YANG KWEI-FEI

(Synopsis)

This happened in the Tang dynasty. Yang Kwei Fei (Imperial Concubine Yang) is the favourite of Emperor Ming Huang.

Because of his sister Yang Kwei Fei, Yang Kuo-chung is made the prime minister by the Emperor. Yang Kuo-chung is cruel and selfish. He makes use of his position to enrich himself, with total disregard of the sufferings of the people.

One day Yang Kwei Fei receives a report that the Emperor is with Concubine Mei. In a jealous rage she rushes into the Emperor's private chamber and slaps Concubine Mei. The indignant Emperor orders her banished from the court.

Yang Kuo-chung hearing this, is afraid that he would lose his position. He tries to plead with his sister to ask the Emperor to pardon her. But she stubbornly refuses. To show her determination to never return to court, she snips off her hair.

Seeing that his pleading is in vain. Yang Kuo-chung hits on another plan. He picks up his sister's hair and brings it to the Emperor, telling the Emperor that Yang Kwei Fei loves him so much that she had cut off her hair to become a nun.

The Emperor is moved, but the dignity of the Imperial Throne cannot be insulted with such impunity, so he refuses to recall his favourite to court.

Yang Kwei Fei does not really want to part with the luxury of the Emperor's court. On the other hand, the Emperor is lonely without her, so he finally relents and recalls her.

While Yang Kuo-chung is escorting his sister back to court, he is waylaid by an assassin. The assassination attempt however fails and the assassin is taken prisoner.

The assassin openly denounces the Yang family for their corruption and fleecing of the people. When Yang Kuo-chung sees that the soldiers and the people are sympathetic towards the assassin, he orders the assassin executed and one of his soldiers to be whipped as a warning to the people.

The Emperor is delighted with Yang Kwei Fei's return to court. On the night of the Lovers' Festival (Seventh Day of the Seventh Moon), the Emperor and Yang Kwei Fei swear their undying love to each other.

While the celebrations of the Lovers' Festival is going on, Yang Kuo-chung receives a report from eunuch Kao Li-shi of a rebellion by An Lu-shan.

Yang Kuo-chung, who is a coward at heart, decides to withhold the report from the Emperor. The fires of rebellion spread with Yang Kuo-chung unable to do anything to suppress it.

The Emperor and his favourite indulge only their own enjoyment, but they are rudely shocked by the news of the rebel army approaching the capital. The startled Emperor falls in a faint and takes ill.

Yang Kuo-chung decides to abandon the capital. He orders the Emperor's personal guards to escort the Emperor in a flight to Szechuen.

But even when they are retreating in face of the advancing rebel army, Yang Kuo-chung does not mend his ways. He withholds army rations and pay. The morale of the hungry soldiers is low. Fanned by the soldier who was ordered whipped by Yang Kuo-chung, open mutiny breaks out.

They attacked the camp of Yang Kuo-chung, killing him and his wives and sisters. They then turn their wrath towards Yang Kwei Fei, believing that she is behind her brother's actions.

The Emperor has been ill throughout the retreat. Yang Kwei Fei has attended to him night and day. When she finds out about the mutiny she asks the soldiers to allow her to attend to the Emperor until he is asleep before she kills herself to appease them.