[Romantic Anecdotes of the Tang Dynasty Court] [55] [Author: Xu Xiaotian]

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Chapter Fifty-Five: Stealing the Beautiful Concubine, Qingxu Reclaims His Father's Concubine, Continuing Old Joys, Cai Ping Receives Imperial Favor
. An Lushan followed Emperor Xuanzong to the West Pavilion and sat down. Gao Lishi brought out a chessboard, and the emperor and his minister began to play. A young eunuch then offered fine wine, and Xuanzong and An Lushan drank together. Lushan was very cunning; with each victory, he drank a cup of wine. Xuanzong's chess skills were far inferior to Lushan's, and he was often outmaneuvered by Lushan. Lushan, however, never yielded, and Xuanzong did not take offense. With each defeat, he drank a cup to congratulate Lushan, repeatedly exclaiming, "My son is truly a master!"
He then unconsciously stroked his beard and laughed heartily. An Lushan weighed three hundred jin (approximately 150 kg) and was quite obese. Obese people are most afraid of heat, and after three cups of wine, he felt even more restless. Seeing that An Lushan's face was flushed with heat, and that he was scratching his head and picking his ears, Xuanzong ordered him to remove his outer garment and expose his chest to cool down. To everyone's surprise, even after removing his outer robe, An Lushan was still drenched in sweat. Emperor Xuanzong ordered him to remove his entire upper garment and sit facing him shirtless. Seeing An Lushan's fair skin, Xuanzong laughed and said, "What a plump, fair-skinned boy!"
Before he finished speaking, Gao Lishi announced, "Empress Yang has arrived!" An Lushan hurriedly grabbed his robe, frantically trying to cover himself. The imperial concubine was already before him, carrying a white turban. Bare-chested, An Lushan crawled on the ground, kowtowing and saying, "Your subject has been impolite; I deserve to die!" The imperial concubine laughed, supporting An Lushan's plump shoulders, and told him to rise, saying with a smile, "What mother doesn't see her child's skin? What is there to be impolite about?" Hearing the imperial concubine's words, An Lushan sat down again, still shirtless. Wanting to show off his skills in front of the imperial concubine, he used every trick in the book to outmaneuver Xuanzong, attacking with every move, while Xuanzong suffered defeat after defeat. Yang Guifei stood to the side, watching as the emperor's game seemed doomed. Xuanzong, stroking his long beard, was deep in thought when Guifei deliberately let Bingyi jump onto the chessboard, stomping on the pieces until they were indistinguishable. The three laughed heartily. Xuanzong pulled Guifei aside, praising her brilliant plan! He immediately ordered ten bolts of his brocade to be brought as a reward to the concubine. A moment later, two eunuchs appeared, each carrying a lacquered tray, each tray holding five bolts of brocade, shimmering and dazzling.
After the Imperial Concubine Yang finished expressing her gratitude, she was about to take the brocade down the steps when An Lushan suddenly stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I request to play a game of chance. The winner is the one who rolls the dice and gets a perfect score of four. Whoever wins will receive this brocade." Before he finished speaking, Emperor Xuanzong exclaimed, "Wonderful!" The Imperial Concubine Yang, who loved to admire An Lushan's plump, fair skin and wanted to linger a little longer, was worried that Xuanzong might become suspicious and wanted to leave hastily. Now, hearing Xuanzong's encouragement, she was happy to spend more time with An Lushan; whether she won or not was a minor matter. A palace maid then brought in a jade bowl and placed it on a table. Inside the bowl were four dice. Xuanzong ordered An Lushan to roll first, and An Lushan, without hesitation, grabbed a die and rolled it, getting a perfect score—clearly, he had lost.
Next, it was the concubines' turn to roll the dice. Yang Guifei, her fingers like jade, held the dice in her hand and smiled sweetly at Lushan. That smile was incredibly alluring, and Lushan was almost overwhelmed. Turning around, he saw Emperor Xuanzong staring intently at his face, startled, and quickly regained his composure. A loud "clang!" rang out, and the three dice had all landed fours. Only one die spun endlessly in the bowl; if it rolled another four, it would be a double four. Emperor Xuanzong shouted loudly, "Four! Four!" The die, obeying the imperial decree, indeed rolled a four. Yang Guifei smiled, tilting her slender waist to the side and falling into the emperor's cup, secretly casting her watery eyes at Lushan.
Lushan, eager to please, quickly knelt at the concubine's feet, congratulating her on her good fortune! Emperor Xuanzong laughed and said, "Everyone has won!" He then ordered a eunuch to fetch five bolts of brocade to bestow upon An Lushan. He also ordered a bolt of bright red satin to be given to the Imperial Concubine for adornment. From then on, the custom of dyeing four dots on dice red became a tradition passed down through generations.
From then on, An Lushan not only often appeared shirtless in front of the emperor, but also, in front of the Imperial Concubine, would complain of being hot and remove his shirt. This shirtless act was carried out by imperial decree, and he showed no restraint whatsoever. The Imperial Concubine, however, loved to see An Lushan's fair skin, and even when the emperor was not present, she would order him to be shirtless. With such favor from the Imperial Concubine, An Lushan became extremely arrogant in public. The Imperial Concubine then petitioned Emperor Xuanzong to build a grand mansion for An Lushan, which was then bestowed upon him and named Qinrenfang. It was ornately decorated and exceptionally luxurious.
Emperor Xuanzong ordered the Ministry of Works to only demand beauty and not to provide wages. On the day the Qinren Archway was completed, the Emperor and his Consort personally escorted An Lushan to his residence. All the civil and military officials came to offer their congratulations. An Lushan lived in a mansion filled with concubines, among whom was a favorite named Ruan Hong. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also skilled in singing and dancing, deeply favored by An Lushan. Ruan Hong, relying on her master's favor, made all sorts of demands. At that time, every high-ranking official in the court was at An Lushan's beck and call, and gold, jewels, and precious stones were often presented to his mansion; all of these were hidden away by Ruan Hong, and An Lushan laughed and let her have her way. Ruan Hong then wanted to seize treasures from the common people. She learned that a family behind the mansion possessed a jade inkstone, so she sent her powerful servant to coerce them into giving it to her. The family went to the local government office to complain, but the officials ignored them. An Lushan was furious and ordered ten soldiers to slaughter the entire family. From then on, whether officials or commoners, anyone who suffered at An Lushan's hands was forbidden to speak out. Lu Shan's eldest son, Qingxu, was particularly strong-willed and unruly, refusing to be restrained by his father.
Lu Shan, infatuated with Yang Guifei, frequently visited the palace for illicit affairs. On one occasion, Lu Shan entered the palace while Emperor Xuanzong was in court. Lu Shan and Guifei sat together in a room, joking and teasing each other, their laughter echoing throughout the palace. Guifei had made an enormous swaddle from brocade and had Lu Shan undress and sleep in it, nestled in her arms. Lu Shan, gazing at Guifei's face, made baby noises, causing all the palace maids to laugh uproariously. Only after a eunuch announced the Emperor's dismissal did Lu Shan put on his clothes, wait for the Emperor to return, sit briefly, and then leave.
Back at his residence, Lu Shan was again fawned upon by a group of concubines. That night, Lu Shan was drunk and asleep in his outer study. Around midnight, he heard a commotion coming from the inner room. Startled, Lu Shan, still drunk, rushed out, sword in hand. In the courtyard, he encountered a servant and asked what was wrong. The servant replied, "There's a thief in the inner room!" Lu Shan hurried to the middle gate, only to find both doors tightly shut. Cries and alarmed voices rose from within. His most beloved concubine, named Ruan Hong, was inside. Desperate to rescue her, he ordered his servants to each take an axe and break down the door. Upon reaching the inner room, the robbers were long gone. They found a family of women, their makeup disheveled. A thorough search revealed nothing missing except for Ruan Hong, who had been abducted. Enraged, Lu Shan had the maids in Ruan Hong's room severely whipped. When questioned, the women all said they saw a bandit leader leading thirty or forty men leap from the west wall into the inner courtyard and directly into the harem. The bandit leader, carrying the harem, was escorted by his bandits, and they roared away over the west wall. When Lushan asked what the bandit leader looked like, the women all said he had smeared his face with pig's blood, making his features unrecognizable. Lushan immediately summoned the patrolling censor Zhou Liangchen, slammed his fist on the table, and roared, "Such a great bandit has emerged from within the Forbidden City! What are you doing here, censor? You have one day to capture the bandit leader and send him to this prefecture for severe punishment. If there is any mistake, I will report this to the Emperor, and I guarantee your leader will be executed!
" The censor was terrified, trembling and repeatedly bumping his head, saying he deserved to die. He hurriedly left the prefecture and immediately dispatched officers to search everywhere. However, after searching the entire city, they found no trace of him, as if he had sunk to the bottom of the sea. At General An's residence, messengers arrived like shooting stars, relentlessly pursuing the imperial censor, arresting him and imprisoning him until the ringleader was found.
The censor's wife, Lady Huang, was deeply worried about her husband's imprisonment. She summoned the constables to the inner hall, weeping and pleading with them to apprehend the thieves.
Among them was a constable named Wei San. Seeing his wife's pitiful state, he stepped forward and loudly proclaimed, "Madam, may you be at peace! I will risk my life and use my silver tongue to go to General An's residence and ensure my lord's safety." Lady Huang, upon hearing this, bowed deeply to Wei San. Without turning back, Wei San left the yamen and ran to the gate of An Lushan's residence, claiming to have found the notorious thief who had abducted the general's concubine. The servants in the residence shouted for him to speak quickly.
Wei San said, "This concerns a family scandal, and I must see the General!" The servant went in to report to his lord, Lu Shan, who then ordered someone to bring him to the Imperial Study for questioning. When Wei San saw Lu Shan, he said, "I have found the trail of a great thief here. I hope the General will dismiss his men and allow me to speak boldly!" Upon hearing Wei San's words, Lu Shan ordered his men to leave. Seeing that no one was in the room, Wei San said, "My lord has already tracked down the bandits, because the ringleader is none other than the general's eldest son! He has already abducted the general's beloved concubine, and they are having a secret tryst in that chamber!" Upon hearing this, Lu Shan's face changed color, and he drew his sword, pointing it at Wei San, saying, "You dog! How dare you speak such nonsense!" Wei San kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "If I have uttered even half a lie, I will have my head cut off by the general! If the general still doesn't believe me, the eldest son is currently living in a large house in the Western Regions Ward!" Hearing this, Lu Shan didn't press further and ordered Wei San to be detained in the mansion as well. Meanwhile, he secretly sent his trusted men to the Western Regions Ward to investigate. Sure enough, the eldest son, Qingxu, had taken his father's concubine. Upon hearing this, Lu Shan cried out in anger and fainted in his chair, unconscious.
His family helped him into his bedroom and summoned a doctor to examine his pulse. The doctor said that the sudden anger had damaged his liver and that he needed careful treatment to ensure his safety. From then on, An Lushan fell ill and did not enter the palace for three whole months.
It turned out that Qingxu was Lushan's eldest son, and was even more tyrannical than his father. At the age of seven, Lushan taught him archery and horsemanship, and Qingxu's skills improved greatly. Taking advantage of his father's unpreparedness, he shot Lushan in the shoulder. Lushan was furious and disliked him, so Qingxu lived in an outside residence from a young age. Later, Lushan gained the favor of Emperor Xuanzong, and Qingxu was also appointed as a military commander. He then built a separate residence, constructed elaborate palaces, and abducted beautiful women from the common people to serve as concubines. Hundreds of women followed him daily. Qingxu loved water games and dug many ponds and arranged multi-storied boats in his residence, leading singing girls and dancing girls in long nights of drinking. Despite enjoying such lustful pleasures, Qingxu could not forget his love for the women. Sometimes, when Lushan held banquets at his residence, Qingxu would sneak in early to seduce his concubines. Even in front of Lushan, the two could not help but exchange flirtatious glances. Surrounded by jewels and jade, Lu Shan was so captivated that he paid no attention to the two men's actions.
Later, when the singing and dancing stopped and they vanished, Lu Shan began to suspect Qing Xu. Seeing the crowd still cheering and drinking, he slipped away and encountered Qing Xu and Ruan Hong chasing and teasing each other in the corridor. At that moment, the west garden corridor was dimly lit and bathed in moonlight; it was a quiet and secluded spot! Ruan Hong was leaning against the railing, gazing at the moon, when Qing Xu crept up behind her.
As he approached, he stretched out his arms to embrace her slender waist. Ruan Hong had already sensed him, but kept her head down and didn't turn around. Just as Qing Xu was about to reach her, Ruan Hong swayed her waist, dodging his arms, and gracefully disappeared out of the corridor, standing in the moonlight in the courtyard, smiling coquettishly at Qing Xu.
The moonlight only enhanced her beauty, making her even more alluring. Qingxu, flustered by her seductive smile, could only softly call out "Mother," repeatedly bowing to Ruan Hong before rushing towards the courtyard. Ruan Hong, however, fled back to the corridor. Seeing her gripping the railing and giggling, Qingxu, taking advantage of her momentary lapse in attention, leaped over the railing, tightly embracing her slender waist, and pressed his face against her pink neck. Just then, Lushan burst into the garden, saw them, and shouted, "You damned beast!" Ruan Hong fled into a path. Lushan grabbed Qingxu by the ear, dragged him out of the main hall, and shouted repeatedly that he should beat the beast to death with a large stick. Only after the intervention of relatives was Qingxu finally driven out, and from then on, father and son severed all ties. Unfortunately, Qingxu wielded immense power in the capital and had many followers. Since being expelled from the manor by his father, he constantly longed for Ruan Hong. Late at night, Qingxu, smearing his face with pig's blood, personally led thirty of his retainers to scale the wall and infiltrate An Lushan's inner quarters. Qingxu knew the place well, and Ruan Hong, who was also deeply infatuated with him, seized the opportunity and abducted him. The two hid in a secluded room in the Western Regions Ward, living happily ever after, much to An Lushan's dismay.
After recovering, An Lushan wanted to personally interrogate Qingxu. His advisors dissuaded him, saying, "Qingxu has many loyal followers. If a disagreement arises, wouldn't you be killed?
" An Lushan angrily replied, "I'll kill this beast to vent my anger!"
Then, one of his advisors offered a plan. It turned out that Qingxu had two factions, Tongru and Xide, vying for his favor. Qingxu, however, heeded the advice of Tongru and distanced himself from Xide. Xide, harboring deep resentment, constantly sought revenge. An advisor in Lushan's household secretly informed Xide, arranging for him to act as an inside agent within the mansion to kill Qingxu, promising a great reward. Qingxu's household had three thousand guards, but because Qingxu was known for his strict discipline and Tongru for his stubborn nature, the soldiers obeyed Xide's orders and refused to follow Tongru's commands. Somehow, the plan was leaked, and Tongru learned of it, quickly reporting it to Qingxu. Enraged, Qingxu, under the pretense of discussing confidential matters, summoned Xide to a secret room, where his ambush troops sprang up and killed him. The three thousand guards, realizing their plot had been exposed, fled in disarray. Qingxu, having lost his henchman, hastily took his men and fled to Weizhou under cover of night.
Lushan, unable to capture Qingxu, was filled with resentment. A servant reported that a woman with a foreign child was outside the gate, claiming to be a relative of the General and requesting an audience. Lushan immediately ordered her brought in. Upon seeing her, he was overjoyed. The woman was dressed entirely in foreign attire, appearing to be around thirty years old, yet possessing fair skin and delicate features.
Her slender waist and captivating eyes were mesmerizing. The child was a boy of twelve or thirteen, handsome and resembling his mother. Upon seeing the woman, Lushan beamed. The two held hands, giggling and laughing intimately. He then ordered a feast to be prepared, and the two sat facing each other, drinking. When the woman was half-drunk, she unleashed her full allure, becoming intimate with Lushan. Lushan was captivated by her, and after the drinking, they went hand-in-hand into the bridal chamber. His wife, Ji Wang, was utterly astonished.
Later, upon inquiring, it was learned that the Hu man's name was Sun Xiaozhe, and he was originally of Khitan descent. During An Lushan's two campaigns, Sun Xiaozhe's mother, Temu, had already been having an affair with him. This Temu had grown up with a licentious nature and alluring beauty. Which of the nearby dissolute youths wouldn't want to be near such a beauty? She attracted a horde of playboys who fought and quarreled over her, often resulting in brawls and even murders. Many young men lost their lives for this pretty girl. Among them were only An Lushan and Sun Xiaozhe's father, Hete. Both were physically imposing and handsome, equally matched; however, Hete had more money than An Lushan, so the beauty was taken by Hete. Hete knew that An Lushan was extremely brave and not to be trifled with, so he took Temu and fled elsewhere. An Lushan and Timur were deeply in love, and he was enjoying the sweetness of their relationship. Wouldn't he be furious if he lost his beloved? He diligently searched for Timur, wandering the Youzhou region for five or six years, enduring hardship and turmoil. Through this experience, he learned the languages of the six barbarian tribes, became familiar with their landscapes, customs, and traditions, gained the favor of the military governor, and achieved his current wealth and glory. As the saying goes, hardship makes one stronger.
Timur's departure ironically paved the way for An Lushan's lifelong achievements!
After obtaining Timur, An Lushan fled to the Chinese interior, making a living by selling furs, enjoying a life of luxury and happiness with beautiful women. However, due to his excessive indulgence, he contracted hemoptysis a few years later, leaving behind his beloved woman and his son, Sun Xiaozhe, before passing away. By this time, Timur had become a middle-aged woman. She was heartbroken to have lost her beloved partner; and with no one to support her and her son, how could they survive in such a desolate state? Desperate, she sold all the few possessions and furniture she had kept to pay for her journey to Chang'an. There, she inadvertently learned that her former lover, Liu Lang An Lushan, was a high-ranking general, enjoying great favor and frequent access to the palace. In her current predicament, how could she not seek him out? It was a stroke of luck for Timur; An Lushan, having lost his lover, felt empty and adrift. Seeing his former lover rekindled his old feelings; and Timur, though past her prime, was even more alluring, captivating the lustful An Lushan.
He took her in and showered her with affection, and his son, Sun Xiaozhe, was fostered there as his adopted son. He received fine clothes and delicious food, and An Lushan treated him with kindness. This Sun Xiaozhe had fair skin and a handsome face. He followed An Lushan around all day, flattering him and gaining his deep favor. When he grew up, his mother also spoke to him in bed, and by the end of the Tianbao era, he had risen to the rank of Grand General. But that's another story.
Now, let's talk about Yang Guifei. She'd been spending her days with An Lushan, and after two or three months, her beloved had suddenly stopped coming to the palace. She felt incredibly lonely without her usual clown. Although Emperor Xuanzong doted on her and kept her company all day, compared to An Lushan, one was an old man, the other a young, strong man; one was someone she played with, the other someone who played with her. The contrast was stark: one was so interesting, the other so boring. Now, the interesting man had vanished without a trace, while the boring one clung to her day and night. How could she not be angry? Not only was she angry, but she had also developed lovesickness because she thought about An Lushan every day. Taking advantage of her anger, her illness, and the emperor's favor, Yang Guifei feigned shyness and anger, acting coquettishly and trying to annoy the emperor in every way. But consider the emperor's noble status; no matter how arrogant she was, she could never surpass him. Moreover, the emperor's pleasure with his concubines was primarily for his own enjoyment; how could he possibly accept the coldness of a woman? Although Emperor Xuanzong was gentle by nature and didn't hold grudges against women, women's personalities are such that the more they are pampered, the more arrogant they become. The more you love and fawn over them, the more they climb over your head. At that point, even the most docile man will inevitably become angry. Before meeting An Lushan, Yang Guifei, though knowing that Emperor Xuanzong was old, was willing to offer herself to him for his pleasure, given his wealth and status. After meeting An Lushan, she experienced the pleasures of a young, strong man and began to see Emperor Xuanzong as tasteless. In her words and actions, she revealed an arrogant and cold demeanor, infuriating Xuanzong to the point that he lived in the West Pavilion of Cuihua, while secretly summoning Consort Mei, who lived in the East Pavilion, to visit him.
This Consort Mei had also gained Emperor Xuanzong's favor. Her sister, Jiang Caiping, was originally from Putian. Her father, Zhongxun, came from a family of renowned physicians. When Consort Mei was nine years old, she could already recite the *Book of Songs*, specifically the "Two Nan" chapter, which spoke of women's diligence and hard work. Consort Mei told her father, "Though I am but a young girl, I must learn to be as diligent as women of ancient times!"
Her father loved her dearly and named her Caiping. During the Kaiyuan era, Gao Lishi, on a mission to Fujian and Guangdong, learned of the Jiang family's daughter's exceptional beauty and selected her for the palace, where she gained Emperor Xuanzong's great favor. At that time, Emperor Xuanzong was extremely lustful, possessing 40,000 concubines and palace maids in the three palaces of Chang'an (Da Nei, Daming, and Xingqing) and the two palaces of Luoyang (Da Nei and Shangyang). After acquiring Consort Mei, he forgot all about these tens of thousands of women. Consort Mei was also quite talented in literature, often comparing herself to the daughters of the Xie family, possessing the talent for composing poems. She preferred light makeup and elegant attire, which only accentuated her delicate beauty. She had a natural love for plum blossoms, and her palace courtyard was filled with them. In one courtyard stood a pavilion with a plaque inscribed "Plum Pavilion" by Emperor Xuanzong himself. Whenever the plum blossoms bloomed, Consort Mei would compose poems and admire them in the pavilion until dusk, reluctant to leave.
Because of her love for plum blossoms, Emperor Xuanzong jokingly called her Consort Mei. Besides poetry, Consort Mei was also skilled in composing rhapsodies, having written eight rhapsodies: "Xiao," "Lan," "Liyuan," "Plum Blossom," "Phoenix Flute," "Glass Cup," "Scissors," and "Elegant Window," which she presented to Emperor Xuanzong, who greatly admired them.
During the Kaiyuan era, with a long period of peace and tranquility in the palace, Emperor Xuanzong and his brothers were very close, often summoning them to the palace for laughter and banquets. At these banquets, Emperor Xuanzong always had Consort Mei by his side, engaging in uninhibited conversation. Once, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Emperor Xuanzong summoned his brothers for a family banquet in the palace. When they were halfway through the drinks, a eunuch presented a basket of yellow oranges, saying they were picked from the imperial garden and specially offered to His Majesty for his enjoyment. Everyone saw the golden oranges and their delightful aroma, and Xuanzong ordered them to be shared among his brothers. The eunuch, following the decree, distributed ten oranges to each prince. Consort Mei, who carried a small golden dagger, used it to cut open an orange and presented it to the Emperor. Xuanzong tasted it and exclaimed how delicious it was. He then ordered Consort Mei to cut oranges for the princes. Seeing Consort Mei personally cutting oranges for them, the princes were flustered and stood awkwardly to the side, not daring to lift their heads or even breathe loudly. Consort Mei then went to each prince in turn and cut open an orange. To find out what happens next, please read the next chapter.

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