Historical Biography Reinterprets the An Lushan Rebellion as a Tragedy Rooted in Court Intrigue and Imperial Indulgence

Tang Dynasty general walking through an imperial palace corridor during sunset in a historical Chinese empire setting.

A cinematic Tang Dynasty scene showing the rise of An Lushan within the imperial empire, surrounded by palace corridors and golden sunset light.

An Lushan standing in golden Tang Dynasty armor on a frontier battlefield with soldiers, banners, and mountains in the background.

A historical battlefield scene featuring An Lushan rising through the ranks of the Tang military on the Silk Road frontier.

Tang Dynasty throne hall with Emperor Xuanzong seated beside Yang Guifei while An Lushan stands before the imperial court.

An imperial court scene featuring Emperor Xuanzong, Yang Guifei, and An Lushan during a dramatic moment in Tang Dynasty history.

An Lushan standing alone in an imperial palace courtyard at sunset with red banners and dramatic shadows.

A dramatic Tang Dynasty palace scene reflecting loyalty, ambition, and the shifting balance of power within the empire.

Book cover of Trouble Arises Within One’s Own Walls displayed in a Tang Dynasty palace setting with an Order Now ribbon.

Promotional banner featuring the book Trouble Arises Within One’s Own Walls alongside themes of rebellion, political intrigue, and Tang Dynasty history.

Trouble Arises Within One’s Own Walls by Lingshui Hermit Offers a Gripping, Literary Retelling of the Catastrophic An-Shi Rebellion and Its Human Origins

LONDON, GREATER LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, May 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In this richly detailed and dramatically narrated unofficial biography, Lingshui Hermit presents a vivid re-examination of An Lushan, the formidable Sogdian-Turkic general, whose rebellion nearly destroyed the Tang Dynasty. Drawing on ancient sources, folklore, and imaginative reconstruction, the author traces An Lushan’s extraordinary rise from a marginal merchant and frontier captive to a trusted foster son of General Zhang Shougui, a favoured “barbarian” commander under Emperor Xuanzong, and ultimately the self-proclaimed emperor of the short-lived Great Yan state.

The narrative begins with An Lushan’s enigmatic birth shrouded in omens, maternal shamanism, and a violent conception at a sacred mountain spring and follows his cunning ascent through multilingual fluency, martial prowess, deception, and relentless flattery. Central to the tragedy is the author’s bold thesis: the rebellion, traditionally named after An Lushan, should more accurately be called the “Rebellion of the Two Yangs that Brought Ruin to the City and the Nation,” with Emperor Xuanzong’s infatuation with the peerless beauty Yang Guifei (Yang Yuhuan) and the unchecked power of her cousin Chancellor Yang Guozhong providing the fatal internal rot (“trouble arising within one’s own walls”).

The book weaves historical events with poignant literary scenes: the emperor’s entranced accompaniment of Yang Guifei’s Rainbow Robe and Feathered Garment Dance, An Lushan’s near-fatal ginseng misadventure, the bloody mutiny at Mawei Slope, Yang Guifei’s dramatic “execution” (and survival in legend), and An Lushan’s descent into paranoia, blindness, and madness before his assassination by his own son and confidants. The work concludes with reflections on desire as a moth flying into flame, and includes an appendix exploring persistent Japanese legends of Yang Guifei’s escape to Nara and Yamaguchi.

Blending rigorous historical reference with novelistic flair, this biographical literary history delivers a cautionary tale of how personal passions, ethnic tensions, and court corruption can ignite catastrophe on a civilisational scale.

Key Highlights:

• Dramatic origin story of An Lushan, born amid celestial omens to a Sogdian shamaness after a fateful encounter at the “Good Match” spring
• Meteoric rise from condemned fraudster to adopted son of a top general and one of the most powerful non-Han commanders in Tang service
• Intimate portrayal of Emperor Xuanzong’s infatuation with Yang Guifei and the deadly influence of Chancellor Yang Guozhong
• Reinterpretation of the An-Shi Rebellion as internally provoked (“祸起萧墙”) rather than purely external aggression
• Graphic depiction of An Lushan’s final years: obesity, eye disease, paranoia, and assassination in 757 AD
• Exploration of the legend that Yang Guifei survived Mawei Slope and lived out her days in Japan
• Poetic closing warning on the destructive power of unchecked desire, fame, and fortune

About the Author:

Lingshui Hermit (灵水居士) is the pen name of a scholar born in mainland China in 1945. A former child film star, theatre actor, and acclaimed playwright, the author attended China's top drama academy in the early 1960s, but upon graduation was forced to undergo four years of re-education, totaling a decade in all.

Since 1984, Lingshui Hermit has lived abroad, dedicating four decades to writing historical and cultural works and teaching Chinese language and literature. This book, infused with deep knowledge of classical Chinese texts and a lifetime of reflection on power and human frailty, represents a culmination of that journey.

Availability: The book is forthcoming in 2025 (© Copyright 2025 Lingshui Hermit). Publication details, including print and digital editions, will be announced shortly. For review copies, interview requests, or further information, please get in touch with the publicity department above.

Lingshui Hermit
Author Solution UK
+1 203-769-9318
info@authorssolution.co.uk

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