Where is Concubine Yang from?

(1) Discussing about place of origin 1. The earliest stele recording the deeds of Concubine Yang in the Tang Dynasty is the "Stele Record of Concubine Yang in Puning County, Rongzhou" written by Xu Zizhen, an assistant teacher in the fourth year of Tianbao in the Tang Dynasty. According to "Yuan Yi Tong Zhi": "The inscription of Yang Feirong County is one hundred and twenty steps east of Puning County." It was later quoted in "Yongle Dadian". The inscription is not long, and is copied as follows: "Fei Yang, a native of Yangchong, Rongzhou. Ten miles away from the city. Her nickname is Yuniang. Her father is Wei, and her mother is Ye. Weichang said to his ancestors: "He buried his ancestors here. About ten miles away, I came across a shutu. I forgot its name and said, "If this tomb is a few feet high, a noble son will be born. Unfortunately, if it is too low, a daughter will also be noble." The concubine was pregnant for the twelfth month and gave birth to a baby. At the time of her first birth, the room was filled with sweet fragrance. The afterbirth is like a lotus flower, and the eyes cannot open for three days. The Night Dream God wiped his eyes with his hands, and his eyes were opened the next day. The eyes are like dots of paint, holding them out of the sun without blinking. Her skin is as white as jade and her appearance is extraordinary. Yang Kang, the commander-in-chief of the rear army, saw her and ate his father's money and silk to ask for his daughter. The concubine's family is in trouble, so she has no choice but to go with her. Kang had two sons who were studying, and his concubine was three years old. They sat together day and night and listened to his reading. Gradually, they became familiar with "Yu" and "Mencius", and Kang and his wife cherished it like pearls and jade. At that time, Yang Changshi Yan was photographing the handsome deeds. When he heard about it, he ordered his mothers to come. When he saw the strange thing, he privately said to Jue's wife: "This girl has an unusual appearance and noble appearance. My two daughters are far away from catching her." ’ Then he gave her gold, silk and health, and asked her to be her daughter. If Kang refuses to obey, he will take it by coercion. The whole family cried and sent him off. He lived for a long time and had a long history. He brought him back to Chang'an and taught with his two daughters. But the concubine is of a bright nature, well versed in music and rhythm, and knows the classics and history. Then enter the Shou Wang Palace. In the twenty-fourth year of Kaiyuan, Emperor Ming came to the palace with the imperial edict, and he was named Taizhen, and he was greatly favored. In Tianbao room, she was registered as a noble concubine. "(1) However, there are many opinions that are different from this. "The Biography of Yang Guifei in the Old Book of Tang Dynasty" says: "Xuanzong Yang Guifei, Gaozu Lingben, was the governor of Jinzhou. His father, Xuan Yan, was the chief minister of Shuzhou. The concubine was orphaned early and was raised by her uncle Cao Xuanxuan, a scholar in Henan Province. "(2) The place of birth is not clearly stated. "New Book of Tang Dynasty: Biography of Concubine Yang" makes it clearer: "The Yang family of the imperial concubine of Xuanzong was the fourth grandson of Tongshou Wang of Liang County in Sui Dynasty. She was originally from Puzhou (i.e. Yongji, now Puban, Shanxi). ), so he became a native of Yongle. "(3) "Yang Taizhen's Biography" says that he was "a native of Huayin, Hongnong, and later moved to Dutou Village in Yongle, Puzhou. "The village mentioned here is quite specific. Later it was said: "His father Yuan (Xuan) Yanyan was the sihu of Shuzhou, and the imperial concubine was born in Shu. "(4) Therefore, later it was said that Concubine Yang was from Sichuan. The "Biography of Yang Yuan (Xuan) Yan" in "Old Book of Tang" and "New Book of Tang" said that Yang Yuan (Xuan) Yan was from Guozhou. In addition, it is said that Concubine Yang was from Liling, Hunan. There are different opinions. Which one of these theories should the author think is more reliable? The inscription is the most reliable. There are four reasons: 1. The content of the inscription is well-founded, very clear and detailed. Although there are some legends in the text, it is the same as that of many emperors, generals and heroes in history. It is not surprising that the deeds are somewhat legendary or even superstitious. Second, the inscription was written by Yang Guifei's contemporaries, which is an authoritative witness to this history. All other disagreements about Yang Guifei's birthplace are far behind. It was written by Xu Zizhen, who was the most qualified spokesperson of Concubine Yang's life. 3. This is a conclusive inscription, which has special documentary value that ordinary books and texts do not have. People in the Tang Dynasty could not write a monument based on their predestined relationship. This was common sense. 4. Xu Zizhen was an assistant teacher at the time. He was a prestigious academic leader. Before the Tang Dynasty, Simenxue was originally a university and was affiliated with the Imperial College. In the Tang Dynasty, it "began to merge with Taixue" and had three assistants. It is said in "The Wall Notes of the Assistant Teacher": "In the system of the four schools, the top three grades of sergeants, sergeants, and low-ranking officials in charge of the country, the fourth grade for male sons of Hou Bo, whose descendants are the sons of Zhou, and the sons of common people who are handsome men, make Holding one's own profession and taking second place, one should learn from Confucian officials and conduct research. "(5) Therefore, Xu Zizhen was a person of high status at that time. He must be responsible for writing such an inscription and would never fabricate it out of thin air. According to ancient rules, biography cannot be established after birth, so this stele should be written after the death of Concubine Yang Afterwards. The style of the inscription must be commented after it is passed down, and the year and year of the inscription must be given after the main text. This inscription is unique. There is no concluding remarks about the time when the inscription was given to the imperial concubine. This shows that it is not the complete text, and there must be some missing inscriptions later on. It is said that Concubine Yang "entered the Palace of Shou Wang" and then "entered with an imperial edict. She was called Taizhen and was greatly favored." " is a positive record of history. After Concubine Yang entered the residence of King Shou, she became the wife of King Shou. Father Xuanzong took away his son-in-law and made her a Taoist priest first, named Taizhen, and then she was registered as a noble concubine in Tianbaojian. The inscription only vaguely mentions his scandalous behavior, but does not mention it clearly. This is also the reason why it is "taboo for the venerable".

As for the various disagreements about Yang Fei's birthplace other than Xu Zizhen's inscriptions, there are differences between Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Henan in the north, as well as Sichuan, Hunan and other places in the south. The content is simple and without details. The basis is all based on the lineage of Yang Xuanyan's family, either following the "Lingben of Gaozu", or following the migration and official travel of Yang Xuanyan and Yang Xuanxuan, and there is no consensus. That family did not clarify the specific origin of Yang Guifei. What should be pointed out is that these are all compiled by later generations. When Liu Yun of the Five Dynasties compiled the "Book of Tang", it was more than 180 years after Concubine Yang's life; , more than 280 years after Concubine Yang died. It's a long time ago and the materials are indirect, so their respective statements are confusing and cannot be compared with the actual recorded inscriptions of Xu Zizhen's personal experience at that time. Even "Song of Everlasting Regret" written by Bai Juyi fifty years after Yang Guifei's death, and "Biography of Song of Everlasting Regret" written by Chen Hong, did not clearly confirm Yang Guifei's birthplace. "Song of Everlasting Regret" only says that "the Yang family has a daughter who has just grown up", but it does not talk about where this Yang family daughter came from, who her biological father is, and where her family is. Therefore, we cannot conclude that the imperial concubine is Yang Xuanyan's biological daughter. "The Song of Everlasting Regret" only says that "the daughter of Hongnong Yang Xuanyan lived in Shou's residence" (6). In fact, Hongnong (now Lingbao County, Henan) was a county in the Tang Dynasty. It was the lordship of Yang Xuanyan when he was granted the title of Duke of Hongnong County. It was not his hometown. It is wrong to use this as the birthplace of Concubine Yang. 2. Later records say that Concubine Yang was from Rong County, not just Xu Zizhen’s family. From the Tang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, many scholars wrote about it, and many historical books recorded it in detail. Since the inscriptions of Xu Zizhen were recorded as historical documents in the Yuan history book "Yuan Yitong Zhi", the Ming encyclopedia "Yongle Dadian", and the history book "Daming Yitong Zhi", in the Ming Dynasty, there were also Cao Xuequan's "Guangxi Scenic Spots", Wei Jun's "Lingnan Chronicles" and Kuang Lu's "Chi Ya" and other books and records, they all have the right to speak after investigation. Zeng Xuequan said: "Yangshan is in Xiyun Lingli of the county (Rong County), and Concubine Yang Guifei of the Tang Dynasty was born here." (8) Kuang Lu also went to Rong County from his hometown of Guangdong to investigate, and visited the birthplace of Concubine Yang Visited Yangfei Well and tasted the water from the well. In the Qing Dynasty, there were many relevant records, and the most authoritative one was the large-scale series "Ancient and Modern Books Collection" compiled by Emperor Kangxi during his reign. The book clearly affirms: "The imperial concubine's surname is Yang, she is from Yunlingli, Rongzhou, and her nickname is Yuhuan." (9) At the same time, Wang Sen, a famous scholar in Zhejiang and former judge of Guilin, quoted in "Western Guangdong Cong Zai" The "Wuzhou Prefecture Chronicles" also confirmed that Concubine Yang was "from Yunlingli in Rongzhou." (10) In order to compile the "Tong Zai of Western Guangdong" (including Zai of Western Guangdong, Zai of Western Guangdong Poems, and Zai of Western Guangdong, Also known as Three Years), he spent many years searching for cultural and historical materials in Guangxi, Zhejiang and other places, immersed himself in research, and finally succeeded. He is recognized as an expert on Guangxi issues and is known as "Guangxi Master". During the Jiaqing period, scholars Dong Hao and others even included "Inscriptions on the Stele of Concubine Yang in Puning County, Rongzhou" into the influential "Quan Tangwen". (11) Before deciding to include it, Dong Hao had several interviews with Zhou Yaochang, a scribe from Rong County who lived in Beijing, and only included it after obtaining confirmation. Regarding this, Zhou Yaochang said in his "Yufeng Manbi": "A noble concubine is also a woman. Her good words and deeds are not recorded in books, but for future generations to pay such attention, is it sad to see what happened?" In addition, out of Guangxi's local chronicles, such as "Guangxi General Chronicles" and "Wuzhou Prefecture Chronicles" and "Rong County Chronicles" written by Wenyuange Sikuquanshu, etc., record that Yang Guifei was from Rongxian County, and there are even more records. It is rare for a controversial female figure in history to be recorded in so many important historical books and reviewed by authoritative scholars throughout the ages, and it is by no means an accident. Even if some of them were influenced by Xu Zizhen's inscriptions, if the inscriptions are unreliable, authoritative scholars will never blindly follow them. 3. Historical chants Not only that, there are many poets and poets in the past dynasties who confirmed in their chants that Concubine Yang was born in Rong County. Xu Fen, a poet of the Ming Dynasty, wrote well in the seven lines of "Wuzhou Nostalgia": "The fragrant grass comes from the end of the world, and the wine is held high to gaze at the sunset. The concubine's house in Yuhuan is cold in the clouds, and the beautiful family in the golden valley is left in spring. The lonely cinnabar is sent to Yao Island, and the mottled bamboos are sparse. Cuihua. Only the moon rises above Cangwu City, and the clear shadow shines on the crows every year." (12) The couplet in the poem not only describes Concubine Yang who was born by the Beiliu River (Xiujiang), but also refers to the woman who was born in the south. Liang Luzhu by the river. Two of my country's four great beauties were born within the jurisdiction of Wuzhou Prefecture in Guangxi. According to "Guangyu Ji": At that time, Wuzhou Prefecture had jurisdiction over ten counties including Cangwu, Rongxian, Yulin, and Bobai. (13) From this, we can see the high degree of artistic generalization and profound connotation of this poem.

Peng Qing, a Zhejiang poet who was a Jinshi in the Ming Dynasty, wrote "Poems on Eight Scenes in Rong County" when he was appointed magistrate of Rong County in the 16th year of Yongle. Wang Sen's "Poetry Collection of Western Guangdong" collected four poems, among which "Yun Ling Mottled Bamboo" 》 chants the relics of folklore in Yang Fei’s hometown. The poem goes: "The clouds are like bamboos, how can they be spotted? The clouds are the tears of the jade ring when I was young, swaying and embellishing it into beautiful colors. For more than a thousand years, it is like self-deprecation and moxibustion in the world. How can the beauty of the sky be reversed? Parents are born without protecting themselves! The general will be sure. The ruins of the Yang family are unclear. To this day, at the foot of Yangshan Mountain, the trees are green and the phoenixes are still shining. The poet laments that Concubine Yang was sold at a young age: "She was born with beauty." What's wrong? Parents can't protect themselves when they are born!" But he also pointed out that it is nonsense to say that Zhu was stained by Yang Fei's tears: "It is impossible to tell the remains of the Yang family." The poet is absolutely correct, " "Yunling Bamboo" is undoubtedly out of attachment, but it also shows that Concubine Yang was indeed born in Rong County. Because if there were no "naturally beautiful" people in the Yang family and no "parents who were born without protecting themselves", there would not be the legend of "Yun Ling Bamboo". All legends that are attached must first be attached, and then they can be combined into words. The people of Rong County probably wouldn't have made up this legend if it weren't for their feelings for Concubine Yang, a local. Xie Jin, the editor-in-chief of "Yongle Dadian", also wrote a poem to confirm that Concubine Yang was born in Rong County. He wrote in "A Visit to Ancient Times in Goulu": "Beiliu County is in ancient Tongzhou, and there are jade towers in the mountains. Whoever went to Goulu for Dansha is said to be full of green bamboos in Luofu. Yang Fei's Well collapsed in ancient times, and Geling Temple (It should be Ge Ling Temple) The grass and trees are in autumn, but I remember that the mountains in my hometown are better, and I return to the boat in brocade robes." (15) Xie Jin was demoted and came to Rongzhou Beiliu. He saw it when he passed through Rongzhou. The Imperial Concubine's Well has been abandoned, hence this chant. This poem is still engraved in Goulong, Beiliu County. This well refers to the well in Yang Guifei's hometown. It is located under the pile of stones at the corner of Rao's house in Yangpi Village, Rong County. There are yellow-skinned fruit trees nearby, not far from the village road by the stream. Later, because the Feng Shui master said that the well was unfavorable, the villagers often quarreled. He also falsely said that drinking the water from the well would cause trouble and create beautiful women, so the villagers blocked the mouth of the well with a large stone slab. The most clear expression of Yang Guifei's place of origin in poetry is "Yang Fei Jingge" written by Shang Pan, a Zhejiang poet in the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty. The poem says: "The dust rises from the drums of Fan Yang, and the rain wets the pear blossoms to bury the concubine. The Yang family used to have pearls in their hands, and they grew up in Puning, Rongzhou. Qi Wan passed away and experienced disasters, but travelers still visited the Yang family. All the beauties in the area were banned in the palace, and they were passed down from generation to generation. Trace Jijinghua... In the smoky clouds of this well, the ancient waves are motionless and shrimps and toads are lurking. If you don't see it, the daughter of the Liang family will fall down and bury her in the golden valley. The luxuriant vines and grass are full of love. "(16) This ancient poem also compares Yang Guifei with Lvzhu, which shows that ancient poets were very interested in these two ancient beauties of our country who were born in Liuerjiang in the north and south, and deeply sympathized with their misfortunes. In addition, there are many inscriptions and poems written by predecessors on Concubine Yang in Congrong County, which cannot be listed here. 4. Evidence from historical sites In Rong County, the hometown of Concubine Yang, there are not only many poetic records, but also historical sites that can be verified. In addition to the above-mentioned Yangfeijing and Yunling Bamboo, there are also dressing tables, Yangfeishan and Yangfei Temple. The dressing table is located near the Jinglue Hezhenwu Pavilion, a relic of the Tang Dynasty outside the east gate of Rong County. According to legend, it was the residence of the official summer of Rongzhou in ancient times. After Yang Guifei was bought and adopted by Yang Kang and Yang Xuanyan, she lived there for a while. Later generations named it the dressing table. Unfortunately, due to the passage of time and natural and man-made disasters, the buildings have long since disappeared, but the foundations are still identifiable and people's inscriptions are still there. Wang Weixin, a poet of Rong County in the Qing Dynasty, sang: "The spring breeze in the inner palace sweeps across the eyebrows, and the names and historical sites are different. The pavilions and pavilions on the Xiujiang River are clearly there, and the hibiscus in the mirror box is doubtful. There is no brocade sill in the Mimi Hot Spring, and there is a deserted temple with rustling mottled bamboos." The scholar remembers the past as if he had seen it with his own eyes, and worries about the time when he first received the favor." (17) The second, third, and fourth sentences of the poem are based on the divergence of Yang Fei's birthplace. It is said that because Concubine Yang was nominally the daughter of Yang Xuanyan (Chang Shi), there were different opinions about her whereabouts (pointing to her birthplace). Her relics are clearly placed next to Xiujiang, which actually makes her life and deeds a mystery. The second half of the poem also cites two ancient monuments, Mozhu and Yangfei Temple, as evidence, saying that he, a native (scholar), "sees ancient times as if he had seen them in person", and his cordial feelings are vividly reflected on the page. Zhao Dexiang, a poet of Jiangxi Province in the Qing Dynasty, also made it very clear in the first couplet of the poem "Yang Fei's Dressing House in Rong County": "The peaks attract tourists to visit, and Yang Fei's beauty grows in this country." (18) Yang Fei Mountain is in Jinniuling near Yangpi Village is also known as Lion Rock. This is the location of the tomb mentioned by Yang Guifei's father in the inscription. The ancestors of Concubine Yang are buried above it. Their tomb is called "Queen Mother Pointing Soldiers" and its name is very unique. It can be seen from this that there is no doubt that Concubine Yang's ancestral home is Rong County. The Yangfei Temple is located in the poplar bark tree and has been preserved for the longest time.

The temple, also called the Empress Temple, is quite large in scale. In addition to the main hall, there are also auxiliary buildings, and there is also the garden of Yang Fei Temple in front of the mountain and behind the mountain. On the left and right sides of the temple, there are many inscriptions and inscriptions by literati from past dynasties. In the middle of one of them is a famous line from Li Bai's "Qingping Diao": "Clouds think of clothes, flowers think of faces..." Next to it is a couplet with an extremely vulgar artistic conception and a mouth-watering couplet. : "Mo Dao Kong Mountain is surrounded by silence, and you can still smell the fragrance of ancient wells, rocks and springs." There is also a silver plate in the temple with the dates of birth and death of Concubine Yang engraved on it. In addition, there are several stone tablets from different eras preserved in the temple. However, due to improper storage, many of the inscriptions on the tablets have peeled off, which is a pity. Undoubtedly, these monuments naturally become evidence that Yang Guifei was born in Rong County. In 1950, when the author was working at the Rong County Prefectural Committee, I heard comrades who went to the countryside to work in Yangpi Village come back and talk about the situation of Yangfei Temple. It's a pity that it was a catastrophe, and now I heard that there is nothing left! The four great beauties in our country’s history all have famous places of interest associated with their birthplaces. For example, Xishi’s hometown Zhejiang County has Huansha Stone, Huansha Pavilion and Xishi Valley; Wang Zhaojun’s Hubei Xingshan County has Zhaojun Village, Zhaojun Well, Wangyue Tower, Feitai Mountain and Dressing Table; Luzhu’s Bobai County in Guangxi has Green Zhujing, Green Pearl Temple and Green Pearl River; and Yang Guifei’s hometown Rong County also has Guifei Well, Yangfei Mountain, Guifei Temple, Dressing Table and Yunling Bamboo, etc. Like Wang Zhaojun, Yang Guifei has the most places of interest related to her. These are all landscapes created for people, monuments passed down because of people, and evidence that has been recognized by the people for thousands of years. "The stone left in the Xiziyuan, the noble concubine was born in the village. The red tears in the fragrant spring once illuminated the soul of Mawei." (19) The five unique features of Zhou Zhixun, a Hunan poet in the Qing Dynasty, somewhat express the evidentiary value of this historic site. In this regard, Meng Qiu, a poetry critic from Guangxi in the early years of the Republic of China, also made a positive argument in "Guihai Baiyi Poetry Talk". After listing the monuments that Luzhu, Wang Zhaojun, Xishi and Xue Tao each had their names on in their hometowns, he went on to say: "Rong County has Yangshan and Yangfei Wells, which are named after the places where the beauties came from." (20) ) 5. Concubine Yang Guifei in her hometown is very fond of lychees. Originally, people who like to eat lychees are not necessarily the natives of Lingnan where lychees are produced. Su Dongpo and Bai Juyi both praised lychee, but they were not from Lingnan. However, because Sichuan also produces lychees (of rather poor quality), some people use this to prove that the lychee-loving Concubine Yang is from Sichuan, so I will talk about it here. Moreover, from the poems and articles of the predecessors, we can also get a glimpse of the clues that Concubine Yang was born in Rong County. Lychee is a subtropical specialty, most famous in Guangdong, Guangxi, and Fujian. Among them, the varieties such as hanging green and black leaves produced in Zengcheng near Guangzhou are particularly valuable. They were tributes designated by the imperial court in the Han and Jin dynasties. During the Five Dynasties, Liang Song, the number one scholar in the Southern Han Dynasty, wrote "Poetry on Lychee in the Palace Examination", which explains the relationship between Concubine Yang and Lingnan lychee. The poem says: "The wet rouge makes the eyes bright, and it is difficult to paint a picture wrapped in a thousand red robes. A beautiful woman is the best in the dish, and God's will favors the students outside the mountains. Tangerines and pomeloes are far away to be honored as tributes, and salt plums should be combined with wine and soup." If there is cultivated land in Kinmen, it must occupy the first place in the world." (21) Liang Song is from Pingnan County, adjacent to Yang Guifei's hometown. Yang Guifei's hometown, Rong County, is also where lychees are produced. About three kilometers away from the current bus station in the west of the county, there is a village called Lizhigen, which is a famous place for producing lychees in ancient times. After Yang Guifei entered the palace, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty ordered lychees to be imported into Guangdong in order to please this beloved concubine. During the lychee season every year, they would travel day and night via post roads, changing people and horses at each stop, to deliver lychees from Guangdong to Chang'an Palace. Regarding this matter, the historian Sima Guang's famous work "Zi Zhi Tong Jian" wrote the most conclusive statement: "Yang Guifei is favored, and every time she rides a horse, Gao Lishi holds the bridle and gives the whip (Gao Lishi, a native of Gaozhou, Guangdong, whose home is far away from Rong County) Recently)...Chinese and foreign countries competed for gifts of utensils, clothes and treasures...The concubine wanted to get lychees, so she sent them to Lingnan Station at the end of her life. (22) However, many people have always doubted whether this is true. . Because once a lychee is picked, “the color will change in one day, the fragrance will change in the second day, and the color, fragrance, and taste will be gone in three days!” "(Bai Juyi's "Preface to the Lychee Atlas") No matter how fast the post horse is, no matter how hard it travels day and night, it will never be possible to transport the picked lychees from Guangdong to Chang'an within three days. However, the ancients had their own methods, and the Forbidden City publication " "The Forbidden City" has archival information on this. The method is very simple: cut off large branches of ripe lychees, hold them in containers with water, and keep them like flower arrangements, and then sprinkle water on the leaves from time to time to dissipate heat during shipment. Of course, a lot of it will be spoiled on the road, but some of it can be transported fresh. At that time, Zhang Jiuzhang, the younger brother of Zhang Jiuling, the prime minister of Tang Xuanzong, who was from Qujiang, Guangdong, served as the Lingnan economic envoy. He planned the transportation. He was awarded a third rank due to his merits and was promoted to Doctor Guanglu.

Even the music history of the Song Dynasty, which believed that "the concubine was born in Shu", in "The Biography of Concubine Yang" mentioned many times that lychees were sent from Guangzhou in the south. It is said that Concubine Yang "tasted lychees, and the lychees from the South China Sea were better than those from Shu, so she traveled to the post every year." (23) When Concubine Yang hanged to death, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty also asked Gao Lishi to use lychees sent from Lingnan as a memorial. It can be seen how deep the relationship between Yang Guifei and Lingnan Litchi is! However, Su Dongpo said that it was sent from Fujiang. In his poem "Lychee Sigh", he said: "Lychees from Yongyuan came to Jiaozhou, and Tianbao's annual tribute came from Fu." (24) I don't know what the basis is? "Stories of Tang Poems" once said: Lychees produced in the Tang Dynasty were "mostly early-maturing varieties produced in Sichuan, with the worst quality, thin and sour flesh, and even the best ones were only equivalent to inferior Fujian varieties." (25) Since Yang The imperial concubine loves to eat "delicious fruit lychees", and Lingnan lychees have always been a tribute. There is no reason to send the "worst quality" sour lychees from Fuzhou. As early as the Tang Dynasty, a famous poet named Zheng Gu from Jiangxi gave a clear explanation. He wrote in the poem "Lychee": "Whoever fell in love in the past met a noble concubine in Lishan Mountain. I wasted my time teaching students far away, and I was worried when I saw that the pickings were rare. At night, I took away the red glow, and the clear sky deceived the power of the miasma. Why did I fall in love with the southern wilderness, for "You will forget to return." (26) The words "born far away", "miasma of the sun", "southern wilderness", "forgetting to return", etc. in the poem are undoubtedly portrayals of the imperial concubine and Li Zhi being born together in Lingnan. . Fan Chengda, one of the four great poets of the Southern Song Dynasty and a former envoy to comfort Guangxi's economic strategy, said in "Yu Hengzhi of Guihai": "Miasia is not found in Guangxi and Guangxi. Since it goes south, it is a miasma town!" ( 27) This shows that only lychees from Guangdong and Guangxi can "defeat the power of the sun and the miasma". Ruan Yuan, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, was a well-known academic authority in Jiangsu. He once made a not-so-indecent mockery of Su Dongpo. He wrote in two poems of "Eight Lychee Poems from Lingnan": "Books from Outside the Lingnan Biography of Tang Boyou" , Windy branches dew leaves in the autumn of Han Palace. What happened during the Tianbao period and wanted to replace Fuzhou with Guangzhou?" (28) If Su Dongpo was still here, I really don't know what to say. Ruan Yuan went on to write: "The fragrance of lychees was first composed in the new song, and it was not only Concubine Yang who tasted it with a smile. It should be Gao Lishi in front of the palace, who most misses his hometown." This not only clearly affirms that Lingnan lychees are tribute, but also clearly explains Yang Guifei and Gao Lishi, two people from Guangdong and Guangxi, have a close relationship on the Gongli issue. What a "most general misses his hometown"! Not only Gao Lishi, but also Yang Guifei missed tasting the flavor of her hometown - lychee from Guangdong and Guangxi. Su Dongpo's greatest misfortune in the second half of his life was that he was demoted to Huizhou in Guangdong, Danxian in Hainan Island, and Hepu in Guangxi. But in his misfortune, he tasted the world-famous Lingnan good fruit lychee. After devouring it, he said: "If you eat three hundred lychees a day, you will grow up to be a Lingnan native." Since the lychees from Fuzhou are worthy of tribute, why not " "Be classified as a native of Fuzhou"? "The most important thing is the flavor of hometown." The fact that Concubine Yang was a native of Rong County was confirmed by predecessors. 6. Amanhe refers to Concubine Yang who has many names. She was called Yuniang when she was a child; when she grew up, she was named Yuhuan; when she entered the palace to practice Taoism, she was named Taizhen. But in the palace, she was called Yunu and Aman. The poet Zheng Yu of the Tang Dynasty said in his long poem "Jinyang Gate": "Sanlang playing the purple flute plays the smoke in the moon, complaining like a crane calling to restrain the female; the jade slave playing the pipa and the dragon girl playing the pipa, listening to songs and making tears sound sad." (29) This Sanlang refers to Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, and the Jade Slave is Concubine Yang. Slave was originally a humble term for a woman, but in the court at that time, it had the meaning of a term of endearment. This Yunu is the nickname of Yuniang. As for calling her Aman, it further proves that Concubine Yang is from Guangxi. Guangdong and Guangxi were called the land of barbarians in ancient times. Zhao Tuo, King of Nanyue in the Western Han Dynasty, occupied Guangdong and Guangxi. He wrote to Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty and called himself "the chief barbarian". Di Guichang, Zuocheng, the Minister of Guanghua in the Tang Dynasty, said in the poem "Inscribed on Mawei Station": "Mawei is surrounded by smoke and willows, and I am glad to see Luan Yu return to Shu. The man under the spring should have said something, and this time I will not blame Concubine Yang. !” (30) clearly refers to Concubine Yang as Aman. At that time, in addition to Concubine Yang Guifei, there was also a maid named Xie Aman in the Tang Ming Palace. Because she is from Xinfeng County, Guangdong, she is also called Aman. In order to please these two Ahman, Emperor Ming of Tang Dynasty jokingly called himself Ahman in the palace to express the intimacy of the homophonic name. Kuang Zhouyi of Lingui, a great Chinese poet in the late Qing Dynasty, also made a clear argument on this issue in his book "Huifengzhen Erbi". After quoting the above-mentioned poem by Di Guichang contained in "Helin Yulu", he affirmed: "Yuhuan's name is Aman, which can be said to be a proof of Cantonese origin. The people from the north generally call the southern province Man." (31) Then Kuang Zhouyi He also quoted the inscription of Xu Zizhen contained in the "Yongle Dadian", and finally concluded: "Xu Zizhen and the concubine recorded it at the same time. From what I heard, there must be no mistake, and there is no doubt that the concubine is from Guangdong!" (32) People Calling Concubine Yang Aman is obviously because she comes from the south. The so-called "Eastern Yi, Xirong, Southern Barbarians, and Beidi" are.

There is an explanation in Fan Ye's "Nanman Zhi" of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, several poets wrote poems about the southern barbarians in Guangxi, such as "Crossing the Man Cave" by Song Zhiwen, "Song of the Barbarian" by Liu Yuxi, and "The Barbarian Family" by Xiang Si, etc. Of course, this is an insulting name for ethnic minorities and remote border people by Han nationalism, but it is different when people call Concubine Yang Aman, because she was once favored by Emperor Ming of the Tang Dynasty, and the name Aman first came from the palace. The nickname was open to others, so the insult became a term of endearment. 7. Debate and refute Judging from the many materials listed above, there is sufficient factual basis for saying that Concubine Yang was born in Rongxian County, Guangxi. However, the compilers of the "Rongxian Chronicle" in the 23rd year of Guangxu, headed by Yi Shaohui, Wang Yongzhen and others, while recording Xu Zizhen's inscription, also added a note at the end of the appendix to the story that Concubine Yang was born in Rongxian County: "It is absurd. It seems that it is not enough to make a deep understanding." He also said that "the inscriptions and chants have been circulated and gradually become true; the construction of temples and ancestral halls has caused great confusion." (33) This is the inscription of Xu Zizhen in the Tang Dynasty and found in various classics in the Yuan Dynasty. Concubine Yang was born in Rong County. After the fact was recognized by people, it took more than 550 years for it to be denounced as absurd for the first time. However, the critics could not cite any absurdity, and only vaguely said, "It seems not enough to make a deep distinction." They did not dare to encounter Xu Zizhen's "Inscriptions of Concubine Yang in Puning County, Rongzhou", nor did they dare to touch upon the historical chapters and classics of the past dynasties. record. He just clung to "The Biography of Concubine Yang" and said, "The concubine was born in Shu", and plausibly believed that Le Shi, the author of "The Biography of Concubine Yang", was a "Tang historian". In this regard, Liu Jingshan (also known as Jingshan and Gengshan), a Qingju candidate in Rongxian County, once commented: "The people (referring to the above-mentioned commentators) have no knowledge except Tiekuo (the eight-legged formula for the imperial examination). Yu Peng ( The poems of Qing Dynasty (Qing Dynasty) and Wang Weixin (Weixin) are incomprehensible!" (34) This means that the person who wrote the above note is very illiterate and did not even understand Peng Qing's "Yun Ling Bamboo" and Wang Weixin's "Dressing Table". , thinking that Peng and Wang also believed that the theory that Concubine Yang was born in Rong County was absurd and suspicious, so they made arguments such as "its absurdity seems to be insufficient for deep understanding" and "it is very confusing". Liu Jingshan was of the same generation as the people who compiled "Rong County Chronicles" and was relatively young. He was familiar with them and the circumstances of their compilation. His words are sufficient to explain the origin of the above note. There are two lines in Peng Qing's poem: "The relics will be told about the Yang family, but the facts are hazy and cannot be verified." The county chronicle writers thought it was nonsense to say that Concubine Yang was born in Rong County. They ignored the fact that the title of the poem was "Yun Ling Bamboo." ”, the “relics” in the sentence refers to this. The "matter" in the sentence refers to the legend that Concubine Yang shed tears on the bamboos. I didn't understand this, so I had a completely different understanding of the poem. In fact, the two sentences at the beginning of Peng's poem "How can natural beauty be reversed? Parents can't protect themselves when they are born." According to the Xu Zizhen monument, Yang Fei was betrayed when she was young, and it was determined that Yang Fei was born in the local Yang family. They ignored it. There is a line in Wang Weixin's poem "The lotus in the mirror box is full of doubts". They thought it was Wang Weixin who also doubted that Concubine Yang was born in Rong County and whether there was something wrong with her dressing up here. In fact, on the contrary, Wang Shi denounced the myth that Concubine Yang was born outside Rong County. The second sentence of the poem, "The differences in names and historical records" clearly indicate that these differences were caused by Concubine Yang's relationship with Yang Xuanyan, her adoptive father. Then the two sentences "The pavilions and pavilions in Xiujiang are clearly there, and the lotus in the mirror box is doubtful" refuted the divergence: "The remains of Concubine Yang are clearly placed next to Xiujiang, and it is doubtful whether she lived and dressed here. "Peng's and Wang's poems are not difficult to understand. If they are really "incomprehensible" as Liu Jingshan said, then one can imagine his knowledge. The most ridiculous thing is that the author of "Rong County Chronicles" actually described Le Shi, the author of "Yang Taizhen's Biography", as a "Tang Historian"! People with a little knowledge of literature and history would not make such a joke. Yue Shi, named Zizheng, was born in Yihuang, Jiangxi Province. He was the author of Zuo Lang during the Taizong Dynasty of Song Dynasty. He later learned about Lingzhou and was called to compile and compile it in the third library. He is a writer and has written more than four hundred books. Very famous. The author of "Rong County Chronicles" was confused about this. Liu Jingshan said that they "have no knowledge except Tie Kuo", which is not an exaggeration. It should also be pointed out that "The Biography of Yang Taizhen" is not a history book. It is a novel and a part of "Gu's Study Novel". It cannot be regarded as official history. If it is a history, it can only be an unofficial history. Let me ask: How can a novel with fictional elements be used as the basis for the birthplace of important historical figures? The inferences drawn from this are of course untenable. As an editor of a county chronicle, how could he rashly deny the inscriptions of witnesses of the Tang Dynasty, and then implicate Song people as Tang people and regard them as authoritative witnesses? These editors also used Su Dongpo's poem "Gift to Sister Yang, a Sichuan Prostitute": "You must believe in the beauties of the Yang family, Luochuan has its own pool for falling concubines" (35) as the basis for "the concubine was born in Shu". This Luochuan is Daojiang, which is now Guan County. It is said that there is a "Luofei Pond" there.

Even if the rumor is true and it is the place where Concubine Yang fell, it only means that Concubine Yang once lived in Sichuan with Yang Yuanyan, but it does not prove that Concubine Yang was born in Sichuan. Su Dongpo's poem was just an impromptu gift to the Sichuan prostitute Yang Jie, which shows the degree of joking in it. Taking this as an anecdote seems imprecise and difficult to believe. Except for Su Dongpo, there are not many people who have chanted this incident. Even if it is a basis! This is the only one with no other evidence. Compared with the dazzling array of poems and numerous historical sites and historical sites in Rongxian County, where Concubine Yang was born, it is far behind! Looking through various popular dictionary books, such as "Dictionary of Chinese Historical Celebrities", "Dictionary of Chinese Names", "Cihai", "Ciyuan" and "Chinese Dictionary", etc., there is no record that "the concubine was born in Shu". "of. These lexicon books would rather follow the views of the old and new Tang books, which have their own interpretations, rather than adopt the view of the Song Dynasty music history that "the concubine was born in Shu". Because it is based on the novel "The Biography of Yang Taizhen", and neither the novel nor the unofficial history can be regarded as official history. Concubine Yang is not Yang Xuanyan's biological daughter, but just an adopted daughter. It is another problem for an adopted daughter to belong to her adoptive father. But why did Yang Xuanyan keep silent about his adopted daughter? Obviously, it is because Yang Guifei was born smart, beautiful and beautiful. She was both "fluent in Mencius" and "smart in nature, well versed in music and rhythm, and Ming Dynasty." She was a rare commodity that could be exchanged for high-ranking officials and generous salaries. priceless treasure. Because once an adopted daughter is favored by the royal family, she will be honored by her father, and the whole family will enjoy endless blessings. The development of history fully confirms this. Therefore, Yang Xuanyan brought his adopted daughter Yang Guifei back to Chang'an, and she became the daughter of the Yang family, identical with Yang Xuanyan's two biological daughters. This not only deceived the royal nobles, but also deceived some historians and historians after the Tang Dynasty. The author of novels and the compiler of some local chronicles. But this matter was hidden from others, but not Yang Guifei, because she was more than three years old when she was sold. After the sale, she lived in the Rongzhou government office for a period of time, and was not taken to Chang'an until she was several years old. After entering the palace, she gained Xuanzong's favor. It is conceivable that she would always say these things from her heart. Xuanzong called her "Aman" in the palace, which also showed that he knew the origin of Concubine Yang.