Liang Hongyu was a Chinese general of the

Song Dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...

. She became famous during the Jin–Song wars against the Jurchen-led

Jin Dynasty Jin may refer to: States Jìn 晉 * Jin (Chinese state) (晉國), major state of the Zhou dynasty, existing from the 11th century BC to 376 BC * Jin dynasty (266–420) (晉朝), also known as Liang Jin and Sima Jin * Jin (Later Tang precursor) ...

. Her real given name was lost in time. She was simply referenced in the official Chinese history books as "Lady Liang" (梁氏). Historical details of Liang's life are sketchy, but she was known to be the wife of

Han Shizhong Han Shizhong () (1089 – 16 September 1151) was a Chinese military general, poet, and politician of the late Northern Song dynasty and the early Southern Song dynasty. He dedicated his whole life to serving the Song dynasty, and performed man ...

, a Song general known for resisting invaders from the Jin Dynasty together with

Yue Fei Yue Fei (; March 24, 1103 – January 28, 1142), courtesy name Pengju (), was a Chinese military general of the Song dynasty and is remembered as a patriotic folk hero, national hero, known for leading its forces in Jin–Song Wars, the wars ...

and others, and to have commanded troops at the Battle of Huangtiandang using drums to coordinate the Song forces. Since her death, several legendary tales have emerged of her life and exploits. These tales give her the name "Hongyu" (红玉), meaning "Red Jade".

Historical Liang Hongyu

There are scant details of the historical Liang Hongyu. Her birthday and birthplace are unknown, although some sources she was born in about 1102 in what is today's

Anhui Province Anhui is an inland province located in East China. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze and Huai rivers, bordering Jiangsu and Zhejiang to the east, Jiangxi to the south, Hub ...

. Her early life is unknown. She was a

courtesan A courtesan is a prostitute with a courtly, wealthy, or upper-class clientele. Historically, the term referred to a courtier, a person who attended the court of a monarch or other powerful person. History In European feudal society, the co ...

, good at singing, dancing and painting. Liang Hongyu is also good at playing musical instruments and calligraphy. She met Han Shizong in 1121 while performing. They married and had at least one child. Han Shizong was a general commanding Song troops against the Jin Dynasty, and Liang accompanied her husband on these campaigns. She is known to have participated at the Battle of Huangtiandang, where her use of flags and drums as signals led to a Song victory. When Han Shizong resigned after the execution of

, Liang followed her husband into retirement.

Legendary Liang Hongyu

Later legends about Liang significantly fleshed out details of her life and exploits. Liang's father was an army commander at the frontier, from where the

was increasingly threatened by the Jurchen-ruled

. He taught her martial skills. Liang's feet were not bound. She was a master of martial arts. Several accounts stated she was a woman with incredible strength and was a master of archery. At a certain point in her career, she met her husband,

, though accounts differ on exactly how they met. The most believable version is that she met Han at a banquet where she was entertaining the troops that Han led. Han had led his men in crushing a rebellion in southern China, and Han had personally arrested the rebel leader,

Fang La Fang La (; died 1121) was a Chinese rebel leader who led an uprising against the Song dynasty. In the classical novel ''Water Margin'', he is fictionalised as one of the primary antagonists and nemeses of the 108 Stars of Destiny. He is sometim ...

. However, his superior stole his credit, much to Han's displeasure. Liang knew the truth and admired Han's victory. She saved enough money to pay her own redemption from slavery. After she was free, she became Han's second wife. The Jurchens soon started the total invasion of the Song Dynasty. Han formed an army to fight the Jurchens and Liang worked as a general in her husband's army.

Battle of Huangtiandang

When the Jurchens once more invaded and attacked

Hangzhou Hangzhou, , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ; formerly romanized as Hangchow is a sub-provincial city in East China and the capital of Zhejiang province. With a population of 13 million, the municipality comprises ten districts, two counti ...

in 1129, shortly after the coup had been crushed, Liang and her husband led their forces to ambush the enemy army on their way back to Jin territory. Their troops were outnumbered and the Battle of Huangtiandang commenced. This was a series of naval battles fought on the

Yangtze River The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ) is the longest river in Eurasia and the third-longest in the world. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains of the Tibetan Plateau and flows including Dam Qu River the longest source of the Yangtze, i ...

. Liang made a plan by which she would direct the soldiers with her drums. When the battle started, the Song troops were pushed back by Jurchen troops due to superior numbers on the Jurchen side. With great courage, Liang threw her helmet and armour, beating the drums and led the charge into the enemy formation. This became the turning point of the battle. Chinese "Tiger Ships", which could spew fire with flame throwers, destroyed many Jin ships while Liang directed them with her drumming. The Jurchens were trapped for more than a month, before a traitor revealed a weakness in the Chinese encirclement and they escaped, but with heavy losses.

Later life

In 1135 Han was appointed ''

jiedushi The ''jiedushi'' (, Old Turkic: Tarduş) or jiedu, was a regional military governor in China; the title was established in the Tang dynasty and abolished in the Yuan dynasty. The post of ''jiedushi'' has been translated as "military commissi ...

'' of Wuning Anhua (武寧安化軍節度使). Liang and her husband rebuilt the fortress of

Chuzhou Chuzhou () is a prefecture-level city in eastern Anhui Provinces of China, Province, China. It borders the provincial capital of Hefei to the south and southwest, Huainan to the west, Bengbu to the northwest, and the province of Jiangsu to the ...

and increased its defence. They and their soldiers also worked on the rebuilding of houses and the planting of fields. In 1136, Han Shizhong was awarded the title of Jiedu envoy of Wuning and Anhua towns and Xuanfu disposal envoy of Jingdong and Huaidong roads, and opened an official office in Chuzhou. Liang Hongyu followed her husband out of Chuzhou, and Han Shizhong "draped himself on grass and set up a military mansion" and shared the joys and sorrows with the soldiers. His wife Liang Hongyu also personally "weaved thin sheets into the house". After Liang Hongyu's death, she was given the title of Mrs. Binguo(邠国夫人) by the court. The posthumous article lamented that Liang Hongyu and Han Shizhong "eventually grew old hand in hand even after becoming rich". The exact time of Liang Hongyu's death is unknown, but it is generally believed that she died in 1153.

Legacy

Poetry was written in her honour, which contributed to her fame. Together with Qin Liangyu, He Yufeng, and the legendary

Hua Mulan Hua Mulan () is a legendary Chinese folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era (4th to 6th century CE) of Chinese history. Scholars generally consider Mulan to be a fictional character. Hua Mulan is depicted in the '' Wu Shuan ...

, she is one of the most well-known female warriors in China.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Liang, Hongyu Women in ancient Chinese warfare 12th-century Chinese military personnel Women in 12th-century warfare 1135 deaths 1100s births Chinese female generals Chinese generals Song dynasty jiedushi Burials in Suzhou Deified Chinese women 12th-century Chinese women Chinese Gējìs