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Chapter 366 The Strongest Girl Group in Late Ming Dynasty

[Read all the historical facts and historical figures of the strongest girl group in the late Ming Dynasty in one go]

They were the strongest female group in the late Ming Dynasty, all of them were talented and beautiful. As representatives of Qinhuai female musicians, they not only developed and expanded the Qinhuai cultural circle, but also showed firm national integrity when the country was in danger. They actively participated in social and political activities, funded poor students to study, opposed the eunuch party, and supported anti-Qing patriots.

Their actions inspired many Qinhuai women to join the political struggle and even sacrifice their lives for the country.

In this video, let's learn about the stories of the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai. When people mention singing girls and dancing girls, they are easily associated with the Tang Dynasty poet Du Mu's "The merchant women know not the hatred of the fallen country, and they still sing the songs of the back garden across the river", as if they were just little women who indulged in beautiful clothes and fragrance.

However, the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai mentioned in this video are quite different.

When talking about the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai, we have to mention the writer Yu Huai in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. He first listed Dong Xiaowan, Li Xiangjun, Kou Baimen, Gu Hengbo, Liu Rushi, Chen Yuanyuan, Ma Wanrong and Zheng Tuoniang in Banqiao Miscellaneous Notes, but it was not until the publication of the Picture Ode to the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai written by the writer Zhang Jingqi and others in the Qing Dynasty and painted by the calligrapher and painter Ye Yanlan that the Eight Beauties were finally identified.

The first person to be mentioned is Liu Rushi. She was born in 1618 AD. Her real name was Yang Ai. She was from Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province and was also known as Hedong Jun. Liu Rushi had a tragic life. When she was young, she was sold to a merchant who trained singing girls because of her poor family. Later, she was adopted by Xu Fo of Guijiayuan. Because of her intelligence and eagerness to learn, she quickly stood out in Guijiayuan and was also spotted by Zhou Daodeng and taken in as a maid.

In the Zhou family, Liu Rushi's intelligence was favored by Zhou Daodeng, who took her as a concubine. Zhou Daodeng often held her on his lap and taught her poetry and songs. After Zhou Daodeng passed away, Liu Rushi was expelled from the Zhou family and returned to Guijiayuan, becoming a singer and changing her name to Liu Yi.

During this period, Liu Rushi made many friends with scholars and often dressed as a man to discuss world affairs with them. She once fell in love with Chen Zilong, but was forced to separate because of the opposition of Chen Zilong's first wife.

In 1638, Liu Rushi married Qian Qianyi two years after they met. After the marriage, Qian Qianyi built the luxurious Jiangyun Tower and Hongdou Pavilion for her in Yushan. The two of them recited poems and painted here, feeling very comfortable. Qian Qianyi jokingly called her "Liu Rushi".

When the Ming Dynasty fell, Emperor Chongzhen hanged himself, the Qing army captured Beijing, and established the Hongguang court in Nanjing. Liu Rushi supported Qian Qianyi as the Minister of Rites of the Southern Ming Dynasty. However, when the Qing army was at the gates of the city, she persuaded Qian Qianyi to die for his country, but Qian Qianyi refused on the grounds that "the water was too cold". Liu Rushi resolutely jumped into the lake to commit suicide, but was rescued. Qian Qianyi surrendered to the Qing and went to Beijing to take up a post, while Liu Rushi stayed in Changshu.

Half a year later, Qian Qianyi resigned and returned home. She wore military uniform and rode with him. After that, Liu Rushi helped Qian Qianyi contact the Yongli regime of the Southern Ming Dynasty and fully supported the anti-Qing war.

Liu Rushi was a scholar with profound knowledge. Her poems even impressed Chen Yinke. Her calligraphy was inspired by the essence of Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy. Her handwriting was steep and elegant, and she was known as "an iron fist with a silver hook".

Qian Qianyi died at the age of 83, and Liu Rushi committed suicide two months after her husband's death to protect her former family property. Her tomb is located at the foot of Yushan Mountain in Changshu. It is a lonely tomb with the five characters "Hedong Jun's Tomb" engraved on the tombstone.

Chen Yuanyuan, who was famous for her beauty, was born in 1625. Her original name was Xing Yuan. After her parents passed away, she was adopted by her aunt's family and changed her surname to Chen after her uncle. Born in a turbulent time, coupled with a bad harvest, she was sold to a brothel by her uncle who forgot his loyalty for the sake of profit. Chen Yuanyuan was beautiful and had superb skills. She was a woman of both beauty and talent.

She had a relationship with Li Xiangjun, but was abducted by Tian Hongyu and given to General Wu Sangui. A year later, Li Zicheng occupied the capital. According to the "History of Ming Dynasty", Li Zicheng's general Liu Zongmin took Chen Yuanyuan away.

Wu Sangui surrendered to the Qing army to win back Chen Yuanyuan. Later, Wu Sangui was conferred the title of King of Pingxi, and Chen Yuanyuan accompanied him to Yunnan and once entered the harem.

Generally speaking, those who use their beauty to please others will lose their love as their beauty fades. As Chen Yuanyuan aged, her relationship with Wu Sangui became strained, and she gradually fell out of favor due to competition from other concubines.

Tired of worldly life, Chen Yuanyuan proposed to Wu Sangui her wish to retire and build a temple in a secluded place in the palace to practice Buddhism and atone for her sins. Wu Sangui readily agreed. From then on, Chen Yuanyuan stayed away from the hustle and bustle of the world and devoted herself to Buddhism.

Wu Sangui was disgraced due to the failure of his rebellion. Chen Yuanyuan, out of nostalgia for the old times, took her son and grandson and lived in seclusion in Majiazhai, Cengong County, Guizhou Province, under the escort of General Ma Bao.

Chen Yuanyuan often missed Wu Sangui, was exhausted physically and mentally, and worried about her family's safety, which made her increasingly haggard and eventually suffered from headaches. When the pain was unbearable, she even fell into a coma. Her condition became more and more serious, and she finally died suddenly while reciting scriptures in August of the 28th year of the Kangxi reign.

Dong Xiaowan, one of the top ten chefs, was born in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province in 1624. Her original name was Dong Bai. When she was young, her family was engaged in Suzhou embroidery business, and she was also a lady from a noble family.

However, things did not go as she wished. When she was 13 years old, her father died, her mother became ill, and her family fell into poverty. Dong Xiaowan had no choice but to become a brothel owner. Dong Xiaowan had an outstanding temperament, was gentle and charming, and was talented. She soon became famous along the Qinhuai River.

In 1639, Dong Xiaowan met Mao Pijiang, one of the four young masters of Fushe. Not long after they got along, Dong Xiaowan fell deeply in love with him. After many setbacks, she finally joined the Mao family as a concubine.

In Mao's family, Dong Xiaowan was courteous and polite, and got along very well with Mao's mother and first wife. When Mao's mother was ill, Dong Xiaowan took care of her wholeheartedly without any complaints.

In the following five years, Mao Pijiang fell ill many times, and Dong Xiaowan stayed by his side and took care of him wholeheartedly. In terms of diet, she studied a lot and cooked all kinds of delicacies for her husband, and she made herself one of the top ten famous chefs.

After the Jiashen Rebellion, Mao Pijiang and his family were robbed on their way to migrate. Dong Xiaowan was weak and walked slowly, and was almost abandoned by Mao Pijiang several times. Fortunately, Mao Pijiang's parents stopped her and she finally had to follow him alone. Afterwards, Mao Pijiang praised Dong Xiaowan for her understanding of justice and her ability to make compromises.

The good days did not last long. Mao Pijiang fell ill twice, one with gastric bleeding and the other with maggots on his back. In order to take care of her husband and let him sleep peacefully, Dong Xiaowan held him every night for more than 100 nights until her husband recovered and she also fell ill. In addition to the displacement and hunger, she eventually became ill from overwork and died at the age of 28. And just the day before her death, she still insisted on giving her mother-in-law a New Year's gift.

After Dong Xiaowan passed away, Mao Pijiang married three more young ladies. Li Xiangjun was born in 1624, also known as Li Xiang, from Jinling. When she was young, she was adopted by her nanny Li Zhenli because her family fell into poverty. She changed her surname to Li. Although Li Zhenli was a woman, she acted quite generously and taught Li Xiangjun carefully.

In Meixianglou, Li Xiangjun grew up to be a beautiful and talented woman, beautiful and charming, well-educated, proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, especially good at pipa. Her performance of "Pipa Ji" was even more amazing, making her the leading actress of Meixianglou.

According to Banqiao Miscellaneous Notes, Li Xiangjun was petite and fair-skinned, so she was nicknamed "the fragrant fan pendant". In 1639, Li Xiangjun met Hou Fangyu, one of the four young masters of Fushe, and they fell in love. When Ruan Dacheng tried to win over Hou Fangyu, Li Xiangjun firmly opposed it and questioned Hou Sheng three times, which finally made him stick to the bottom line.

Hou Fangyu failed to pass the imperial examination and had to leave Nanjing because his articles offended the current political situation. Li Xiangjun would rather die than obey him, and her blood splattered on the folding fan. Yang Longyou painted it into peach blossoms, and it became known as the "Peach Blossom Fan".

Later, Li Xiangjun was selected to be a singer in the palace. After the fall of Nanjing, she escaped and reunited with Hou Fangyu in Qixia Mountain. However, due to her background as a prostitute, she was never able to marry into the Hou family. She eventually died after giving birth to a son for Hou Fangyu. The love legend of Li Xiangjun and Hou Fangyu was adapted into "Peach Blossom Fan", which is still popular today.

Ma Xianglan, who was the most skilled in calligraphy and painting among the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai, was born in 1548 and her real name was Ma Shouzhen.

Ma Xianglan, whose ancestral home is in Nanjing, was a female poet and painter during the Ming Dynasty. She was the fourth child in the family, so she was also called "Si Niang". She was naturally beautiful and intelligent, and was good at poetry, calligraphy and painting, especially at depicting orchids and bamboos, so she was named "Xianglan".

Although her appearance was not stunning, she had an extraordinary temperament. Someone once described her as cheerful and bright like an early spring oriole, fluent in speech, and her eyes revealed her intelligence.

Ma Xianglan has a cheerful, fresh and unworldly personality. She is good at guessing other people's intentions. Although she lives in a place of brothels, she is chivalrous and often donates generously to help poor scholars and poor people.

Ma Xianglan and the Jiangnan talent Wang Zhideng had a deep friendship, but the two were never able to become a couple. Wang Zhideng never married her, but Ma Xianglan waited for him for 30 years.

On Wang Zhideng's 70th birthday, she spent all her money to buy a ship and took dozens of singing girls to Suzhou to celebrate his birthday. After months of feasting and partying, Ma Xianglan fell ill and eventually passed away in a room full of orchids, sitting in front of a Buddha.

Kou Baimen was born in 1624 in a family of officials in Jinling. Her family took good care of her and she had a pure and flawless character. Before she got married, she was also a famous prostitute on the Qinhuai River. According to Banqiao Miscellaneous Notes, she was good at singing and painting, had a high level of attainment in poetry, and had a simple and unsophisticated personality.

In the spring of the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Guobi, the Duke of Baoguo, entered the gate of the Kou family surrounded by officers and soldiers. After several interactions, Kou Baimen took a liking to him and thought he was gentle and kind.

When Zhu Guobi proposed marriage, Kou Baimen agreed immediately. That autumn night, the 17-year-old Kou Baimen sat in the bridal sedan. At that time, the marriage of prostitutes in Jinling usually took place at night, and in order to show his nobility, Zhu Guobi specially dispatched 5000 soldiers holding lanterns, extending all the way from Wuding Bridge to Zhu's mansion. The lights were brilliant, which could be called the most grand wedding in Nanjing during the Ming Dynasty.

Three years later, the Qing army marched south, Zhu Guobi surrendered to the Qing court, moved his family to Beijing, and Kou Baimen was also placed under house arrest by the court. Zhu Guobi planned to sell Kou Baimen and other singing girls in exchange for silver to smooth relations.

Someone came to rescue Kou Baimen, but she said to him: "If I only accept a few hundred taels of silver, it will be difficult to repay my kindness. Within a month, I will collect 2 taels of silver to repay you." Zhu Guobi agreed to her request, and Kou Baimen was able to return to Jinling. After returning to Qinhuai, with the help of her sisters, she raised taels of silver, and Zhu Guobi was released.

At this time, Zhu Guobi tried to reconcile with Kou Baimen, but was rejected by her: "You saved me from the sea of ​​suffering in the past, and I will help you out of the predicament today. From now on, we owe each other nothing." After returning to Jinling, Kou Baimen was called a "female knight". She built gardens, made friends with guests, and interacted with literati and poets every day, drinking and having fun.

Later, she fell in love with a certain Xiaolian in Yangzhou, but returned to Jinling again due to emotional discord. Among the many talented men, she fell in love with a scholar named Han Sheng and supported him financially and spiritually. One day, Kou Baimen fell ill and asked Han Sheng to accompany him, but Han Sheng repeatedly declined and finally left in anger.

Kou Baimen was in a depressed mood. Suddenly she heard laughter and abuse coming from the next room. She approached and saw that Han Sheng was flirting with a beautiful maid. Infuriated, Kou Baimen picked up a wooden stick and beat the maid dozens of times, angrily denouncing Han Sheng as a "beast in human clothing." After that, her condition worsened and she eventually passed away in Jinling. The exact date is unknown.

Bian Yujing, also known as Bian Saisai and Taoist Hao Yujing, was born in Qinhuai, Jinling in 1623 AD. She was born into an official family. She was good at both poetry and painting, calligraphy and literary and historical research. She had superb painting skills and her brushstrokes were smooth and flowing. She especially loved to paint orchids.

She also had a younger sister, Bian Min. Later, due to the early death of their father and the decline of their family, the two sisters came to the Qinhuai River to perform and became singing girls.

In the spring of the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, Bian Yujing met Wu Weiye, one of the three great masters of Jiangzuo, at Tiger Hill in Suzhou. The two fell in love, but Wu Weiye was ambiguous about this relationship.

Faced with Bian Yujing's bold confession, Wu Weiye neither agreed nor refused, but simply pretended to be deaf and dumb, which made Bian Yujing disheartened.

Later, when he learned that the father-in-law Tian Hongyu was going to select a concubine for the emperor and had chosen Chen Yuanyuan and Bian Yujing, Wu Weiye had no choice but to withdraw under pressure from power. He only played a few songs in front of Bian Yujing and then left sadly. Fortunately, Bian Yujing was not selected. Two years later, she married Zheng Jiande, a son of a Hangzhou family, and had a son.

Because her life was not satisfactory, she offered her maid Rourou to him and left alone.

At the end of Chongzhen's reign, the Qing army marched southward, and Bian Yujing changed her name to escape. In the tenth year of Shunzhi's reign, she was taken in by the elderly good doctor Zheng Baoyu.