern the people. Empress Dowager Zheng repeatedly mentioned to Emperor Xuanzong that Guang's family was poor. Emperor Xuanzong then bestowed upon him a thousand taels of gold and often gifted him with precious jewels and silks, but never gave him a good official position. Furthermore, Emperor Xuanzong's eldest daughter, Princess Wanshou, married the court official Zheng Hao. Traditionally, when the emperor married off his daughter, his carriage was decorated with silver leaves. Emperor Xuanzong ordered that the silver be replaced with copper to demonstrate his frugality. On the princess's wedding day, Xuanzong personally instructed her to uphold the virtues of a wife, not to disrespect her husband's family, and not to interfere in court affairs. Zheng Hao suddenly fell seriously ill, and Xuanzong specially dispatched an imperial envoy to the prince consort's residence to inquire after him. Upon the envoy's return to the palace, Xuanzong asked, "Where is my princess?" The envoy replied that she was watching a play at Ci'en Temple. Xuanzong was furious, saying, "How dare my daughter be so arrogant! No wonder the Taoist priests and officials always avoid marriage alliances with my family!" He immediately ordered the envoy to Ci'en Temple, summoned the princess back to the palace, and rebuked her, saying, "Your son is ill; you should be by his side, attending to his medicine. How dare you go to watch a play? Furthermore, entering a temple to watch a play is not the way of a wife." The princess apologized and left. From then on, the nobles dared not be presumptuous and strictly adhered to etiquette. Xuanzong's second daughter, Princess Yongfu, was beautiful and was originally intended to marry Cong. One day, Princess Yongfu accompanied Emperor Xuanzong for a meal. Displeased with him, the princess angrily snapped and broke her chopsticks and dagger.
Emperor Xuanzong was furious, exclaiming, "With such a temperament, how can we be husband and wife?" He then married his fourth daughter, Princess Guangde, to Cong. At that time, the princess was quite unchaste, freely going out to her husband's home. When her husband died, she entered the palace and remarried. Emperor Xuanzong then issued an edict: "The education of the state begins with the relationship between husband and wife. All princesses and county princesses who are widowed are not allowed to remarry." These few acts alone were commendable, and historians at the time called Emperor Xuanzong "Little Taizong." Because Emperor Taizong reigned during the height of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong's reign was also one of peace and prosperity. Unfortunately, this peace was short-lived. At the age of fifty, Emperor Xuanzong felt his energy waning and, unknowingly, suffered from the same ailment as Emperors Wenzong and Wuzong, indulging in the consumption of elixirs and minerals. Initially, the medicine seemed effective, but in the autumn of the thirteenth year of the Dazhong era, its effects suddenly took hold, causing a carbuncle to develop on his back. His health deteriorated rapidly, and he soon passed away.
During Emperor Xuanzong's reign, no crown prince was appointed. Fortunately, Wang Zongshi, the Right Army Commander, strongly advocated for the succession, and Prince Yun, Wen, was established as the heir apparent, historically known as Emperor Yizong. However, this Emperor Yizong, having lived away from home since childhood and being naturally dissolute, found himself very constrained once he settled in the palace. He gradually became increasingly licentious, indulging in extravagance and debauchery, and was also a devout Buddhist. He frequently visited Anguo Temple, bestowing upon it two sandalwood and agarwood pavilions, each two zhang tall, costing tens of thousands of coins. He also held a vegetarian feast for ten thousand people, allowing all, regardless of gender, to enter the temple to eat. Hearing that Famen Temple was enshrining a Buddha relic, he dispatched an imperial envoy with a luxurious carriage to Famen Temple to retrieve it. His ministers submitted numerous memorials daily advising against this, but Wang Zongshi's memorial was the most poignant, stating that Emperor Xianzong had died because of welcoming the Buddha relic and urging His Majesty to be cautious. To find out what happens next, stay tuned for the next installment.

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