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Sat 08 Aug 2009China's era of corruption feeds desire for concubines
Corrupt Chinese officials have restored the ancient Chinese tradition of keeping a mistress or two, writes Clifford Coonanin Beijing
CONCUBINE YANG was China’s most famous mistress, one of the Four Beauties who so besotted the Emperor Xuanzong that he lost his reason and was forced to execute her to prove he had the will to rule. The emperor ultimately lost his grip on power and the glorious Tang dynasty (618-907) went into steady decline.
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