Yao Yecheng (, 26 August 1887 – 1966), along with

Chen Jieru Chen Jieru (; 26 August 1906 – 21 January 1971), also spelled Ch'en Chieh-ju, was the second wife of Chiang Kai-shek. She was nicknamed Jennie. Chen's ancestral hometown was Ningpo (Ningbo), Chekiang (Zhejiang) Province, and she was born i ...

(, "Jennie", 1906–1971) was among the two

concubine Concubinage is an interpersonal and sexual relationship between a man and a woman in which the couple does not want, or cannot enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarded as similar but mutually exclusive. Concubi ...

s of Nationalist Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek (, 1887–1975) during the time when Chiang was also in an arranged marriage to

Mao Fumei Mao Fumei ( zh, c=毛福梅, 9 November 1882 – 12 December 1939) was the first wife of Chiang Kai-shek, and the biological mother of Chiang Ching-Kuo. Mao was born in Fenghua, Ningpo (Ningbo), Chekiang (Zhejiang) Province, and, like most w ...

(, 1882–1939). In 1921, Chiang married Jennie. In 1927, Chiang divorced Mao Fumei and exiled Jennie—denying any association with the latter. In the busy year of 1927, Chiang also dropped Yao and married

Soong Mei-ling Soong Mei-ling (also spelled Soong May-ling, ; March 5, 1898 – October 23, 2003), also known as Madame Chiang Kai-shek or Madame Chiang, was a Chinese political figure who was First Lady of the Republic of China, the wife of Generalissimo a ...

(, "Meiling", "Madame Chiang", 1897–2003). Yao was a sing-song girl whom Chiang "took as his concubine" though at the time she "belonged to an elderly man who became jealous of her relationship" with Chiang. Once as she was serving bubbling-hot soup at a meal with both Chiang and the elderly patron present, the elder seized the bowl and emptied it onto her head while chiding her about the contacts with Chiang—an assault in which "the boiling liquid disfigured her, and ruined her career of entertaining men in teahouses." Yao lived with Chiang for a time at a villa at 99 Daichengqiao Road in Suzhou. The spacious villa, later renamed Garden Hotel Suzhou, still stands and was used by the Communist Chinese government as an "official state guest house for leaders of the Party, the State and foreign countries" and visiting celebrities. It is now a hotel open to the general public. Chiang entrusted Yao with the parenting of his adopted son Chiang Wei-kuo (, "Wego", 1916–1997). Young "Wego" grew up to study military tactics in

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

where he commanded a

Panzer This article deals with the tanks (german: panzer) serving in the German Army (''Deutsches Heer'') throughout history, such as the World War I tanks of the Imperial German Army, the interwar and World War II tanks of the Nazi German Wehrmacht ...

unit before being recalled to China in 1938 where he was quickly promoted through ranks up to

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

in the

Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Tai ...

's National Revolutionary Army; he later was a senior officer in the Taiwanese

Republic of China Armed Forces The Republic of China Armed Forces (ROC Armed Forces) are the armed forces of the Republic of China (ROC), once based in mainland China and currently in its remaining jurisdictions which include the islands of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu ...

(until 1964 when he was moved to

figurehead In politics, a figurehead is a person who ''de jure'' (in name or by law) appears to hold an important and often supremely powerful title or office, yet ''de facto'' (in reality) exercises little to no actual power. This usually means that they ...

status after the Hukou Incident). Yao died in

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

in 1966 at age 79.

References

Bibliography

* 1887 births 1966 deaths Chiang Kai-shek family People from Suzhou Taiwanese people from Jiangsu Spouses of Chinese politicians {{China-bio-stub