He spends his days playing his lute, composing music, and enjoying life's pleasures.

General An Lushan happens upon a serving girl Yuahan Kwei-Fei/Yang Guifei in the kitchen who he realizes is a great beauty who resembles the late empress.

After sending her for training at the same place the former empress had studied, Kwei-Fei finally meets the emperor who notices her resemblance to his late wife and asks her to leave.

He brushes off her concerns and reminds her that the punishment for imperial concubines interfering in matters of state is death.

Angry and hurt that she wishes to leave him, Xuanzong banishes Kwei-Fei to his harem with other out-of- favor concubines.

Meanwhile General Lushan, still angry that he was unable to procure a government post and disgusted at the corruption of Yang Guozhong, leads a revolution against the emperor.

When she hears of Lushan's plans, Kwei-Fei rushes to Emperor Xuanzong's side so they can face their fate together.

The Hong Kong co-producers, by then known under the name Shaw Brothers, remade the film in 1962 as The Magnificent Concubine.