Li Xiangjun

Li Xiangjun

Li Xiangjun (1624-1654), also known as Li Xiang, was originally surnamed Wu from Suzhou (now Suzhou, Jiangsu Province). Together with Dong Xiaowan, Chen Yuanyuan and Liu Rushi, she is known as "Qinhuai eight beauties". When Li Xiangjun was eight years old, he changed his surname from Wu to Li with his adoptive mother Li Zhenli. He is a famous prostitute in Nanjing moling Jiaofang and one of the eight beauties of Qinhuai. She has a mellow voice, but she is not easy to sing with others, and she is good at playing and singing pipa.

After Kong Shangren's Peach Blossom Fan came out in 1699, Li Xiangjun became famous all over the world.

Life figures

Early experience

In 1624, Li Xiangjun was born in Wuzhai, Fengqiao, changmen, Suzhou. There were three brothers and two sisters. His father used to be a military officer. Because he was a member of the Donglin Party, he was punished by Wei Zhongxian and his gang. After that, his family was ruined and he wandered in a foreign land. When Li Xiangjun was eight years old, he changed the surname of Wu to Li with his adoptive mother Li Zhenli. Li Xiangjun learned all kinds of Arts from others when she was young. She is proficient in music, poetry and pipa. She is especially good at Nanqu. Her sweet voice has won the admiration of tourists from all over the world. Because Li Zhenli, the adoptive mother, was generous and elegant, most of the guests in Meixiang house were literati and loyal officials.

first awakening interest in the opposite sex

In 1639 (the 12th year of Chongzhen reign of the Ming Dynasty), when Li Xiangjun was just 16 years old, he fell in love with Hou Fangyu at first sight. A famous prostitute like Li Xiangjun had to invite a large number of dignified personages and pay a large amount of money to the bustard. Unfortunately, Hou Fangyu had no money and could do nothing. Yang Longyou, a friend of mine, gave him a lot of help and the ceremony was successfully held. That night, Hou Fangyu gave Li Xiangjun a fine carved ivory bone white silk face palace fan as a token of love. On the fan was an amber pendant handed down by the Hou family. Li Xiangjun was deeply aware of Hou Lang's sincerity, so he stayed in Meixiang building. However, the money was not Yang Longyou's, but a favor presented by Ruan Dacheng to Hou Fangyu, who wanted to win over Hou Fangyu. Ruan Dacheng was originally a dramatist and writer in the late Ming Dynasty, but his character was very low. Hou Fangyu still hesitated, but Li Xiangjun got angry, took off the hairpin on his head and woke him up. After selling off the jewelry and borrowing money, he finally got enough money and threw it back to Ruan Dacheng.

Blood splashing poem fan

Ruan Dacheng held a grudge. After emperor Hongguang ascended the throne, he appointed Ruan Dacheng. He took the opportunity to frame Hou Fangyu and forced him to go to shikefa. After Hou Fangyu left, Li Xiangjun ended his career. Wash all lead China, shut the door to thank guest, wholeheartedly waiting for childe return. At the instigation of Ruan Dacheng, Da Hong Tian of Hongguang came to greet Li Xiangjun as his concubine. Li Xiangjun resolutely refused, but Tian Yang insisted. She just bumped into the railing and spattered her blood on the fan Hou Fangyu gave her. The married man saw that there was a homicide case, so he had to go back with a sedan chair. Yang Longyou, Hou Fangyu's friend, uses blood spots to draw a peach blossom in the fan.

March into the palace

Ruan Dacheng is also a famous writer in the literary world. He didn't want to let Li Xiangjun go. Instead, he wrote lyrics and scripts for emperor Hongguang of the Southern Ming Dynasty. After Li Xiangjun recovered, Ruan Dacheng immediately enlisted her into the palace as a singer under the guise of the oracle. This move Li Xiangjun really can not resist, she is a brothel woman, how dare to disobey the emperor! As soon as the palace gate is deep as the sea, when can I see Hou Lang who I miss day and night again? She wanted to ask Yu Yan to send a letter to her lover in the distance, so that he could come back to see him. But at this time, the war was tight, the traffic was cut off, and the letter could not be sent. With infinite nostalgia and regret, Li Xiangjun entered the palace, holding the Peach Blossom Fan written in blood in his arms.

a strange combination of circumstances

In 1644 (the first year of the reign of emperor Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty), the soldiers of the Qing Dynasty conquered Yangzhou and went straight to Nanjing. Emperor Hongguang fled after hearing the news, and was finally hijacked by the Ministry of foreign affairs and dedicated to the Qing army. Then Nanjing city broke down without any attack. When the city of Nanjing broke down, Li Xiangjun escaped from the "cage" with some palace people at night. The streets were in chaos. The Qing soldiers burned, killed and looted, and the refugees fled everywhere. Li Xiangjun walked to the Bank of Qinhuai River with one foot high and one foot low, only to see the place where the fire was shining into the sky, and the night sky was red with blood. Finally came to the long board bridge, standing at the end of the bridge, looking to the direction of Mei Xiang Lou, but found that Mei Xiang Lou has also been hidden in a sea of fire. Li Xiangjun's heart sank, his feet softened, and he suddenly sat down on the bridge, his mind blank. As it happens, Su kunsheng, the master who taught music for Li Xiangjun at that time, had a long way to Banqiao. He found Li Xiangjun sitting on the ground and got her up. Then he realized that she had nowhere to go. He took her to Suzhou with the flow of refugees. As a matter of fact, Hou Fangyu was also in Nanjing that night. He left to return to Nanjing after the defeat of Yangzhou. When he arrived, he was worried about the safety of Li Xiangjun and rushed to the Qinhuai River. However, he saw that Meixiang building was burning in flames, and no one he knew was there. He wandered around Meixiang building for a whole night, but he couldn't see Li Xiangjun's shadow. In fact, Li Xiangjun was sitting on the long slab bridge just a stone's throw away from Meixiang building, but God teased people, but he didn't let them meet.

die

In 1645 (the second year of the reign of emperor Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty), Li Xiangjun suffered a lot in Nanjing. Later, he hid in Baozhen nunnery of Qixia mountain and became a nun with his former Qinhuai sister Bian Yujing. In the autumn of 1645, Hou Fangyu found Li Xiangjun in Qixia mountain. They went to discuss crossing the river and passed by the old people in Beiqiu. Li Xiangjun conceals his identity as a geisha and lives in the Jade House of Xiyuan as a concubine of Wu family. Here, she lives in harmony with her parents-in-law; she respects Hou Fangyu Yuanpei's wife Chang as a guest of honor, and her sisters are commensurate; she has a deep love for fish and water, and harmonizes with Hou Fangyu. In the eight years from 1645 to 1652, Li Xiangjun lived in peace and comfort, which can also be said to be the happiest period in her life. But the weather is unpredictable, and people are in danger. When Hou Fangyu went to Nanjing to beg for Xiangjun's son and relatives, her identity problem was exposed. Duke Hou Xun knew that Li Xiangjun was the true identity of Qinhuai Kabuki, and immediately ordered Li Xiangjun to get out of feicui building. After being interceded, he reluctantly let her live in Hou's firewood garden, Daji garden, 15 miles away from the city. It's a desolate village with no shops in the back and no village in the front. At this time, they learned that Li Xiangjun was pregnant, which aroused the sympathy of their mother-in-law and Mrs. Chang. They begged for help from Hou Xun again and again. Hou Xun reluctantly agreed to send a little girl to serve there. When Hou Fangyu returned to guide (now Shangqiu), he would take Li Xiangjun back and live in feicui upstairs. Because of his humble background, Xiang Jun was driven to live in Hou's Manor (now Li Ji garden) 7 kilometers away from the city. Li Xiangjun died of tuberculosis at the age of 30.

Anecdotes of characters

Hou Fangyu came to Meixiang building to see Li Xiangjun. As soon as you enter Li Xiangjun's room, you can see that the interior furnishings of calligraphy, painting and antiques are unique and fresh, which is quite different from the common brothels. Li Xiangjun asked the guests to take their seats with a smile. At that time, the maidservant of the poem sent the tea and fruit. At that time, Fang Yu was attracted by a large banner hanging on the front wall. This is a picture of "the dawn of the cold river". On the snow filled Qingjiang River, a lonely boat swam in the middle of the river. The sky is blue, the water is vast, and there are few people. It is a kind of distant and indifferent mood. There is also a poem on the painting The west wind is blowing, the sky is clear, the landscape is picturesque, and the mirror is hanging. I don't know where the old man is. The sun rises and the boat is fishing. " There was no signature on the painting. It was expected that it was not made by a famous artist. Hou Fangyu asked, "who made this painting?" Seeing that he paid so much attention to painting, Li Xiangjun said shyly, "it's a little girl's graffiti. It's not enough for Tao." "You did it?" Hou Fangyu can't believe that such a young woman in brothel should have made such a beautiful poem and painting. It's really impressive. Starting from this painting, the more they talk, the more speculative they become. They are friends with each other. One is a romantic young man, the other is a delicate and affectionate brothel girl. After several exchanges, they both fell in love.

Character evaluation

Overall evaluation

"In the eight beauties of Qinhuai, Li Xiangjun is not the first in terms of appearance or talent, but she is the top of the eight beauties of Qinhuai. You may not be able to say it completely, but Li Xiangjun is well known. " The reason why Li Xiangjun is so famous is mainly her loyalty to love and noble patriotism.

Celebrity Reviews

Lin Yutang wrote a poem for Xiangjun: "Xiangjun is a woman with blood stained peach blossom fan. Her spirit and righteousness shine through the ages, and she is ashamed to kill a man. Xiangjun, a woman, is a barbarian, hanging on the wall of the studio, teaching me how to control. Today, the world's men, who is a barbarian, everyone in the morning and evening, into what kind of appearance. Today's world is full of swindlers and dealers. I don't think there is much trouble with ancient beauties. " Yu Huai's miscellaneous notes of Banqiao: "Li Xiang's body is short, her skin is jade, and Huijun begins to turn around. She is matchless in teasing. Her name is Xiang Fan pendant." The same book also records: "thirteen years of fragrance, also chivalry and wisdom."

Commemoration of later generations

The exhibition hall of Li Xiangjun's former residence is located at the south end of Laiyan bridge of Confucius Temple, No. 38, chaoku street. It faces the food street with three entrances and two courtyards. It is backed by the Qinhuai River, with green bricks and small tiles, horse head wall, corridor hanging, lattice window, typical Jiangnan residential style. shop

Chinese PinYin : Li Xiang Jun1