Tay Thi (circa 7th - 6th centuries BC)
According to SCMP, legend has it that Tay Thi is a Vietnamese who grew up during the Spring and Autumn period (770 - 481 BC). She lived during a chaotic period of Chinese history , playing an important role in the collapse of a dynasty.
At that time, King Ngo Phu Sai led his army to conquer Vietnam. King Goujian of Yue was defeated and retreated to Mount Hoi Ke (now in Zhejiang province). He had to give his wife to King Ngo as a hostage to ask for peace.
After that, the Vietnamese courtiers wanted to use beauty to destroy King Ngo. They chose the beautiful Tay Thi to teach singing and dancing... After entering the palace, she quickly became the king's favorite concubine. The king fell in love with Tay Thi and neglected the court.
Phu Sai despite everything built an expensive palace for Tay Thi, weakening the Wu state's finances. Taking the opportunity, the country of Viet attacked the country of Ngo and regained power.
Legend has it that Tay Thi was torn between his love for Phu Sai and his loyalty to his homeland. In the end, she chose to commit suicide to end her life.
Wang Zhaojun (circa 50 BC)
Vuong Chieu Quan grew up in a noble family during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - 9 AD), possessed outstanding beauty, and was proficient in the pipa - a typical Chinese musical instrument.
Emperor Han Yuan chose the palace based on paintings. At that time, Vuong Chieu Quan did not bribe the artist like other concubines, so his drawings were deliberately bad, and the Emperor repeatedly ignored them.
During this time, the court struggled to maintain peace with the nomadic northern tribes. The leader of the Hun clan, Ho Han Ta, wanted to marry a princess of Emperor Han Yuan to establish a relationship.
Emperor Han Yuan did not want to marry his daughter away, so he planned to find the ugliest person in the harem as a substitute. That person happened to be Vuong Chieu Quan.
On the wedding day, the Emperor was surprised and captivated by Vuong Chieu Quan's beauty. He also regretted his decision but could do nothing else. She reluctantly became a sacrifice for the peace of the country.
Diao Chan (2nd century)
According to SCMP, Diao Chan is a person with a mysterious origin in Chinese history. Her real name is not mentioned. "Dieu Chan" is just a stage name, referring to jade jewelry and luxurious clothes made from mink fur.
Historical records show that Dieu Thuyen was a prostitute, or worked as an entertainer for a notorious courtier, Dong Trac (140 - 192), who was famous for his brutality with the ambition to become Emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty. (25 - 220). He relied heavily on his talented adopted son, Lu Bo.
Unfortunately, Lu Bu fell in love with Diao Chan. Worried about being discovered by his adoptive father, in 192, Lu Bu assassinated Dong Trac. Thanks to that, the Eastern Han dynasty did not fall into ruin under the hands of tyrannical gods.
Duong Quy Phi (719 - 756)
Duong Quy Phi lived during the peak of the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907). She was a concubine who was extremely favored by Emperor Huyen Tong (ruled 712 - 756). Thanks to that, her family members were also promoted and held great responsibilities in the court.
Among them, An Loc Son was recommended by Duong Quy Phi to hold an army of 200,000 people, eventually plotting against the Emperor. An Lushan's army occupied the capital Chang'an, forcing the Emperor to flee. At this time, the royal family was disappointed, blaming Duong Quy Phi for bewitching Emperor Huyen Tong, causing him to neglect state affairs.
The royal guards swore not to protect the Tang dynasty while Duong Quy Phi was still alive. Therefore, the Emperor was forced to issue an order to execute her and her cousin.
Later, Emperor Huyen Tong's son regained the throne, restored the Tang dynasty, and welcomed his father back to the palace. According to legend, Huyen Tong painted a picture of Duong Quy Phi and hung it in a small room in the palace. He often went there to remember her.
