1. Illustrious birth was left in the middle of the family
Yang was born in a family of imperial relatives in the late Sui and early Tang dynasties, and her father Yang Da was a relative of Emperor Wen of Sui. During the Sui Dynasty, the Yang family can be said to be power-leaning towards the government and the opposition, and the family background is prominent. Yang Daguan worshiped Dr. Zuo Guanglu, an official position equivalent to the prime minister at that time, holding heavy power, which can be called a one-handed cover. It stands to reason that with such a prominent family as the Yang family, the Yang family should be the daughter of a rich family, and marriage is not a problem.
But fate is often unpredictable, and good times are short-lived. In 612 AD, Yang Da accompanied Emperor Yang of Sui on an expedition to Goguryeo, but unfortunately died of illness in the army. The Yang family lost its backer, and the family road plummeted. In ancient times, a woman in her thirties was already an older woman, not to mention a poor woman from a poor family. As a result, the Yang family gradually became a "leftover girl" who was difficult to find a good match in ancient times.
The poverty of the Yang family made the Yang family hungry, and they worked hard all day long, and their faces were eclipsed with the years. I thought that this former rich daughter would spend the rest of her life so lonely. Who knew that there were unforeseen circumstances in the sky, Tang Gaozong Li Yuan once ascended the throne by ควစ, remembered this cousin niece, and promised her to the warrior Yi as his wife.
At that time, the samurai were only a merchant with a humble status. Even though his family had a lot of savings, he was still looked down upon by the scholars in the social status differentiation at that time. But it was precisely by virtue of Wu Shiyi's old kindness that Li Yuan had given many times when Li Yuan was not allowed by the Tang court, that Li Yuan would marry Yang, a relative of the imperial family, to him. It's just that the Yang family was already in his old age at that time, and he was over forty years old.
2. Prepare for hardships to make a legendary life
Although Yang came from a prominent background, he also experienced hardships in life. Her groom, Samurai, came from a humble background and was originally a businessman. Although he was later awarded the title of Duke of Yingguo by virtue of his old kindness to Li Yuan, he was still regarded as a low-level pariah in the social hierarchy at that time. This made Yang, a relative of the imperial family, suffer a lot of shame when he married him.
In the married life of Wu Shiyan, Yang suffered even more. Samurai had a wife, the Ori clan, and the two had two sons. Although the Zori clan came from an ordinary background, he was very fond of the samurai. However, the samurai often disliked the lack of appearance of the Xiangli clan, and it was not until the Xiangli clan died of illness that he had plans to remarry.
After Yang entered the door, he was not completely favored by her husband, but was often treated coldly. However, Yang was indeed a teachable child, and in this environment, she was still diligent and conscientious, working hard to learn the way of service, and finally gave birth to three incense trees for the samurai in her forties. Among them was the later Emperor Wu Zetian.
After the death of Wu Shiyi, the family title belonged to the two brothers, Wu Yuanqing and Wu Yuanshuang. However, the two made things difficult for Yang and her three daughters in every way, not only treating them harshly in terms of food, clothing, housing and transportation, but even humiliating them from time to time. In the end, the Yang family could only take their three daughters away and take refuge in their parents' family.
At this time, the Yang family was already bleak, and for the livelihood of the three sisters, the Yang family had to arrange for the second daughter Wu Zetian to enter the palace as a talented person with a little kinship between himself and Concubine Yan De, the concubine of Tang Taizong. From this moment on, Yang's life destiny changed completely.
3. Take control of the palace and promote enlightened thinking
After Wu Zetian entered the palace, the Yang family was not satisfied with his daughter just being an attendant. She knows very well that in that patriarchal society, if women want to control power, they must break the shackles of old thinking. So Yang began to encourage Wu Zetian to abandon traditional female virtues, not to stick to chastity, but to boldly aspire to male privileges.
When Wu Zetian entered the palace, he was still young and didn't even know anything about the harem. Yang personally taught her how to seduce the emperor, and did everything possible to win favor in the harem. Sure enough, with Yang's teachings, Wu Zetian soon became the favorite concubine of Li Shimin, Taizong of the Tang Dynasty.
But Yang's education for his daughter is much more than that. She encouraged Wu Zetian to let go of his fetters and immerse himself in male sex as he pleased, and specially arranged for male pets to serve him around. What's even more astonishing is that in order to let Wu Zetian gain more power, the Yang family actually instigated her to seduce Prince Li Zhi, manipulate the feelings of the two fathers and sons, and then influence the government.
Not only that, but she also gave advice on the family life of her relatives and friends, encouraging her daughter-in-law and nephews to try something new and interesting, such as mother-daughter husbandry, sister incest, nephew and aunt entanglement, etc. Later generations could hardly have imagined that a seventy-year-old lady would have such deviant thoughts.
Yang's later years were even more unscrupulous, she privately captive many young and middle-aged men as male pets, only knowing pleasure all day long, completely abandoning the dignified and reserved as a noble lady, resulting in her originally prominent family background in the government and the opposition no one laughed at her. However, it was precisely because of Yang's open-minded thinking that Wu Zetian was able to break the shackles, rise all the way, and finally ascend the throne as emperor.
4. Bloodline karma is appalling
The unruly lifestyle of the Yang family and his family eventually attracted the curse of heaven. The first is her two sons-in-law, Wu Yuanqing and Wu Yuanshuang, who originally had a prominent family background and a noble status. But they indulged in lust and indulgence, and even committed incest and fornication with Yang and his three sisters. Finally, after Wu Zetian ascended the throne, he was degraded and severely punished, and lived a miserable end.
followed by Wu Zetian's brother-in-law, Han Gong, who was originally Wu Zetian's concubine and had a prominent status. But he was instigated by the Yang family, and he actually had an affair with Wu Zetian's daughter Li Zhi. When this scandal spread, Wu Zetian was furious, killed him and Li Zhi, and took away his title and family property.
The second is Wu Zetian's youngest sister, Wei Guo's wife He Lanmin, who was originally outstanding, gentle and virtuous, and was a good wife and mother admired by countless people at that time. But under the temptation of the Yang family, she also went astray and indulged in lustful dogs and horses. What's even more terrifying is that He Lanmin was bewitched by the Yang family, and had incest and indulgence with Wu Zetian's nephew, and finally even let go of his son Helan Chongmiao. When Wu Zetian found out, he was very angry and immediately returned Helan Min's eunuchs and Huafeng to the commoners.
In fact, Helan Min didn't end up like this, the key is that when she was young, she was desecrated by Yang's extravagant behavior. At that time, Helan Min was still a child, and she happened to witness the scene of Yang's private captivity of male pets, and since then she has been severely traumatized, causing her to fall here in the future.
Yang's debauchery in her later years made all her relatives and friends avoid her. When she kept male pets in captivity in the palace, she had already abandoned the last trace of shame, making her originally glorious family background laugh at her in the government and the opposition. Even Wu Zetian, the female emperor, was helpless about her mother's behavior, so she could only avoid her as much as possible.
5. There is no one before the Yang family
Overall, Yang's life is legendary. She pioneered the practice of a mother and daughter serving a husband together, which was undoubtedly a radical rebellion at the time. Not only did she practice it herself, but she also strongly encouraged her daughter, relatives and friends to try it, completely subverting the traditional concept of parenthood.
Under the influence of the Yang family, Wu Zetian not only seduced the father and son, but also wantonly accepted male favorites and became the first female emperor in history. It can be said that it was the Yang family who taught Wu Zetian to break the shackles and pursue male privileges, and Wu Zetian embarked on this road of no return.
The Yang family instigated Wu Zetian and other clan relatives to commit adultery and debauchery, which directly led to the fact that none of their relatives and friends were spared, and they were either killed or castrated. The two brothers Wu Yuanqing and Wu Yuanshuang were originally the heirs of the martial arts incense, but they were deposed because of this; Mrs. Han was killed for her adulterous affair with Li Zhi; Wei's wife, He Lanmin, was even demoted to a commoner by the eunuchs, and her son Helan Chongmiao also died with the family.
It can be said that Yang's behavior completely destroyed the foundation of the martial arts family, and made this family dignitary of the year collapse. Her practice of subverting paternalism and advocating incest and fornication undoubtedly opened the cage of society and lured wolves into the house. Under her direct influence, no one in the government and the opposition no longer lingered in the wine.
What is even more appalling is that Yang's behavior in his later years was unprecedented. A 70-year-old old lady actually has several young male favorites, indulges in debauchery day and night, and completely abandons the reserved and honest shame that a noble lady should have. This kind of behavior is rare and despicable in ancient and modern times, both in China and abroad. Even Wu Zetian, the female emperor, was helpless about her mother's actions, so she could only avoid her as much as possible.