Yang Yuhuan (Chinese: 楊玉環; 719[1] – 15 July 756[2]), often known as Yang Guifei (楊貴妃, with Guifei being the highest rank for imperial consorts during her time), and known briefly by the Taoist nun name Taizhen (太真),[3] was the beloved consort of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang during his later years.

The emperor capitulated and reluctantly ordered his attendant Gao Lishi to supervise her forced suicide.

On 10 Feb 736,[6] seventeen-year-old Yang Yuhuan married Li Mao, the Prince of Shou and the son of Emperor Xuanzong and Consort Wu.

After Consort Wu died in January 738, Emperor Xuanzong was greatly saddened by the death of his then-favorite concubine.

However, since Princess Yang was already the wife of his son, Emperor Xuanzong stealthily arranged her to become a Taoist nun, with the tonsured name Taizhen, in order to prevent criticism that would affect his plan of making her his concubine.

Yang then stayed, for a brief moment, as a Taoist nun in the palace itself, before Emperor Xuanzong made her an imperial consort after bestowing a new wife on his son Li Mao.

On 19 September 745,[7] after Emperor Xuanzong gave the third daughter of the general Wei Zhaoxun (韋昭訓) to Li Mao as his new wife and princess on 28 August,[8] he officially made Taizhen an imperial consort—with the newly restored rank of Guifei, which was greater than the previously highest rank of Huifei, carried by Consort Wu.

He bestowed posthumous honors on her father Yang Xuanyan and granted her mother the title of Lady of Liang.

Her three older sisters were conferred the ranks of Ladies of Han, Guo, and Qin, and it was said that whenever the noble women were summoned to imperial gatherings, even Emperor Xuanzong's highly honored sister Li Chiying (李持盈), the Princess Yuzhen, did not dare to take a seat more honorable than theirs.

Emperor Xuanzong also gave his favorite daughter, Princess Taihua (born of Consort Wu), to Yang Qi in marriage.

On An's birthday on 20 February, 751,[9] Emperor Xuanzong and Consort Yang rewarded him with clothing, treasures, and food.

In order to try to placate the populace, which believed that Yang Guozhong's conflict with An Lushan had provoked the rebellion, Emperor Xuanzong considered passing the throne to his crown prince, Li Heng.

With the situation becoming desperate, Yang Guozhong suggested fleeing to Chengdu, the capital of Jiannan Circuit.

On 14 July,[10] Emperor Xuanzong, along with Consort Yang, her family, and his immediate clan members, secretly left Chang'an, heading toward Chengdu.

On 15 July,[2] Emperor Xuanzong's cortege reached Mawei Courier Station (馬嵬驛; Mǎwéi Yì, in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi).

In this tense situation, soldiers of the imperial guard declared that Yang Guozhong was planning treason in collaboration with the Tibetan emissaries.

[12] He had Gao take Consort Yang to a Buddhist shrine and allow her a forced suicide, considered a more dignified death than execution.

[13] When Consort Yang's body was shown to Chen and the other imperial guard generals, the soldiers dispersed and prepared to continue the journey.

Consort Yang was buried at Mawei, without a coffin, but with masses of fragrance wrapped in purple blankets.

[14][15] When he returned to Chang'an, he had a painter create a picture of Consort Yang in a secondary palace, and often went there to view the portrait.

[21] However, some consider the description of Yang as an obese woman to be either a misinterpretation of ancient Chinese texts,[22] or a misapplication of modern standards on body size.

In the following generation, a long poem, "Chang Hen Ge" ("Song of Everlasting Sorrow"), was written by the poet Bai Juyi describing Emperor Xuanzong's love for her and perpetual grief at her loss.

In the novel Dream of the Red Chamber, the two ladies Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai besides the main character Jia Baoyu had the images of Xi Shi and Yang Guifei.