[Romantic Anecdotes of the Tang Dynasty Court] [96] [Author: Xu Xiaotian]

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Chapter Ninety-Six: A Princess's Extravagant Marriage Leads to a Debauched and Incompetent Emperor's Downfall.
Emperor Yizong was a foolish and incompetent ruler. In less than three years since his ascension to the throne, he indulged in extreme extravagance within the palace. He favored many concubines, whose daily lives and attire were incredibly luxurious. A single garment or ornament cost thousands of taels of gold, gradually emptying the national treasury. At this time, the Guandong region suffered from consecutive years of floods and droughts, with thousands dying daily. Yizong, however, still insisted on waging war, using the pretext of suppressing bandits to mobilize troops and collect military provisions. Fearing the military provisions, the people fled to all corners of the land, turning to banditry. As a result, bandits multiplied, robbing and plundering everywhere. Ordinary people could no longer live in peace, and the country was in turmoil. While Yizong indulged in pleasure with his concubines in the palace, the chaos outside was beyond control, and the court officials colluded not to report to the emperor.
Yizong's most favored concubine was Consort Guo. Consort Guo originally came from a humble background. When Emperor Yizong was still in the Prince's residence, Lady Guo's mother worked as a seamstress there; Lady Guo would also accompany her mother on outings. Lady Guo's appearance wasn't particularly beautiful, but because she was charming and adept at grooming, Emperor Muzong found her extremely endearing. He secretly began an affair with her. Although young, Lady Guo was adept at climbing the social ladder; she acted coquettishly and charmingly in front of Emperor Muzong, winning his favor. Later, when Emperor Muzong became emperor, he favored Lady Guo so much that he didn't establish an empress for ten years. He repeatedly wanted to make Lady Guo empress, but his ministers argued that Lady Guo's humble origins made her unfit to be the mother of the nation. Emperor Yizong had no choice but to bestow upon Lady Guo the title of Consort Shu. Consort Shu gave birth to a daughter, who was given
the title of Princess Tongchang when she was still an infant. Princess Tongchang was plain-looking and mute. However, because she was Lady Guo's daughter, Emperor Yizong also favored her exceptionally. She was spoiled and pampered, which fostered her arrogance and laziness.
Her clothing and food were extremely luxurious. When she turned twelve, Princess Tongchang suddenly began to speak, saying, "Today I can finally live!" Empress Guo and Emperor Yizong were astonished and repeatedly questioned her, but she only shook her head and remained silent. From then on, the princess spoke sweetly, laughing and singing, which delighted Emperor Yizong even more, and he showered her with all sorts of rare treasures to amuse her. At that time, there was a man named Wei Baoheng, the son of the Grand Counselor Wei Cheng. He was handsome and elegant, three years older than Princess Tongchang. Empress Guo was exceptionally fond of him and often summoned him to the palace to play with her. At this time, Wei Baoheng was only eighteen years old, with the mind of a child, only knowing how to play and unaware of matters of love and intimacy. Unfortunately, whenever Consort Guo saw Wei Baoheng, she would send away her maids and embrace him, teasing him in every way. Even the most hard-hearted person would be stirred by her desires. One was a middle-aged woman, the other a young man; one an imperial concubine, the other a courtier—yet they had committed adultery. As time passed, rumors spread like wildfire. To conceal the truth, Consort Guo discussed with Emperor Yizong the possibility of marrying Princess Tongchang to Wei Baoheng.
Emperor Yizong doted on Consort Guo, and she always obeyed his wishes. However, Princess Tongchang knew of her mother's affair with Wei Baoheng and refused to marry him, much to Consort Guo's dismay. Consort Guo desperately hoped that by marrying Princess Tongchang to Wei Baoheng, he would be her husband and she her mother-in-law, allowing them to openly meet and secretly rekindle their affair. Unexpectedly, Princess Tongchang refused. Despite Consort Guo's repeated persuasion, the princess remained unwilling. Consort Guo, at her wits' end, offered all her jewels, ornaments, and rare treasures as part of Princess Tongchang's dowry. She also consulted with Emperor Yizong, allocating five million strings of cash from the imperial treasury as a dowry for the princess. Furthermore, she built a magnificent mansion next to Renshou Palace, with soaring eaves and painted beams, extremely grand. The windows and railings inside were inlaid with pearls and jade; all everyday utensils were cast in gold and silver. Seeing Emperor Yizong's great affection for the princess, the civil and military officials of the court vied to present their dowry gifts. Among them was a Minister of Works, Li Congren, who had the ingenious idea of casting a well curb in gold and silver and presenting it to the princess. Another
official from the Ministry of Personnel cast a mortar and pestle in gold and presented it to the princess's husband. On the day of Princess Tongchang's marriage, the people of the capital were each given a piece of colored satin and a string of thread. The main streets of the capital were adorned with colorful banners; all the utensils, large and small, from the princess's residence were carried by 40,000 laborers in a procession through the streets; the people of the capital thronged, crowding the main streets to the point of being impassable. This extravagance surpassed even the weddings of Princess Taiping and Princess Anle.
Wei Baoheng, having acquired such a noblewoman and abundant wealth, was utterly delighted. Aside from his daily court duties, he spent all his time with Princess Tongchang in her boudoir, laughing and playing, inseparable. Consort Guo, under the guise of visiting her daughter, frequently visited the prince consort's residence, indulging in banquets and staying out late into the night. The fact that mother and daughter shared a husband became a laughingstock among the people of the capital. Emperor Yizong, doting on his daughter and favoring his concubine, allowed her free access, unable to stop her. Furthermore, with the praise of his mother-in-law and wife, Wei Baoheng was promoted to Hanlin Academician. In the eleventh year of the Xiantong era, Cao Que was dismissed from his post as chancellor, and Wei Baoheng, along with Yu Cong, the Vice Minister of War, and Liu Zhan, the Vice Minister of Revenue, were simultaneously appointed chancellors, wielding immense power. From then on, all the civil and military officials in the court became close allies with Wei Baoheng, forming a corrupt alliance. Underhanded officials vied to curry favor with him. He was known as "Ox-Headed A-Pang," a name implying his sinister and terrifying nature, resembling a ghost. However, just as Wei Baoheng was enjoying his success, Princess Tongchang suddenly fell ill. The illness was quite strange; her eyes were raised, her limbs were clenched, and she kept making strange noises. Emperor Yizong immediately summoned more than twenty imperial physicians to the palace to examine her. They all said they didn't know the cause of her illness and were helpless. After several days, Princess Tongchang passed away. Emperor Yizong was deeply grieved by the loss of his beloved daughter! Consort Guo was also filled with endless sorrow! Emperor Yizong composed a dirge and ordered his officials to compose their own. A memorial tablet was set up in the Prince Consort's residence, and Emperor Yizong personally attended, weeping, and ordered all officials from the prime minister down to offer
condolences. He also issued an edict posthumously conferring upon Princess Tongchang the title of Princess Weiguo, and ordered the Ministry of Rites to establish the posthumous title as "Wenyi" (文谥). Consort Guo, grieving the loss of her beloved daughter, vented her resentment on the physicians. She abusing the imperial seal, forged an edict to arrest over twenty physicians who had examined the princess, falsely claiming they had misused medicine and caused her death. The officials in charge of the trial, without any investigation, beheaded all twenty-odd physicians. They also searched for over three hundred of the physicians' relatives, imprisoning them until the following January when Princess Tongchang was buried. Consort Guo ordered the three hundred relatives to be brought from prison, bound with iron chains, and forced to crawl behind the princess's coffin while being whipped. Each lash left a bloody welt, and their cries of agony were unbearable to hear. Emperor Yizong and Consort Guo sat side by side atop Yanxing Gate. As the princess's coffin passed beneath it, the emperor wept bitterly, covering his face. Consort Guo was choked with sobs, unable to speak. The funeral procession stretched for dozens of miles, with a golden, three-zhang-tall god of war, carried by two hundred men, leading the way. All the princess's treasures and clothing were packed into one hundred and twenty carriages, a magnificent spectacle that blotted out the sun. A musician named Li Keji composed "Lament for a Hundred Years," recruiting five hundred folk singers, each carrying fragrant flowers, to accompany the funeral procession, singing as they went. Five hundred dancers were also recruited for a ground-dressing dance, adorned with various precious stones and eight hundred bolts of colorful silk tied around their waists, dancing as they went. Wherever the dancers passed, pearls and jewels littered the ground, free for the people to collect. A single pearl found by a poor family could provide three years' worth of food. All the princess's belongings and clothing were buried in the tomb.
Even after Princess Tongchang's death, Wei Baoheng's favor with the emperor remained undiminished. Consort Guo, finding it inconvenient to stay at her husband's residence any longer, frequently summoned Wei Baoheng to the palace in secret. He accompanied her on outings, and the two flirted freely, without regard for others. Consort Guo often told Emperor Yizong, "I miss my deceased daughter terribly! I wish to see my son-in-law often, for seeing him is like seeing my daughter.
" Emperor Yizong believed her. If Consort Guo didn't see Wei Baoheng, she would be sorrowful and tearful, deeply unhappy.
Seeing her unhappiness, Emperor Yizong sent an eunuch to the husband's residence to summon Wei Baoheng to the palace.
Upon seeing her husband, Consort Guo's face lit up with joy. Seeing Consort Guo happy, Emperor Yizong was happy too. From then on, Wei Baoheng's power grew even stronger than before.
At that time, Yu Cong was also a prime minister, and Wei Baoheng, intending to undermine him, often spoke ill of Yu Cong to the emperor. Emperor Yizong, believing Wei Baoheng's words, demoted Yu Cong to the position of Prefect of Shaozhou. Wei Baoheng, wanting to kill Yu Cong, recruited assassins to ambush him on his journey. When this news reached Princess Guangde, she was terrified!
It turned out that Yu Cong was the husband of Princess Guangde, who was also Emperor Yizong's younger sister. Hearing that Wei Baoheng intended to murder her husband, how could she not be terrified! She devised a plan. Princess Guangde dressed as a man, impersonating Yu Cong, and sat gracefully in a sedan chair. Yu Cong, however, rode in her own carriage, and the couple traveled cautiously along the way. At each inn, the princess and Yu Cong would switch beds. The assassin tried to strike several times but couldn't find Yu Cong, thus saving his life and safely reaching Shaozhou.
But why did Wei Baoheng harbor such deep hatred for Yu Cong? Partly it was due to the power struggle between colleagues, leading to irreconcilable differences. Partly it was because Princess Guangde had discovered his secret. That day, Princess Guangde entered the palace to pay her respects to Emperor Yizong. On her way out, passing through the imperial garden, she caught a glimpse of Consort Guo and Wei Baoheng engaging in illicit activities. Terrified, Princess Guangde fled, covering her face. However, Consort Guo, quick-witted, had already seen her and, fearing Princess Guangde might gossip before Emperor Yizong, instigated Wei Baoheng to preemptively strike, banishing the Yu couple to Shaozhou. This removed a thorn in her side. Wei Baoheng and Consort Guo then brazenly continued their illicit affairs in the palace. Emperor Yizong was already bedridden with illness, and Wei Baoheng became even more unrestrained.
But this pair of infatuated lovers, focused only on lust, were unaware that the palace eunuchs had already formed a clique and were secretly plotting their own downfall. The leaders were Liu Xingshen, the Left Commandant of the Shence Army, and Han Wenyue, the Right Commandant of the Shence Army, both eunuchs by origin. All the eunuchs in the palace, high and low, obeyed their orders. Emperor Yizong, solely due to his favoritism towards Consort Guo, has never established an empress or a crown prince. He did have eight biological sons: Prince Yi of Wei, Prince Jian of Liang, Prince Ji of Shu, Prince Kan of Wei, Prince Yan of Pu, Prince Bao of Ji, Prince Jie of Shou, and Prince Yi of Mu. All were born to his concubines, with no distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children. According to the principle of primogeniture, Prince Yi of Wei, being Emperor Yizong's eldest son, should have been the crown prince. However, Liu Xingshen and Han Wenyue, seeking to exploit the young emperor for their own power, took advantage of Emperor Yizong's illness and lapses in consciousness to install his fifth son, Prince Yan of Pu, as crown prince. Prince Yan's mother, Lady Wang, was of very low birth. At that time, she and her son colluded with these two eunuchs, and all the power of the imperial guards was in the hands of Liu and Han. Consort Guo never bore a son and was obsessed with Wei Baoheng. She remained oblivious to the grand schemes Wang was plotting behind her back. When Emperor Yizong died, Liu and Han forged an imperial edict, abdicated in favor of Prince Pu, and ascended the throne before the coffin, becoming Emperor Xizong. Upon assuming the throne, Emperor Xizong immediately imprisoned Consort Guo and demoted Wei Baoheng to Prefect of Hezhou. As is often said, human relationships are fickle; all the officials who had previously fawned over Wei Baoheng now rushed to impeach him. Emperor Xizong, after reading their memorials, further demoted Wei Baoheng to Magistrate of Chengmai and then ordered him to commit suicide. A handsome and dashing young man, ruined his future and lost his life simply because of his lust for women. At this time, the power of the court was entirely in the hands of Liu Xingshen and Han Wenyue.
Then there was Tian Lingzi, Emperor Xizong's closest confidant. At the beginning of his reign, Xizong was only twelve years old, still a child at heart, spending his days in the palace playing and chasing with a group of young eunuchs. When ministers presented memorials, they were all handed over to the Privy Councilor Tian Lingzi for execution. Lingzi was originally a minor stable boy, but he was literate and quite intelligent. When Xizong was still a prince, he and Lingzi were already very close, with Xizong calling Lingzi "Father." After Xizong ascended the throne, he appointed Lingzi to the Privy Council, where he relied on him like a trusted advisor. Lingzi also won Xizong's favor, personally bringing him the fruits Xizong loved. Various rare and exotic fruits were displayed before the emperor's bed, and the two would sit and drink together. Hundreds of palace children were brought to serve Xizong, and when he was in a good mood, he would play polo with the children, rewarding them with ten thousand coins. The emperor's daily attire was extremely luxurious. With the addition of Liu and Han, their covert exploitation had long since emptied the treasury. Tian Lingzi then devised a plan, persuading Emperor Xizong to issue an edict confiscating all goods from the two markets and transferring them to the imperial treasury for the emperor's use. Tian Lingzi, Liu Xingshen, and Han Wenyue colluded to solicit bribes and influence, determining official rank based on the amount of money received. The young emperor was incompetent, and powerful officials were arrogant and tyrannical, leading to widespread resentment. Natural disasters struck frequently, with droughts and floods causing widespread famine and rampant banditry. Two notorious bandits were particularly rampant, robbing prefectures and counties, beyond the control of the government forces.
One was Wang Xianzhi, the bandit of Puzhou; the other was Huang Chao, the bandit of Yuanju. Both Xianzhi and Huang Chao made their living by smuggling salt, roaming the land without restraint. Huang Chao also possessed a unique self-defense skill: a concealed slingshot that was always accurate. He was fond of chivalry and chivalry, had a rudimentary education in literature, and repeatedly failed the imperial examinations. He then befriended Xianzhi, forming a sworn brotherhood. In the first year of the Qianfu era, Xianzhi gathered several thousand men and launched a rebellion. The following year, he amassed tens of thousands, capturing Puzhou and Caozhou, among other places, his power growing immensely. Hearing of Xianzhi's success, Huang Chao also rallied his followers, plundering prefectures and counties, his power surging even further. In less than a year, Huang Chao's army numbered in the hundreds of thousands, sweeping east and west with unstoppable force. In the blink of an eye, half the country was in Huang Chao's hands. Huang Chao even stormed Tongguan, captured Huazhou, leaving his henchman Qiao Ling to guard it, while he led his troops straight towards Chang'an.
Emperor Xizong received the alarm and was greatly alarmed! He went to the southern suburbs to pray to Heaven, silently begging for divine protection. After praying, he returned to court and discussed with his ministers a plan to repel the rebels. However, despite the imperial edicts being issued one after another, not a single minister entered the palace to discuss the matter. Emperor Xizong grew increasingly panicked! Just as he was becoming anxious, Tian Lingzi rushed into the palace in a frantic manner, reporting, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! The rebels have already stormed into Chang'an. Your Majesty must quickly prepare for an inspection tour!" Upon hearing this, Emperor Xizong was stunned and asked repeatedly, "Where am I supposed to go to stay?" Tian Lingzi shouted, "Your Majesty would be better off fleeing to Shu! I have already gathered five hundred Shence soldiers to protect you. Please, Your Majesty, depart immediately!" Emperor Xizong hurriedly returned to the inner palace, taking only three or four of his favorite concubines and the four princes, Fu, Mu, Tan, and Shou, and staggered out of the palace. Tian Lingzi led the way, with the five hundred Shence soldiers protecting him from behind, as they rushed out of Chang'an and headed west.
With the capital city losing its leader, soldiers, commoners, and gentry alike stormed into the treasury, stealing gold and silk. It wasn't until the afternoon that the officials learned the imperial carriage had headed west. A few with a conscience left the city to pursue it. The rest were bewildered and unsure what to do. It turned out that Huang Chao hadn't yet entered the city; those who had entered were reinforcements from Fengxiang and Boye. Now, these reinforcements had become rebels, burning, killing, looting, and committing atrocities in the capital. This was because Tian Lingzi was recruiting new soldiers, whose uniforms were lavish and brightly colored. When the reinforcements from Fengxiang and Boye arrived at the Wei Bridge, seeing the new army's splendid attire, the soldiers were filled with resentment! They shouted, "What merit have these people earned that they deserve such treatment, while we are left outside to freeze and starve?" They rushed forward, stripped the new soldiers of their clothes, and turned back out of the city to guide the rebels. As evening approached, Huang Chao's vanguard brought Chai Cun into the capital. General Zhang Zhifang, along with his ministers, welcomed the rebels at Ba Shang. Huang Chao, riding in a golden chariot, clad in military attire and helmet, strode confidently into the palace. His followers, all adorned in embroidered robes, rode in bronze chariots, followed by hundreds of thousands of knights, mostly with disheveled hair and wielding weapons. They had plundered supplies and wealth along the way, stretching for a thousand miles from Dongjing (Kaifeng) to the capital.
The people of the capital lined the streets to watch. Seeing the people's tattered clothes, the rebels distributed gold and silk, and the people cheered, calling him King Huang. Huang Chao entered through Chunming Gate and ascended the Taiji Hall, where thousands of palace maids greeted him.
Seeing so many beautiful women, Huang Chao was overjoyed! He repeatedly proclaimed it the will of Heaven. To find out what happens next, please read the next chapter.

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[Romantic Anecdotes of the Tang Dynasty Court] [96] [Author: Xu Xiaotian]

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