Summary
Princess Gaoyang (Chinese: 高陽公主; 627 – 6 March 653) was the seventeenth daughter of Emperor Taizong of the Tang dynasty.[1][2]
| Princess Gaoyang | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 高陽公主 | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 高阳公主 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
Early life edit
She was born into the imperial family. Her parents spoiled her and made sure she was well cared for; she had large rooms in the palace and many servants and attendants.
Affair with Bianji edit
In her late teens, Gaoyang had an affair with a monk named Bianji (辯機).[3] They kept it well hidden for many years, as monks were not supposed to have intimate relationships, and Gaoyang herself was already betrothed to a rich noble named Fang Yi'ai (房遺愛). When their relationship was discovered, Bianji was taken from the monastery and executed by hanging.
This event is recorded in New Book of Tang (新唐书) and Zizhi Tongjian (资治通鉴), both of which date from the Song dynasty. All other records before the New Book of Tang do not mention this event.
According to the New Book of Tang (新唐书), relations between Princess Gaoyang and her father, Emperor Taizong grew bitter, as Emperor Taizong executed Princess Gaoyang's Lover, Bianji.[4]
However the Old Book of Tang (旧唐书), which was written in Tang dynasty, mentions that when Gaoyang's father-in-law Fang Xuanling (房玄龄) was in last days of his life, he submitted a petition to the Emperor through Gaoyang. The records state that the relationship between Emperor and the Princess was still in harmony. Additionally, also the Princess' name and courtesies were carved into Fang Xuanling's tomb with great honor.
Additionally, during the Tang dynasty, there were strict rules requiring monks to obtain permission before leaving the monastery. Bianji was later on appointed as 大德 by Xuanzang (玄奘), which is contradictory with the image of Bianji as someone who would arbitrarily break the monastery rules.
And the last, numerous members of Fang Xuanling's clan held great positions in Tang dynasty. There were a lot of ways to submit petitions to the Emperor if the event really happened.
Later years and death edit
Gaoyang became bitter after Bianji's death; her betrothal and wedding went as planned in spite of her protests. However, instead of animosity and resentment, Gaoyang and Fang Yi'ai grew closer and bonded over their mutual hatred for the imperial court. Gaoyang and her husband gathered an army and led a rebellion against her brother[5] Emperor Gaozong and his wife Empress Wu. They stormed the palace but were stopped and captured. Gaoyang and her husband were executed by hanging shortly after.
In popular culture edit
- Portrayed by Ma Li in the 1995 Chinese TV series Wu Zetian.
- Portrayed by Shen Aojun in the 2001 Chinese TV series Love Legend of the Tang Dynasty.
- Portrayed by Mi Lu in the 2014 Chinese TV series The Empress of China.
References edit
- ^ Pak-sheung, Ng (2022). "How Officials Rose to Success and Migrated to the Center: Considering the Tombs of Meritorious Officials at Zhaoling". Tang Studies. 40 (1): 83–120. doi:10.1353/tan.2022.0002. ISSN 1759-7633. S2CID 254536603.
- ^ Kieschnick, John (1997-12-31). The Eminent Monk. University of Hawaii Press. doi:10.1515/9780824846015. ISBN 978-0-8248-4601-5.
- ^ Zhang, Xiuping (1993). 100 Books That Influenced China: Da Tang Xiyu Ji. China: Nanning: Guangxi Renmin Press. pp. 392–398. ISBN 7-219-02339-1.
- ^ Yiu, Martha Cheung Pui; Wusun, Lin (2014-06-03). An Anthology of Chinese Discourse on Translation (Version 1): From Earliest Times to the Buddhist Project. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-63927-5.
- ^ Woo, X.L. (2008). Empress Wu The Great - Tang Dynasty China. New York: Algora Publishing. pp. 48–49. ISBN 978-0-87586-660-4.