Compiled
from Secrets of the Chinese
Palace
According
to historical records, the founder of the Sui Dynasty, Emperor Wendi, had a
‘sudden death’. He died suddenly of unknown causes, but it is often said that
he was murdered by his own son, the future Emperor Yangdi.
Yang
Guang, who became Emperor Yangdi, was the second son of Emperor Wendi. His
heart was set upon supplanting his eldest brother, Yang Yong, as the Crown
Prince. Yang Yong’s extravagant lifestyle did not win the approval of Emperor
Wendi and Empress Dugu. Yang Guang, on the other hand, pretended to lead a very
simple lifestyle. When Emperor Wendi went to visit him, he would hide his
concubines and call upon some old women to serve him. He also threw out his
musical instrument to show that he was not interested in sex and music.
Yang
Guang colluded with Prime Minister Yang Su to cast aspersions on Yang Yong in
the presence of Emperor Wendi and Empress Dugu. Emperor Wendi eventually
demoted Yang Yong from the position of Crown Prince and installed Yang Guang instead. In AD 604, Emperor Wendi became seriously ill. Yang Guang could not
wait for his father to die, and wrote the succession edict and even flirted
with Emperor Wen’s favourite concubine, Lady Xuanhua. When Emperor Wendi found
out about this, he finally realized that he had been a victim of Yang Guang’s
deceit. He instructed his ministers to issue an edict deposing Yang Guang and
installing Yang Yong as Crown Prince.
When
Yang Guang received this news, he led troops to the palace and surrounded the
palace where Emperor Wendi lived, sending soldiers to kill him. Yang Yong was
also murdered. Yang Guang’s patricide and fratricide made the throne accessible
to him. He went on to become one of the most tyrannical rulers in Chinese
history. However, there is another story regarding Emperor Wendi’s death - after
Empress Dugu died, he indulged excessively in sex. His health deteriorated and
he eventually died of an illness.
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