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Liang Hongyu - Drummer general

Little is known of Liang Hongyu’s (d.1135) origins. She was a courtesan in Jiangsu province, China. Some stories pretend that she was in fact the a daughter of a general, was taught martial arts, and was forced to become a courtesan after her family fell into disgrace.

It was when serving at a  banquet that she met her future husband, the future general Han Shinzhong. She befriended him and eventually married him. According to another version of her story, it was him who taught her military skills.

She joined her husband in his fight against the invading Jurchen of the Jin dynasty, acting as his close military assistant. She once rushed at the head of her troops to try to rescue Han Shizhong who had found himself encircled by the enemy.

In 1129, commander-General Miao Fu rebelled against Emperor Gaozong and planned to seize control of the imperial throne through the emperor’s son. Hongyu managed to get an audience with the empress dowager and warned her of the conspiracy. The dowager allowed her to go fetch her husband. Liang Hongyu reached him after a long ride and convinced him to march to the capital to end the rebellion. Hongyu was rewarded for her loyalty with the title of “Consort of State Protection”. The state also granted her the salary of a military general.

She and Han Shinzhong resumed their fight against the Jin troops. In 1130, she distinguished herself during a battle on the Yangzi river. Hongyu beat the drum all the while to motivate the troops and the Song soldiers were victorious. She then wrote the court and begged them to pay her and her husband their salary. Her request was granted by the emperor.

As the Jurchen retreated northward, Hongyu and her husband volunteered to establish a military settlement in Chu Prefecture. She died the same year in 1135. The emperor gave 500 taels of silver and many bolts of silk to her family.

Her story was later immortalized through many legends, plays and songs.

Bibliography:

Bennett Peterson Barbara, Notable Women of China: Shang Dynasty to the Early Twentieth Century

“General Liang Hongyu - the mighty drummer and Lady of the Nation’s Peace”

Mou Sherry J., “Liang Hongyu”, in: Higham Robin, Pennington Reina (ed.), Amazons to fighter pilots, biographical dictionary of military women, vol.1

Wu Pei-Yi, “Liang, Hongyu”, in: Lee Lily Xiao Hong, Wiles Sue (dir.), Biographical dictionary of Chinese women: Tang through Ming (618-1644)