The "First Scandal in History": The Historical Truth Behind Tang Bohu and Qiu Xiang

Ever since Feng Menglong's novel "Tang Jieyuan's Laughter Marriage" was published, due to the渲染of folk artists and operas, the story of Tang Bohu and Qiu Xiang has become widely spread among the people, and Tang Bohu has become a well-known historical figure in China. In folklore, Tang Bohu became a wealthy man with many wives and concubines, and was known for his extravagant and dissolute life. In fact, this greatly distorts the true nature of Tang Bohu. The historical Tang Bohu not only did not have the romantic affairs as described in legends, but also lived a poor life and had a bumpy life full of hardships.