Chen Yuanyuan

Author: Gao Zhichen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-04-01
Features: When it comes to Chen Yuanyuan, almost everyone knows she was a legendary figure during the late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty. In the history of the transition between the Ming and Qing dynasties, she was involved with Li Zicheng, the leader of the Ming forces, and Wu Sangui, the Ming general and commander of Shanhai Pass. Later, after she was captured by Li Zicheng (or said to be Liu Zongmin), Wu Sangui "flew into a rage for the sake of beauty" and invited the Qing army into the capital, abruptly changing the course of history. Such a courtesan frequently appears in historical records and folk tales. Taking Cai Dongfan's Romance of the Qing Dynasty as an example, the book states that Chen Yuanyuan's given name was Yuan, and she was skilled in poetry, painting, and playing the lute. Due to chaos, she fell into hardship and became a courtesan. Tian Wan, the daughter of Tian Wen (the favored concubine of the Ming Chongzhen Emperor), heard of her fame and used her influence to purchase her for a thousand gold pieces, renaming her Yuanyuan. At a banquet in Tian's mansion, Wu Sangui fell deeply in love with her at first sight and forcibly married her, a courtesan who would change the course of Chinese history. Her beauty surpassed Xi Shi, her cunning exceeded that of Empress Lü, and her methods were even more formidable than those of Emperor Wu. Whether it was her mastery of the unique allure of the mortal world that made countless great men bow to her gentle embrace—was it her plump, sensual lips, her alluring and graceful body, her smooth and flawless skin, or her undulating and multifaceted ways that allowed her to toy with the world's grand landscapes and stir the fragile emotions within the hearts of men?