In the city of Nanjing in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, the most beautiful scenery naturally fell on both sides of the Qinhuai River. The "Eight Beauties of Qinhuai" was the most beautiful scenery among them, and Liu Rushi was one of the eight beauties.


She is so famous that people will inevitably think of her as frivolous. However, those who have really come into contact with Liu Rushi are more attracted by her talent. The famous writer Xu Tianxiao once commented on Liu Rushi's "noble ambitions and noble actions." Generosity, the euphemism and vehemence of his words, cannot be achieved without a true patriot.”


Liu Rushi, whose real name is Yang Ai and whose nickname is Rushi, is also called Hedong Jun. He read the poem "Congratulations to the Bridegroom" by Xin Qiji of the Song Dynasty: "I see how charming the green mountains are, and I expected that the green mountains should be like this when they see me."


She was a famous singing prostitute and talented girl during the Ming and Qing dynasties. She was smart and eager to learn when she was young. However, due to her poverty, she was robbed and sold to Wujiang as a maid at a young age. She fell into Zhangtai at a young age and changed her name to Liu Yin. In the troubled times, she Traveling between Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Jinling.


The main works left behind include "Grass on the Lake", "Wuyin Grass" and "Child Slips". In addition, Liu Rushi had profound family and country ideals and political ambitions. The feelings of this strange woman can be seen in her paintings and calligraphy.


Liu Rushi's "Authentic Antique Works of Hedongjun" album, collected by the Freer Museum of Art in the United States:



Liu Rushi had a very rough life. He was adopted by a famous prostitute when he was young and had to end up in a brothel. Although he shared the same aspirations with the famous literati at that time, he often wore Confucian men's clothing, talked about current affairs with everyone, sang poems to them, and even had a deep love for the literati Chen Zilong. , lived in Songjiang Nanlou for a long time, wrote poems, wrote poems, and sang to each other, but due to the hindrance of feudal ethics, they could not fly together.


In the eleventh year of Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty (1638), twenty-year-old Liu Rushi met Qian Qianyi, the former minister of the Ministry of Rites of the imperial court. In the thirteenth year of Chongzhen (1640), Liu Rushi dressed up as a man and met Qian Qianyi again in the name of Liu Rushi.


Qian Qianyi admired Liu Rushi's talent and built another "I Smell Room" named "Such I Smell" in the Banye Hall where he lived to echo Liu Rushi's name. And he took Liu Rushi to wander around the lakes and mountains, accompanied by poetry and wine. Liu Rushi felt deeply for her and was willing to marry Qian Qianyi, who was already over fifty years old at this time.



Emperor Chongzhen hanged himself. After the Qing army occupied Beijing, the Hongguang Court was established in Nanjing. Liu Rushi supported Qian Qianyi and became the Minister of Rites of Nanming.


Soon the Qing army went south. When the troops approached the city, Liu Rushi persuaded Qian Qianyi to join him in drowning and die for the country. Qian Qianyi was silent for a while and finally walked down to the pool to test the water and said: "The water is too cold to enter." Liu Rushi " He was about to sink into the pond," but Qian Qianyi held him back. In the end, Qian Qianyi came to the Qing Dynasty with a shy look, and Liu Rushi was very dissatisfied.


In the fourth year of Shunzhi (1647), Qian Qianyi was arrested and imprisoned for Huang Yuqi's anti-Qing case. In the fifth year of Shunzhi (1648), Liu Rushi ran around and rescued Qian Qianyi.


Liu Rushi bribed him to be released from prison while he was ill, and encouraged him to contact Zheng Chenggong, Zhang Huangyan, Qu Shichun, Wei Geng and others who were still resisting to try to revive the Ming Dynasty. Liu Rushi also tried her best to support and comfort the anti-Qing rebels, all of which showed her strong patriotism and national integrity.


Qian Qianyi died on May 24, the third year of Kangxi's reign (1664). After Qian Qianyi's death, the villagers gathered to seize his property. In order to protect Qian Qianyi's family property, Liu Rushi committed suicide with a silk tie.


Although the villains were scared away, a generation of talented women ended their lives like this. He died at the age of forty-six.


Liu Rushi Grass on the Lake
Liu Rushi Wanghai Tower Couplets
Liu Rushi ruler slips
Liu Rushi Wuyin grass