Chen Yuanyuan

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This is a Chinese name; the family name is Chén (陳)

Chén Yuányuán (Traditional Chinese: 陳圓圓; Simplified Chinese: 陈圆圆; Wade-Giles: Ch'en Yüan-yüan) (1624–1681), born Xing Yuan (邢沅), a Ming Chinese, was a concubine of Wu Sangui, who broke into the fortress of Li Zicheng to rescue her. Her courtesy name was Wanfen (畹芬). She was born in the Forbidden City, and was to be a prince to the Ming emperor, who was close to death at the time, as the queen did not have a son. Chen was born a female, and was thrown away. Her mother, still in labor pains, retrieved her and fled from the Palace in the Forbidden City. Her father was a blind man who died possibly before she was born.

Chen's parents died early, and she grew up tending her maternal grandmother Chen-shi in Taiyuan, Shanxi. She was sold as a performer to Suzhou, first for Tian Wan (田畹), then to Wu.

She died in a Taoist convent in Hunan. She became the title character of a Beijing opera of 1924.

Chen was brought into the palace because of her beauty at the age of 13 and was a gift for the emperor, Chongzhen. She soon fell in love with the emperor Chongzhen, and helped him almost as a servant. The emperor loved her but could not marry her, he did not let her go because he admired her beauty. She wasted her young years in the darkness of the palace.

In the later years of Chongzhen's life she married Wu Sangui, but was held hostage by the emperor in order to ensure that Wu Sangui, would honor his promise to save Ming dynasty as general of a great army. It was also recorded that Chen was secretly in love with Wu Sangui when they later met in Wang Cheng En's house. Wang Cheng En was the chief eunuch of the emperor and also a shrewed politician. It was later during a garden feast with the emperor that Wu Sangui asked for Chen's hand in marriage. In return, he pledge to defeat the Manchus and bring glory to the Ming.

Through the fading of the Ming dynasty she was held hostage by many other famous and important leaders like Li Zecheng and Gao ergong because they claimed to love her. Her heart belonged to Wu Sangui and waited for him to return. She faced many dangerous events and almost raped by many because of her beauty.

When the emperor fled the Forbidden City as a result of the Shun Dynasty takeover, she reluctantly helped him commit suicide by helping him up to the noose.

After finally reuniting with Wu Sangui, she realized his sins. Wu opened China's land for the Qing dynasty and betrayed the Ming dynasty. The good image of her husband soon faded and she held herself in a temple to find peace and forgiveness.

Chen had a very brutal and sad life. Before she died she wondered whether her beauty was a good thing.

[edit] Popular Culture

Because of Chen's numerous affairs with historical figures, she was well-explored in popular culture. She was one of few women who influenced Chinese history in such a great extent. Her character appeared in numerous films, operas and books.

In Jinyong wuxia novel Sword Stained with Royal Blood (碧血劍) and also The Deer and the Cauldron (Duke of Mount Deer, 鹿鼎記), the events surrounding Chen was discussed through the eyes of different characters. Chen is revealed to have a daughter in The Deer and the Cauldron, who was accidentally made pregnant by the leading character Xiaobao.