The Historical Viewpoint in the Stories of Lilongji and Yangyuhuai in the Tang Dynasty

The romance of the Emperor Li Longji and his high-ranked imperial concubine Yang Yuhuan composed by the novelists of Tang Dynasty had borne the imprint of time. Instead of focusing on the love story itself as done by the writers of the following ages, these novelists attached great importance upon the theme of Li-Yang's romance with a unique historic perspective; in their works, they put much emphasis on the historical background in which the story had happened, and on the immense social impact this imperial love affair had exerted upon the age; thus to give a glimpse of the turbulent age and a historical lesson from the vicissitude of the Tang Dynasty.