Princess Gaoyang

Princess Gaoyang (627 – 6 March 653) was the seventeenth daughter of Emperor Taizong of the Tang dynasty.

Early life
She was born into the imperial family. Her parents spoiled her and made sure she was well cared for; she had large rooms in the palace and many servants and attendants. The Complete Collection of Tang Dynasty Literature (Quan Tang Wen), Volume 24, records a decree granting the title of Princess Gaoyang to the 20th daughter of Emperor Xuanzong and awarding her a fief of 1,000 households.

Affair with Bianji
In her late teens, Gaoyang had an affair with a monk named Bianji (辯機). They kept it well hidden for many years, as monks were not supposed to have intimate relationships, and Gaoyang herself was already betrothed to a rich noble named Fang Yi'ai (房遺愛). When their relationship was discovered, Bianji was taken from the monastery and executed by hanging. Afterward, she led a dissolute private life, having extramarital affairs with the monks Zhixu and Huigong, and the Taoist priest Li Hu. After the death of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, Princess Gaoyang resented Emperor Taizong and "cried without mourning".

This event is recorded in New Book of Tang (新唐书) and Zizhi Tongjian (资治通鉴), both of which date from the Song dynasty. All other records before the New Book of Tang do not mention this event.

According to the New Book of Tang (新唐书), relations between Princess Gaoyang and her father, Emperor Taizong, grew bitter as Emperor Taizong executed Princess Gaoyang's lover, Bianji.

However, the Old Book of Tang (旧唐书), which was written in the Tang dynasty, mentions that when Gaoyang's father-in-law Fang Xuanling (房玄龄) was in the last days of his life, he submitted a petition to the Emperor through Gaoyang. The records state that the relationship between the Emperor and the Princess was still in harmony. Additionally, the princess' name and courtesies were carved into Fang Xuanling's tomb with great honor.

Sima Guang's account Zizhi Tongjian provides a more gruesome detail, stating that Bianji was executed by waist-cutting, a form of execution involving cutting the victim in half at the waist. Some scholars question the narrative of Bianji being killed by Taizong, suggesting that Ouyang Xiu and Sima Guang's positions are highly suspicious, as both of them held strong anti-Buddhist views, which could have influenced their portrayal of Bianji's death.

Additionally, during the Tang dynasty, there were strict rules requiring monks to obtain permission before leaving the monastery. Bianji was later appointed as dàdé (大德) by Xuanzang (玄奘), which is contradictory with the image of Bianji as someone who would arbitrarily break the monastery rules. And last, numerous members of Fang Xuanling's clan held great positions in the Tang dynasty. There were a lot of ways to submit petitions to the emperor if the event really happened.

The alleged affair between Princess Gaoyang and the Buddhist monk Bianji is the most serious accusation against her and the reason for her bad reputation in history. However, the earlier historical work, the Old Book of Tang, does not mention this incident at all. Therefore, since the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song Dynasty, the story of Princess Gaoyang and Bianji has been considered to be true history, and it also marks the beginning of Princess Gaoyang's image as a promiscuous woman in historical materials. Nowadays, because there is no more detailed historical evidence to support it, although later researchers have raised various doubts and questions about this matter, they are still not enough to overturn the New Book of Tang's definition of Princess Gaoyang.

Later years and death
Gaoyang became bitter after Bianji's death; her betrothal and wedding went as planned in spite of her protests. However, instead of animosity and resentment, Gaoyang and Fang Yi'ai grew closer and bonded over their mutual hatred for the imperial court. Gaoyang and her husband gathered an army and led a rebellion against her brother Emperor Gaozong and his wife Empress Wu. They stormed the palace but were stopped and captured. Gaoyang and her husband were executed by hanging shortly after.

In popular culture

 * Portrayed by Ma Li in the 1995 Chinese TV series Wu Zetian.
 * Portrayed by Shen Aojun in the 2001 Chinese TV series Love Legend of the Tang Dynasty.
 * Portrayed by Mi Lu in the 2014 Chinese TV series The Empress of China.