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She is one of the "protagonists" in the rumors surrounding Li Bai and Wang Wei, and is said to be the fiancée of Zhang Guo Lao.
She is also the top princess of the Tang Dynasty, though her presence is rarely seen, her traces are everywhere.
She was a non-marriage advocate of her time, standing at the pinnacle of fame among Tang princesses, yet she dared to give up a life of glory.
She is the younger sister of Tang Xuanzong.
It is rumored that Li Bai and Wang Wei never spoke to each other until their deaths; could this truly be because of her? What stories lie hidden behind this?
She is the granddaughter of Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi and Wu Zetian, and her father is Li Dan.
There are no detailed records of the exact year Princess Yuzhen was born, but research suggests it was between 689 and 693.
When Princess Yuzhen was born, it was a time of severe power struggles within the Tang Dynasty.
In 690, Wu Zetian declared herself emperor, and her father Li Dan was forcibly removed from the throne.
Their family was imprisoned by the Empress, living without any freedom. Not long after, Wu Zetian's nephew Wu Chengzi and others plotted to seize the throne and secretly cursed Wu Zetian.
Wu Zetian believed the rumors and secretly executed Princess Yuzhen's mother.
Young Princess Yuzhen lived in constant fear, unable to sleep soundly. The mutual killings and cruelty among emperors made her realize that the palace was not a good place; familial bonds were worthless in the face of imperial power.
All of this made Princess Yuzhen long to escape from conflict and distance herself from those complicated matters.
In 710, after years of suffering, a turning point finally arrived: her father Li Dan regained the throne and held real power, and she was honored as the Grand Princess.
However, just as she was about to free herself from the pain of separation from her mother, she made an unexpected decision—to become a Taoist priestess.
According to incomplete statistics, there were 14 princesses in the Tang Dynasty who became Taoist nuns, including the famous Wu Zetian, who also briefly served as a nun.
So, why was it relatively popular for Tang princesses to become Taoist nuns?
In ancient times, unlike modern marriage freedom, marriages required parental consent and matchmaking. Additionally, the Tang Dynasty mandated that women over the age of 15 must marry; otherwise, they would face certain penalties, and the government might even force a marriage.
Due to the relatively open-minded ideology of the Tang Dynasty and the prevalence of feminist thought, some girls were unwilling to marry. To have the freedom to choose their romantic lives, they became Taoist nuns, which allowed them to maintain a respectable identity while remaining unmarried.
Like monks, Taoists in ancient times did not adhere to certain societal customs regarding gender. After becoming Taoist nuns, they could still freely receive male guests and seek suitable partners. If they found one or two potential suitors, they could even find ways to be together through various means.
One of the more famous women from the Tang Dynasty who took this path was Yuxuanji.
Speaking of which, how do modern singles avoid pressure from their families to marry? On another note, Princess Yuzhen was already a Tang princess; if she truly did not want to marry, others would have no power over her.
Perhaps Princess Yuzhen, having witnessed palace intrigues from a young age, was extremely reluctant to get involved in court disputes and did not wish to marry, feeling trapped in the inner palace like a caged bird. Becoming a Taoist nun offered her freedom and peace of mind.
Thus, in 711 AD, her father Li Dan granted her the title of Princess Yuzhen.
That year, she entered the Taoist order alongside her sister Golden Immortal Princess, both seeking to distance themselves from worldly affairs at a time when Taoist temples were numerous.
However, because Li Yuanhong and Li Dan were reluctant to part with their daughter, Princess Yuzhen retained her royal title and corresponding privileges despite her nominal entry into the Taoist order.
Additionally, Emperor Ruizong may have built a magnificent Taoist temple for Princess Yuzhen in Chang'an out of affection for his daughter who lost her mother at a young age.
By 712 AD, when Tang Xuanzong ascended to the throne, Princess Yuzhen admired him greatly.
Tang Xuanzong built her a Taoist temple in Luoyang and later constructed Lingdu Palace on Wangwu Mountain. He also granted Princess Yuzhen a high status and power.
During the Kaiyuan Era, Princess Yuzhen often appeared in the capacity represented by Tang Xuanzong.
For example, there is a record in the Tang Book that states: "For the member Sun Zhan who died in place, Chongqing North, Princess Yuzhen intervened, and he was spared from death. The time was Gao Qijie."
The general meaning is that a minister from Walled City Yuan Village committed a capital offense, but through Princess Yuzhen's plea, he was able to avoid the death penalty, which shows Tang Xuanzong's favoritism toward Princess Yuzhen.
Later, considering Princess Yuzhen's lifelong affairs, Tang Xuanzong contemplated marrying her off to the Taoist Zhang Guo Lao. However, Zhang Guo Lao did not comply with the imperial edict, so this marriage did not come to fruition.
It is said that Zhang Guo Lao was from the Sui Dynasty, but he still had a presence during Tang Xuanzong's time, and there are many legends surrounding him.
Zhang Guo Lao devoted himself to Taoism and lived in seclusion for many years, continuously practicing his extraordinary skills. It is said that when Xuanzong summoned him, he appeared with white hair and a very old appearance.
Tang Xuanzong expressed his intention to grant him a marriage, but unexpectedly, Zhang Guo Lao knocked out his own teeth on the spot. Xuanzong was astonished and ordered someone to take him to rest. However, shortly after, when Zhang Guo Lao returned to the court, he had a new set of teeth.
Xuanzong was greatly surprised and believed he was not an ordinary person; thus, he decided to betroth his sister Princess Yuzhen to him. Yet Zhang Guo Lao once again declined and did not accept the emperor's goodwill.
Although historical records do not mention anything about Princess Yuzhen having children, there is a person named Zhang Ti who may or may not be related to Princess Yuzhen; this matter cannot be verified.
We know that during the Tang Dynasty, the imperial examination was a way for scholars to gain recognition from the upper class. The deep bond between Princess Yuzhen and Xuanzong granted her significant power, allowing her to interact with literati through Taoism as a medium, which played a crucial role in bringing poets into the world during the Tang Dynasty.
It can be said that Princess Yuzhen reached the pinnacle of social circles as an exceptional "HR."
Among the most notable talents selected were Li Bai and Wang Wei.
Everyone knows that Li Bai and Wang Wei were both prominent poets of the High Tang period. They lived during the same time and even had mutual friends; however, they never interacted throughout their lives.
For centuries, it has been widely accepted that their discord stemmed from rumors involving Princess Yuzhen.
Wang Wei, in pursuit of a political career, met Qi Wang through music. Qi Wang introduced him to Princess Yuzhen. With his exceptional skills in playing the guqin, Wang Wei impressed Princess Yuzhen and her guests.
Under Princess Yuzhen's arrangement, Wang Wei successfully passed the imperial examination and secured an official position in the capital, naturally becoming a frequent visitor to Princess Yuzhen's residence.
However, a few months later, he was exiled from the capital due to the "Dancer Performing the Yellow Lion" incident and was sent far away to Shandong Jizhou as a minor official overseeing granaries, suffering a setback in his career.
The "Dancer Performing the Yellow Lion" refers to the Lion Dance, which was specifically performed for the emperor; otherwise, it would be dealt with by law. Wang Wei likely performed it privately, leading to his sudden exile to that remote area.
This exile lasted for four and a half years. At that time, this incident was not considered a serious crime; why such a harsh punishment?
It is said that Wang Wei married without Princess Yuzhen's consent, prompting her to find an excuse to send him to labor in that desolate place.
After some twists and turns, Wang Wei returned to Chang'an and rekindled his relationship with Princess Yuzhen.
Unfortunately, Li Bai appeared by Princess Yuzhen's side. Relying on the princess's charm, Li Bai wrote many poems praising her.
"The Immortal of Yuzhen visits Taihua Peak. In the early morning, the heavenly drum sounds, and twin dragons soar high. Playing with lightning without pause, clouds drift without a trace. When will I enter Shaoshi? The Queen Mother should meet me."
Li Bai portrayed Princess Yuzhen as a romantic fairy from the heavens.
However, this led to animosity between Wang Wei and Li Bai; they looked down upon each other and never interacted again.
Li Bai was inherently rebellious and had a free-spirited nature.
Li Bai also had a widely known poem titled "Alone on Jingting Mountain." "All the birds have flown high; the lone cloud drifts idly. Looking at each other without weariness, only Jingting Mountain remains."
Some say that what Li Bai cared about in this poem was not the mountain but Princess Yuzhen. Later, Princess Yuzhen practiced on Jingting Mountain, so this poem is filled with affectionate sentiments.
As for whether this claim is true, of course, people can just take this rumor as a bit of fun. There is no way to verify it now, but historically, Li Bai and Wang Wei indeed had no intersection.
This rumor can be seen as an explanation for this issue.
Later, Princess Yuzhen, leading the Taoist temples in the eastern and western capitals, expressed to Tang Xuanzong that she needed to use her identity as a princess to avoid visits from high officials such as the Minister of Personnel and requests to return her residence, hoping to regain her title as a princess.
Tang Xuanzong was reluctant and thus refused. Eventually, Princess Yuzhen presented her status as the granddaughter of Wu Zetian and daughter of Li Yuanhong to demonstrate her noble position. After repeated requests, she finally relinquished her title as princess.
Perhaps the title of princess hindered her freedom to pursue a life devoted to spiritual practice, or perhaps Princess Yuzhen wished to sever all ties with the royal family.
In the end, Princess Yuzhen moved to the edge of Jingting Mountain, away from worldly disputes.
In 762, at the age of 72, she passed away quietly on Qingcheng Mountain. In December of the same year, Li Bai also departed gracefully.
It was like a play; that era would never again see someone who could reach the cultural pinnacle of Huaxia, marking the beginning of a long period of chaos and isolation.
That grand and open era was captured in The Song of Daming Palace: "The gates of heaven open wide for the palace; dignitaries from all nations pay homage to the crown."
The tribute from all nations was the glory of the Tang Empire and created countless legends.
With Princess Yuzhen's passing, it too faded away.
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