When constructing a narrative about Yang Guifei I used a combination of secondary sources and primary sources, both in the form of literature from the Tang dynasty and more modern representations of Yang Guifei in popular culture, like operas, television shows and films. The sources used to craft narratives on Yang Guifei often lead back to the Old and New Standard histories of the Tang (Levy 453). The Old Standard history relies heavily on the shih-lu (true records). The shih-lu were constructed by court officials after the death of an emperor. Although these seem like they could be a helpful source, it is important to keep in mind that they are known to gloss over incidents that cast the emperor in a negative light. For example, The Old Standard History omits the fact that Xuanzong brought Yang Guifei into the palace when she was still married to his son, because that was considered to be a shameful act (Levy 453). However, the The New Standard History used more materials to craft the history and includes the story of Xuanzong bringing Yang Guifei into the palace (Levy 454).
Another source that is often used is Yang T’ai-Chen wai-chuan (“Unofficial Biography of Yang T’ai-chen”), which was composed in the early Sung dynasty by Yao Shih, a high official. The source has been criticized for having been written “extensively but not to the point” (Levy 454). However, through his detailed descriptions Yao Shih does do an excellent job of capturing the atmosphere of the Tang court (Levy 455). It also receives criticism for being occasionally, chronologically inaccurate and not reliable factually because Yao Shih liked to focus on the supernatural, but failed to distinguish between fact and fiction (Levy 455). For example, the “Unofficial Biography of Yang T’ai-Chen” mentions a story about a Daoist priest in the palace trying to contact Yang Guifei with Xuanzong after her death. This story has never been confirmed true, but it is likely that Yao Shih received this information from the “Song of Lasting Regret” by Bai Juyi (Levy 455-6). Yao’s potential use of the poem is an example of how we must be wary of the use of art as a source. Since the poem is meant to convey a message about love and tragedy it mixes history and fiction in a way that is not totally accurate.
The video above is a modern recreation of "The Song of Lasting Regret". The fact that a modern Youtuber took the time to produce their own version of the song shows how the song is still relevant. It also demonstrates the need to be careful of believing every source, because of the continued prominence of the source.
Like the song, there are many other sources that it is important to be careful about when reading. For example, many modern sources are are in the forms of both Chinese and Western plays, for which we once again must consider what aspects are fictitious embellishments designed to fit the story and captivate the audience (Levy 458-9). Additionally, we must be careful of other sources written using the the Old standard history of the Tang and the shih-lu like the “Record of the An Lushan Affair” and Sima Kiang’s “Comprehensive Mirror of Governing (Levy 456-7). Finally, we must also be careful to consider how dramatic the sources are when crediting one woman with being capable of causing a rebellion through the influence of her sex-appeal alone.
Sources:
Levy, Howard S. "The Career of Yang Kuei-fei 楊妃貴." T'oung Pao, Second Series, 45, no. 4/5 (1957): 451-89. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4527464.
Levy gives a detailed account of the life of Yang Guifei. The article also outlines the sources from the Tang and Sung eras that are used today to build the narratives on her life and includes translations of her biographies in the Old and New Books of Tang. I used the article for the “Sources” section of the project, as it outlines and analyzes many of the primary sources used to produce narratives on Yang Guifei.
Video Source:
"A Song of Love (PuTongHua) 長恨歌 國語唱." Video file, 08:14. YouTube. Posted October 23, 2009. Accessed November 17, 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watchtime_continue=21&v=uFVoH0WAQc4