Among tens of millions of people, to meet the person you meet; in the boundless wilderness of time spanning tens of millions of years, neither a moment earlier nor a moment later: it just happens to coincide!\ Part One: Xue Tao\ Xue Tao, courtesy name Hongdu. Her father Xue Yun was a minor official in the capital and settled in Chengdu after the An Shi Rebellion. Xue Tao was born in the third year of the Dali era of Emperor Daizong of Tang.\ Xue Tao showed extraordinary talent from a young age. By eight, she could write poetry. Her father once set the theme “Chanting the Phoenix Tree” and composed two lines: “In the courtyard stands an ancient phoenix tree, its trunk towering into the clouds”; Xue Tao instantly responded with: “Branches welcome birds from south and north, leaves send off the winds that come and go.” This couplet seemed to become a prophecy for her life, which lasted until 65.\ When she was 14, Xue Yun passed away, and Xue Tao lived with her mother, Madam Pei. Forced by livelihood, Xue Tao leveraged her striking beauty and her talent in poetry, literature, and musical ability to serve wine, compose poems, and perform music for guests in pleasure quarters, earning the title of “poet courtesan.”\ During the reign of Emperor Dezong of Tang, the court appointed Zhongshu Ling Wei Gao as the Military Governor of Jiannan, overseeing the southwest region. Wei Gao was an elegant official, skilled in poetry and prose. When he learned of Xue Tao's outstanding poetic talent and her background as the daughter of an official, he exceptionally summoned her, despite her status as a music courtesan, to his headquarters to serve at feasts and create poetry. Xue Tao thus became a famous entertainment courtesan in Chengdu (providing entertainment for military officers stationed in various regions).\ A year later, Wei Gao, valuing Xue Tao's talent, intended to petition the court to appoint her as a junior drafter in the imperial archive. Although this was never realized, the title “female junior drafter” quickly spread, and she was also called a “talented youth who sweeps the brows.”\ At that time, Xue Tao associated with many prominent scholars and literary talents, such as Bai Juyi, Niu Sengru, Linghu Chu, Pei Qing, Zhang Ji, Du Mu, Liu Yuxi, and Zhang Hu, exchanging poetry with them. However, the person who truly stirred deep affection in Xue Tao was Yuan Zhen. She first met Yuan Zhen at age 42, eleven years his senior. At that time, Yuan Zhen held the post of Censor-in-Chief, and in the fourth year of the Yuanhe era of Emperor Xianzong of Tang, he was sent on a mission to Shu by the court. The two spent a year together in Shu. Xue Tao's longing for Yuan Zhen was deeply engraved in her heart; she waited with all her being to reunite with her beloved, until she finally realized that she was merely a minor episode in his life.\ Many of Xue Tao's poems have been passed down. Among them, a famous line goes: “Flowers bloom for different admirers, flowers fall for different sorrows,” which was widely circulated at the time.\ In her later years, Xue Tao simply wore a Daoist robe, secluded herself in her tower, and no longer took part in poetry, wine, and romantic amusements.She lived nearly twenty years of this quiet life and passed away at the age of 65. At that time, Duan Wenchang, the military commissioner of Jiannan, personally wrote her epitaph: 'The Tomb of Xue Tao, the Female Scholar of Western Sichuan.'\Part Two: Li Shishi\ Li Shishi was originally the daughter of Wang Yin, who ran a dye shop in Bianjing City. When she was three years old, her father sent her to a Buddhist temple. The old monk anointed her head, and she suddenly cried loudly. The monk thought she was very suitable as a disciple of Buddhism, so he named her 'Shishi' because everyone called the Buddhist disciples 'Shi.' A year later, her father died in prison for committing a crime, and Shishi was raised by neighbors. As she grew up, Shishi blossomed into a beautiful and charming young lady, and was thus adopted by Li Ao, who ran a brothel. Li Ao taught her music, chess, calligraphy, painting, singing, and dancing to entertain guests. For a time, Li Shishi became a famous courtesan coveted by literati and young nobles alike in Bianjing. Ultimately, even Emperor Huizong of Song heard of her fame and wished to court her.\ Li Shishi lived in Jin Xian Alley. Emperor Huizong secretly left the palace in a sedan chair with several eunuchs to visit her as a customer. If he overslept and missed the morning court, he would tell the ministers that he was prevented from attending due to a flare-up of his sores.\ Cao Fu, a secretary official, submitted a memorial urging the emperor not to secretly visit prostitutes. Not only did Emperor Huizong demote him to Chenzhou, he even conferred the title of Mistress Ming to Li Shishi and changed Jin Xian Alley to Little Imperial Street.\ Song Jiang wanted to surrender but felt embarrassed, so he too went through Li Shishi's connections. This episode is described in detail in 'Water Margin.' It is said that after Song Jiang met Li Shishi that day, he composed a poem 'Nian Nu Jiao,' with lines such as: 'Green sleeves enclose fragrance, crimson silk drapes over snow; one smile is worth a thousand gold. With a divine form like hers, how could my fickle heart endure?' The gist is: the green sleeves smell so fragrant! The deep red silk is draped over a snow-white veil, and her smile is worth a thousand gold. With such a divine-like form, how could I, a fickle person, handle it?\ Emperor Huizong, indulging in pleasures, neglected the dangers at the frontier, and ultimately became a captive during the Jingkang Disaster. The Jin army initially planned to capture Li Shishi as well but did not succeed. After the Song dynasty moved south, Li Shishi's whereabouts became unknown. Some say she donated her property to resist the Jurchen and became a nun herself. Some say she was taken by the Jin army and committed suicide by swallowing gold. Others say she married a merchant casually and later drowned in the Qiantang River.Part Three: Liang Hongyu
Liang Hongyu, the wife of the famous anti-Jin general Han Shizhong, is a celebrated heroine in history. She famously beat drums to repel Jin soldiers and played a major role in the decisive victory at Huangtiandang against Jin Wushu and others. These deeds have been passed down through generations, yet few know about her background as a famous courtesan.
Liang Hongyu was born in the first year of Emperor Huizong of Song's Chongning era. Originally from Chizhou, both her grandfather and father were military men. Liang Hongyu learned martial arts from an early age while accompanying her father and brothers. In the second year of Emperor Huizong's Xuanhe era, Fang La led an uprising. Her grandfather and father were killed for missing key battle moments, and Liang Hongyu fell into the life of a courtesan in Jingkou. Naturally beautiful and skilled in singing, dancing, and playing instruments, she quickly became famous, becoming the renowned courtesan of Jingkou. At that time, there was a saying: “In the south, there is Liang Hongyu; in the north, there is Li Shishi.”
Although Hongyu lived in the entertainment quarters, she was proud and ambitious, not seeking wealth or fame. She longed to find a true hero to entrust her life to.
When Emperor Gaozong relocated the capital to Lin'an, the court and the nation were in turmoil. At this time, a fallen young gentleman named Han Shizhong arrived in Jingkou. He was originally a disciple of Zhou Tong from Henan and the senior brother of Yue Fei. Unable to serve his country in Bianliang, he came to the south seeking a military position through his uncle by marriage, only to find that his uncle had been reassigned to Shaanxi. With no money and no relatives, he was forced to wander the streets, lodging in a dilapidated room at the Tianhou Temple in Jingkou.
According to "Helin Yulu," one night, while Liang Hongyu was accompanying a client in Jingkou, she saw a tiger squatting under a temple pillar, its breath like thunder. Upon closer inspection, it was not a tiger but a young soldier. Liang Hongyu's servant kicked the soldier awake to ask his identity. He said he was Han Shizhong. Liang Hongyu silently admired this fallen young gentleman, realizing he was no ordinary person, and she felt a secret attraction.
Later, at a celebration banquet for the suppression of Fang La's rebellion, Han Shizhong and Liang Hongyu met again. Their eyes met, love blossomed, and they eventually married.
Liang Hongyu, skilled in martial arts and versed in strategy, often accompanied her husband in battles and advised on military matters, achieving numerous victories. In the fourth year of Jianyan, Han Shizhong was stationed in Xiuzhou. On the Lantern Festival, Jin Wushu issued a challenge to him, agreeing to fight the next day. Following Liang Hongyu's strategy, Han Shizhong divided the Song army into two units, with the central force signaling the attack, encircling, and annihilating the enemy. The result was a devastating defeat for the Jin army.
After Yue Fei's death, Han Shizhong was also stripped of his military power. He resigned from his office and lived the rest of his life with Liang Hongyu, growing old together.Chapter Four: Liu Rushi
In the fifth year of the Tianqi era of the Ming dynasty, in Shengze Town, Wujiang, the brothel owner Xu Fomai bought an 8-year-old girl named Yun Juan. She was naturally beautiful and extremely clever, and was expected to become a famous courtesan. Xu carefully taught her to read poetry and write lyrics, to play the qin, play chess, and practice calligraphy and painting, and changed her name to Chaoyun.
By the age of 13, Chaoyun was already extraordinary. The old lady of the current prime minister Zhou Daodeng took a liking to her at first sight and bought her with a large sum to serve as a maid. Zhou Daodeng felt compassion upon seeing her, and following the poem line by Li Yishan, 'Hearing my own voice against the shadow is already pitiable,' he changed her name to Yinglian, personally taught her to compose poetry and practice calligraphy, and later took her as a concubine, showering her with endless affection. In the fifth year of the Chongzhen reign, Zhou Daodeng passed away. Yinglian was 15 years old, and due to the jealousy of other concubines, she was driven out of the Zhou household.
Yinglian, having been through many worldly experiences, was very independent. Admiring the renown of Chen Zilong, one of the leaders of the Fusu Society, she went through great difficulty to find his home in Songjiang. Chen Zilong, known as Wozi, was distressed by the state of the nation, outspoken in criticizing current politics, free-spirited and cultivated, with talents and moral integrity highly respected by scholars. He had seen Yinglian once at the prime minister's house and was naturally very pleased to receive her now. The talented scholar and beautiful woman shared mutual sympathy, drank and rested together, and composed poetry expressing their aspirations; their happiness was beyond words. Drawing inspiration from Chapter Tai Liu in Xu Yaozuo's "Biography of the Liu Family" from the Tang dynasty, Yinglian changed her name to Liu Rushi, adopting 'Rushi' as her courtesy name.
Chen Zilong's wife, Madam Zhang, was astute and perceptive. Seeing Wozi's heart wholly absorbed by Liu Rushi, she burned with jealousy and constantly tormented Rushi, leading to household discord.
In the sixth year of Chongzhen, Rushi persuaded Wozi to go to the capital for the imperial examination, and the two bid each other farewell with poetry and wine. Thereafter, Madam Zhang arbitrarily harassed Liu Rushi. Rushi tolerated it with great generosity and patience, waiting for Wozi's return. Unexpectedly, despite Chen being a leader of the Fusu Society and unmatched in literary talent, he still failed in the imperial examination. Ashamed, he resolved to study diligently in Beijing for three more years to succeed. At home, Madam Zhang pressured Rushi daily and soon drove her out of the Chen household under some pretext. With nowhere to go, Rushi had no choice but to return to Xu Fomai's brothel in Shengze Town.
Shengze Town, at the junction of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, was a gathering place for late Ming literati. Liu Rushi, in her prime at twenty, knew much about the world. When she returned to the brothel, she caused a sensation, attracting many talented men of high standing. Three years later, Xu Fomai married and left, and Liu Rushi became independent, wealthy, and famous. With her reputation for integrity, she chose only loyal and virtuous men. She selected the talented Song Yuanwen as an intimate friend and, after much testing, found him reliable, deciding to marry him. However, Song Yuanwen's parents disapproved of her origin as a courtesan and refused the match. Being filial, Yuanwen had no choice but to give up.
In the thirteenth year of Chongzhen, the Grand Secretary Qian Qianyi came to visit Liu Rushi.This literary giant, once also the charismatic leader of the Donglin Party, was a dashing master in his own right. The two began their relationship through poetry talks in a narrow alley and became a couple with a notable age difference. In June of the 14th year of Chongzhen, Qian Qianyi dared to defy the conventions of the world and formally married Liu Rushi as his wife. One was 60, the other 20, yet the scholar cherished the beauty, and their affection was flawless. Liu Rushi was extraordinarily learned; when Mr. Qian wrote historical books, she could provide references at any time. Qian built a library behind his study for her, called it the 'Crimson Cloud Tower,' and honored her as the 'Crimson Cloud Fairy.'\
When Li Zicheng captured Beijing, Prince Fu Zhu Yousong established the Hongguang Southern Ming dynasty in Nanjing and appointed Qian Qianyi as Minister of Rites, with Liu Rushi accompanying him. In May of the 2nd year of Tongguang, the Qing army attacked Nanjing. Liu Rushi said to Mr. Qian, 'When you die for your country, I will die for you.' But Qian, fearing death, stopped her when she stepped into the Lotus Pond. Later, Qian compromised to welcome the Qing forces and served as Vice Minister of Rites for half a year; only after Liu Rushi's persistent plea did he feign illness to return home.\
The one Liu Rushi truly loved was Chen Zilong, and Chen Zilong was indeed the man worthy of her affection. He was devoted to the anti-Qing restoration of the Ming dynasty; later, when caught by Qing forces, he took the opportunity to throw himself into the water and died.\
Liu Rushi's poetry, in 'Jinming Pond · Cold Willow,' ends with the lines: 'Waiting to meet the plum's soul, at dusk under the faint moon, I whisper gentle words of love.' Exquisite!
