What a coincidence that Chap Goh Mei, sometimes called the Chinese Valentine’s Day, is celebrated so close to the actual Valentine’s Day.

Chinese culture is replete with romantic myths and legends. Perhaps you have heard of the tragic tale of the Butterfly Lovers? Or the story of the Cowherd and the Weaver.

In addition to these iconic tales, there are others often told during this time of year, many of them tearjerkers.

One of the most famous is based on the historical relationship between an emperor and his concubine, one that would end in terrible tragedy.

Emperor Xuanzong ruled China during the Tang Dynasty, considered the golden age of Chinese civilisation. This is the reason why some Chinese refer to themselves as “tang ren” or “people of the Tang”.

After the untimely death of his consort, Xuanzong sought a lady with beauty who could match his power, and one day, he found her in the form of a young maiden named Yang Yuhuan.

She was so beautiful, she was said to have “a face that would shame any flower”, and would later be listed among the Four Great Beauties of China.

Oddly enough, she was his daughter-in-law, married to his son Li Mao. At the age of 19, she caught the 53-year-old emperor’s eye; the man smitten with her instantly.

Of course, eloping with his own daughter-in-law would be scandalous and would damage imperial prestige. Hence, he pressured the teenage Li Mao to let his wife become a Taoist nun, an act that would immediately nullify the marriage.

For seven years, Yang lived as a simple nun, though it was an open secret that she often wore disguises for night-time trysts with the emperor.

After Li Mao remarried, Xuanzong made Yang his imperial consort, bestowing on her the title “Guifei” or emperor’s favourite.

Never one to give up an opportunity, she used her new position to raise the fortunes of her lowly family, with her siblings granted riches and her cousin made prime minister.

The nepotism came at a price though; her cousin was an inept politician and his inexperience would lay the foundation for the terrible things to come.

Yang herself lived a life of luxury, with the emperor and his court bowing to her every whim. Beautiful garments filled her wardrobe and an army of servants followed her everywhere.

According to one story, Xuanzong ordered his officials to serve Yang her favourite lychees, despite having to source the fruit from distant provinces.

The scramble for the fruit afterwards left the officials somewhat exasperated about the state of affairs in the palace.

More than just a beauty, Yang was also a talented musician. She composed numerous songs for her beloved, often dancing and playing instruments for him.

Like any other relationship, theirs had its ups and downs. Twice, Yang was banished, the first time because of her intense jealousy towards other women in the palace.

However, soon after banishing her to her cousin’s home, Xuanzong realised he couldn’t live without her, and quickly recalled her.

The second banishment, caused by her theft of a flute, also ended the same way, with Xuanzong finding himself completely inseparable from his beloved consort.

Given her proximity to the emperor, many court officials curried favour with her to gain the emperor’s ear themselves.

One such person was none other than An Lushan, a military general who served on the frontier, whom she jokingly adopted as a son.

Despite his charm, he was a conniving scoundrel who was plotting to take the throne for himself.

In 755AD, An made his move, starting a rebellion which would ultimately cause the deaths of up to 36 million people.

With enemy forces threatening the imperial capital of Chang’an, Xuanzong, Yang and the rest of the court fled.

The demoralised imperial army blamed Yang’s cousin for the chaos and executed him, before turning to their emperor and demanding he hand over Yang, whom they saw as An’s accomplice.

Realising that she really had no choice in the matter, she bade a tearful final farewell to her beloved and faced her death bravely.

Accounts differ on how she died, with some saying an attendant strangled her while others say she simply took her own life.

Afterwards, Xuanzong was a broken and inconsolable man, with a son having to take over as emperor and leading the fight against the rebels.

While Xuanzong was responsible for raising the Tang to its greatest heights, his infatuation with a beautiful woman resulted in its downfall.

While the Tang eventually overcame An Lushan’s forces, the dynasty had lost much of its power and would never again return to its former glory.

According to legend, Xuanzong had a medium contact Yang’s spirit, after which she allegedly passed him a message.

“We told each other secretly in the quiet midnight world that we wished to fly in heaven, two birds with the wings of one, and to grow together on earth, two branches of one tree.”

An unlikely story, but one that is still romantic nonetheless.

In any case, the story of Xuanzong and Yang Guifei remains famous in China as the tragic love story that doomed a dynasty.

What’s the takeaway from this? That’s for you to decide. Is it worth pursuing a love no matter the price? Or is love itself the prize?