The emperor comforted her at once and said, “Don’t be so sad. No one can separate us.”
Yang Yuhuan said, “If so, let’s pledge our love under the stars of Niu Lang and Zhi Nu, swearing to love each other forever.”
The emperor replied, “Right here, let us burn some incense and pledge our love together.”
Then, they burnt incense and pledged, “We, Li Longji and Yang Yuhuan, will marry each other generation after generation and never be separated!”
Li Longji and Yang Yuhuan were lost in the passion of their love. It seemed that nothing were more important to them. However, as emperor, Li Longji had already fallen into a severe crisis. During the time he had been reconciling with, and falling deeper in love with, Yang Yuhuan, An Lushan had launched a rebellion.
An Lushan was a cunning adversary. After he was appointed as the commander at Fanyang, he had placed several of his followers in the capital to gain intelligence about what was happening in the court. Therefore, he knew everything that was going on. Every year, An Lushan presented rare animals and treasures to the emperor in order to win back his favor. On the surface, he feigned an attitude of loyalty, but in secret, he prepared for rebellion.
An Lushan’s plot could not possibly be kept secret forever. Yang Guozhong reported An Lushan’s ambition to the emperor repeatedly, but the emperor didn’t believe him. He thought An Lushan would never rebel. Later, the princes and other court officials also advised him that An Lushan was just about to lead a revolt. Li Longji began to really worry this time. After all, An Lushan was a commander with large numbers of crack troops – in all more than a hundred thousand soldiers. If he really wanted to rebel, it would be a disaster. So the emperor sent people to Fan Yang to inquire about the situation. However, the official he sent there accepted a bribe from An Lushan. When he came back, he reported that An Lushan remained as loyal as ever to the court. Li Longji believed him.
Reassured Li Longji indulged himself in pleasure and neglected state affairs. The heyday of the Kai Yuan period had come to an end. As court politics atrophied, officials grew more corrupt, and complaints from civilians were heard everywhere in the country. An Lushan saw his chance and launched a rebellion in the name of sending a punitive expedition against Yang Guozhong.
Li Longji was ill-prepared for this, and An Lushan’s troops drove straight into the capital.
One day, as Li Longji and Yang Yuhuan were playing in the garden, Yang Guozhong rushed in and told Li Longji that the officers guarding Tong Guan had already been defeated and had surrendered to An Lushan’s troops which would enter Chang’an soon. He suggested the emperor flee to Sichuan for some days.
Guarded by his imperial guards, Li Longji and Yang Yuhuan evacuated Chang’an and hurriedly decamped to Sichuan. When they came to Maweipo near Xingping in Shaanxi, there was no food or water left. It was very hot and the soldiers were extremely hungry and tired. At that time, a political opponent of Yang Guozhong arranged for some soldiers to kill him, pointing out to him that the Yang family had ruined the country and left An Lushan with no choice but to rise in rebellion. The soldiers were convinced and they killed Yang Guozhong.
Yang Guozhong’s death astonished the emperor. Yang Yuhuan was terrified. However, the soldiers’ anger was not calmed. They surrounded the post house of the emperor, shouting that Yang Yuhuan be put to death – otherwise they could not guarantee the emperor’s safety.
The emperor didn’t know what to do. On the one hand, he was loath to kill his love; on the other hand, he was afraid of the rebels and shocked at their nerve. He said to the commander of the imperial guards, “It was right for Yang Guozhong to be executed because of his crimes. But Yang Yuhuan has been living inside the palace all the time and she has had nothing to do with the rebellion. She cannot be faulted.”
