中國歷史文化中廣為流傳的「四大美女」，分別是西施、王昭君、貂蟬與楊玉環。她們以「沉魚、落雁、閉月、羞花」的美名著稱，但四人的人生結局卻各不相同。其中，只有 楊玉環 的死亡在史書中有較為明確的記載，其餘三人的結局則多存在於文學作品、民間傳說或戲曲演義之中，因此流傳著多種不同版本。

在四人之中，楊玉環的結局最為確定。她是唐玄宗的寵妃，歷史上被稱為「羞花」。在 安史之亂 爆發後，唐玄宗倉皇離開長安，帶著楊貴妃與隨行人員向蜀地逃亡。當隊伍行經 馬嵬驛 時，護駕的將士因不滿朝廷局勢與宰相楊國忠專權而發動兵變，要求誅殺楊國忠並處死楊貴妃。面對軍隊壓力，唐玄宗被迫下令賜死楊玉環。最終，她在驛站佛堂後的梨樹下，由宦官高力士以白綾勒死，成為唐代歷史中最具悲劇色彩的事件之一。

與楊玉環不同，被稱為「閉月」的貂蟬並非真實歷史人物，而是出自小說與戲曲的虛構角色，最著名的來源是《三國演義》。因此，她的結局也出現多種版本。某些戲曲故事，例如《斬貂蟬》，描述曹操將貂蟬送給關羽以實施離間計，但關羽為避免受到美色誘惑而將她斬首。另一種說法則認為，在呂布 戰敗身亡之後，貂蟬便從此下落不明，有傳聞說她隱姓埋名，甚至出家為尼。也有故事描述她在呂布失敗後為避免被敵軍侮辱而選擇自盡。由於這些都源自文學創作，因此難以確認哪一種說法更接近「真實」。

被稱為「沉魚」的西施同樣擁有充滿謎團的結局。西施原是春秋時期越國美女，傳說被越王利用美色送往吳國，成為政治鬥爭中的重要人物。關於她的最後命運，歷史記載與民間傳說差異極大。某些古籍如《墨子》曾提到，在越國滅吳之戰後，越國人擔心西施的美貌再度引發禍患，因此將她裝入皮袋沉入江中溺斃。另一個更為流行的傳說則帶有浪漫色彩，認為她與越國重臣范蠡一同乘舟離去，泛遊五湖，從此隱居世外，過著遠離權力與戰亂的生活。

至於被稱為「落雁」的王昭君，則是歷史上確有其人的人物。她生活在西漢時期，因「昭君出塞」而聞名。王昭君被選為和親公主，遠嫁匈奴單 呼韓邪單于。在單于去世後，按照匈奴習俗「父死妻其後母」，她被迫改嫁給呼韓邪的長子，也就是新的單于復株累若鞮單于。長期生活在異鄉草原，加上文化差異與倫理壓力，使她承受巨大心理負擔。據傳她在三十多歲時因憂鬱成疾，在塞外病逝，結束了遠離故土的一生。

整體而言，四大美女的命運既反映了歷史政治的殘酷，也承載後世文學與民間想像。楊玉環的悲劇具有明確史實背景，而貂蟬與西施的故事則更多來自傳說與藝術創作；王昭君的結局則介於史實與傳奇之間。這些不同版本的流傳，也讓四大美女的故事在中國文化中長久不衰。

In Chinese cultural tradition, the “Four Great Beauties” are widely known as Xi Shi, Wang Zhaojun, Diao Chan, and Yang Yuhuan. They are celebrated with the poetic descriptions “sinking fish, falling geese, eclipsing the moon, and shaming flowers,” referring to their legendary beauty. However, the ultimate fates of these four women are quite different. Among them, only Yang Yuhuan’s death is clearly recorded in historical sources, while the endings of the other three are largely preserved in literary works, folk legends, and theatrical stories, resulting in multiple versions of their stories.

Among the four, Yang Yuhuan’s fate is the most historically certain. As the favored consort of the Tang emperor, she was famously known as the beauty who could “shame flowers.” When the An Lushan Rebellion broke out, Emperor Tang Xuanzong fled the capital Chang’an with Yang Guifei and his entourage toward Sichuan. When the imperial convoy reached Mawei Post Station, the accompanying soldiers mutinied due to their anger at the political turmoil and the dominance of the powerful chancellor Yang Guozhong. They demanded that Yang Guozhong be executed and that Yang Guifei also be put to death. Under immense pressure from the troops, the emperor reluctantly ordered her execution. She was ultimately strangled with a silk cord by the eunuch Gao Lishi beneath a pear tree behind a Buddhist hall, creating one of the most tragic episodes in Tang dynasty history.

Unlike Yang Yuhuan, the beauty known as “eclipsing the moon,” Diao Chan, is not a historical figure but a fictional character originating from novels and traditional operas, most famously from Romance of the Three Kingdoms. As a result, her ending varies greatly depending on the story. In certain operatic versions such as Beheading Diao Chan, the warlord Cao Cao presents Diao Chan to Guan Yu as part of a strategy to test or manipulate him, but Guan Yu, fearing temptation by her beauty, ultimately executes her. Another version claims that after the death of Lü Bu, Diao Chan simply disappeared, with some legends suggesting she lived under an assumed identity or became a Buddhist nun. Other stories say that after Lü Bu’s defeat she committed suicide to avoid falling into the hands of enemy forces. Because these narratives originate from literature rather than historical records, none can be confirmed as factual.

The beauty known as “sinking fish,” Xi Shi, also has a mysterious and debated fate. Xi Shi was a legendary beauty of the Yue state during the Spring and Autumn period and was said to have been sent to the rival state of Wu as part of a political strategy. Historical accounts and folk legends differ greatly regarding her final destiny. Some ancient writings, including references associated with Mozi, suggest that after the Conquest of Wu by Yue, people in Yue feared that her beauty might again bring disaster. According to this version, she was placed in a leather sack and drowned in a river. Another widely loved legend offers a far more romantic ending: Xi Shi is said to have left with the Yue statesman Fan Li, sailing away together to wander the Five Lakes and live in seclusion, far from politics and war.

The final member of the Four Great Beauties, the woman known as “falling geese,” Wang Zhaojun, was a real historical figure from the Western Han dynasty. She is famous for the story of “Zhaojun going beyond the frontier.” Selected as part of a diplomatic marriage alliance, she was sent to marry the Xiongnu ruler Huhanye Chanyu. After his death, according to the Xiongnu custom that required a son to inherit his father’s wives, she was forced to marry his eldest son, the new chanyu Fuzhuleiruodi Chanyu. Living for many years on the distant northern steppe, far from her homeland, and enduring cultural differences as well as moral pressures from the perspective of Han Chinese tradition, she reportedly suffered deep emotional distress. It is said that she eventually died of illness in her thirties on the frontier, ending a life spent far from her native land.

Taken together, the stories of the Four Great Beauties reflect both the harsh realities of historical politics and the imaginative power of later literature and folklore. Yang Yuhuan’s tragic end is firmly rooted in historical events, while the stories of Diao Chan and Xi Shi are largely shaped by legend and artistic creation. Wang Zhaojun’s life lies somewhere between documented history and enduring cultural legend, which helps explain why the tales of these four women continue to captivate audiences in Chinese culture to this day.