Liu Rushi

Chinese Ming Dynasty artist and poet

Liu Rushi
1847 portrait of Liu Rushi, ink on paper, by Lu Ji and Cheng Tinglu
Born	Yang Yunjuan 1618 Jiaxing, Zhejiang
Died	1664
Resting place	Mount Yu, Changshu, Jiangsu
Nationality	Chinese
Other names	Liu Shi (柳是), Liu Yin (柳隱), Yang Yunjuan (楊雲娟), Yang Yinglian (楊影憐), Yang Ai (楊愛),Hedong Jun(河東君),Miwu Jun(蘼蕪君),Wowenshi Zhuren(我聞室主人),Wowen Jushi(我聞居室)
Occupation(s)	courtesan,poet,writer
Known for	Poetry,Patriotic spirit

In this Chinese name, the family name is Liu.

Liu Rushi (Chinese: 柳如是; pinyin: Liú Rúshì; Wade–Giles: Liu Ju-shih; 1618–1664), also known as Yang Ai (楊愛), Liu Shi (柳是), Liu Yin (柳隱),Yang Yinlian (楊影憐) and Hedong Jun (河東君), was a Chinese courtesan, poet and writer in the late Ming dynasty and early Qing dynasty.

Early in her life, she had a relationship with Chen Zilong with whom she exchanged verses. She married the scholar-official Qian Qianyi, who was 36 years her senior, at the age of 23. She died by suicide shortly after his death.

She is one of the "Eight Beauties of Qinhuai" described by late Qing official Zhang Jingqi. In addition to her creative works (many of which have survived) and independent spirit, she has been revered in later times for her unwavering love for her husband and for her country (the Ming) during the Ming–Qing transition. Historian Chen Yinke, who spent decades researching and writing about her, characterizes Liu Rushi as "a heroine, a belle, a wordsmith, and a patriot" (女俠名姝文宗國士).

Early life

Liu Rushi was born in 1618. Her original surname was Yang and she was from Jiaxing, Zhejiang. Due to her poor family, she was sold to Guijia Yuan(归家院) who trained courtesans since she was a child. She was unfortunate in her childhood and her life experience is unknown. When Liu Rushi was about four or five years old, she began to receive training in art and literature. She worked as a courtesan apprentice and maid in Guijia Yuan. She was very smart since she was a child, the boss of Guijia Yuan is Xu Fo(徐佛), a former famous courtesan. Xu Fo is also Liu Rushi's teacher. Under her influence, Liu Rushi was able to read extensively, write poetry and paint flowers. When Liu Rushi was about 13 years old, she was sold into the home of Zhou Daodeng, the former prime minister of Chongzhen, and married to Zhou Daodeng, who was over sixty years old, as his concubine. The relationship between Liu Rushi and Zhou Daodeng is more like that of a granddaughter and a grandfather, Zhou Daodeng often held her on his lap and taught her poetry and songs, which made the other wives and concubines very jealous. After Zhou Daodeng's death, fourteen-year-old Liu Rushi was kicked out of the Zhou family. Liu Rushi, who left the Zhou family, chose to become a courtesan. In 1632, Liu Rushi came to Songjiang and changed his old name to "Ying Lian" to show his self-pity in the troubled times. In Songjiang, he communicated with Fushe, Jishe, and Donglin Party members. She often wore Confucian attire and men's clothing to gather with literati, talk about the general situation of the country, and sang many poems. When making friends with men, she liked to call herself "brother".She also often travels by boat between Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Jinling. Liu Rushi performed at the 75th birthday party of calligrapher and painter Chen Jiru. She performed singing and dancing, and the song she sang was the poem "Poetry·Xiaoya·Tianbao" in which the officials of the Zhou Dynasty prayed for the Emperor of Zhou. Liu Rushi's sweet singing voice made the birthday star feel relaxed and happy, and also made the guests present shine.

In 1632, when Liu Rushi met the poet Song Zhengyu, he was similar in age to her and liked each other. This was Liu Rushi's first lover in Songjiang. Song Zhengyu was born into a wealthy family, and their love was opposed by Song Zhengyu's mother. Liu Rushi cut off the strings of the guqin with a knife in front of Song Zhengyu and broke up with Song Zhengyu. Liu Rushi later fell in love with Chen Zilong, and both of them were very affectionate. They lived in Songjiang Nanlou for a long time, wrote poems, and discussed poems. Chen Zilong's wife, Zhang, led people to make trouble in the south building. Due to opposition from Chen Zilong's family, the two were forced to break up. Liu Rushi was unwilling to be humiliated and left sadly and resolutely. Despite this, Chen Zilong still has feelings for Liu Rushi. Chen Zilong was unfortunately defeated and died in the anti-Qing uprising. Liu Rushi discussed poetry with male literati and socialized with men, but some only stayed in poetry exchanges, and some men were just friends. Wang Ruqian, a wealthy businessman and literati, was Liu Rushi's good friend and he appreciated Liu Rushi's talent. The talented courtesan and poet Wang Wei was also Wang Ruqian's good friend. She was friends with fellow courtesan Chen Yuanyuan. Liu Rushi is also good friends with the courtesans Dong Xiaowan, Gu Hengbo, Li Xiangzhen and Li Xiangjun. She is also good friends with the boudoir woman and painter Huang Yuanjie.

Liu Rushi's name was taken from a line in "Congratulations to the Bridegroom·Shenyiwushuaiyi" written by Xin Qiji, a patriotic poet of the Southern Song Dynasty, "I see how charming the green mountains are, and I expected that the green mountains should be when they see me". Liu Rushi's patriotic spirit is very strong, and she also regards Liang Hongyu, a patriotic female general of the Song Dynasty who was a courtesan, as her idol.

Marriage to Qian Qianyi

In 1640 Liu embarked on a campaign to marry the respected scholar Qian Qianyi. Dressed in men's clothing, she accosted Qian and requested his opinion on one of her poems. Qian apparently believed her to be a man, but later in the year he had established her at a specially built hermitage in the grounds of his Suzhou estate, called the "According to Sutra Studio". They married in 1641 on a river cruise; Qian bestowed upon his bride the new name of Hedong. Although he married her as a concubine, Qian treated Liu as his principal wife, and they were married in a formal wedding ceremony. Her affinity for crossdressing persisted after they were married; she regularly wore men's clothing in public and on occasion made calls on her husband's behalf dressed in his Confucian robes, earning her the nickname "Confucian Gentleman" (儒士).

After the collapse of the Ming dynasty in 1644, Liu tried to persuade her husband to commit suicide and martyr himself to the fallen Ming. Qian refused, instead choosing to assist the growing anti-Qing resistance movement. In 1648, the couple had a daughter together.

The last years of her life were difficult for Liu. In 1663, she entered the Buddhist laity, partly as a response to the destruction of her husband's substantial personal library, the Crimson Cloud-Storied Hall. After Qian's death in 1664, his creditors and enemies attempted to extort money from Liu; their machinations eventually drove her to hang herself.

List of paintings

Landscapes with Figures, album leaves, ink and color on paper. Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Misty Willows at the Moon Dike, 1643, handscroll, ink and color on paper. Palace Museum, Beijing.

Other paintings by Liu Rushi include "Mountain Village in Smoke and Rain(煙雨山村)", "Early Spring Garden Drama(早春園戲)", "Fragrance Far and Bright(香遠益清)" etc.

Poetry

During her life Liu Rushi was a prolific poet, publishing four collections of her work before the age of 22. Her calligraphy was noted for its bold, masculine strokes, using the "wild-grass script" style. Her solo anthologies included Songs from the Mandarin Duck Chamber and Poems Drafted by a Lake, and her poetry was published alongside her husband's in a number of his works.

Other collections of poems by Liu Rushi include,"Grass on the Lake(湖上草)", "Wuyin Grass(戊寅草)", "Liu Rushi's Poems(柳如是詩)", "Hongdou Village Miscellanies(紅豆村莊雜錄)", "Plum Blossom Collection(梅花集句)", "Dongshan Sing Collection(東山酬唱集)", "Collection of Poems from Hedong(河東詩文集)", etc. In addition to poetry collections, calligraphy and painting works, Liu Rushi also wrote 31 Chidu(尺牘).

Commemorate

The Qing dynasty magistrate Chen Wenshu (陳文述) helped preserve her tomb and once helped rebuild it. To this day, Liu Rushi's tomb still exists.

References

^ Dorothy Ko (1994). Teachers of the Inner Chambers: Women and Culture in Seventeenth-Century China. Stanford University Press. pp. 273–7. ISBN 978-0-8047-2359-6.
Cahill, James (1990). "The Painting of Liu Yin". In Weidner, Marsha (ed.). Flowering in the Shadows: Women in the History of Chinese and Japanese Painting. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press. pp. 109–17. ISBN 978-0824811495.
*Xie 谢, Yongfang 永芳; Shi 施, Qin 琴 (2014). "像传题咏与经典重构———以《秦淮八艳图咏》为中心" ["Qinhuai bayan tuyong"-centered acclaim for portraits and classical reconstruction]. Zhongguo Wenhua Yanjiu (2): 180–188.
"Eight Scenes of Shenghu Lake".
清·郏抡逵《虞山画志》:“博览群籍，能诗文，间作白描花卉，秀雅绝伦。”
"[Baijia Forum] Although Liu Rushi came from a humble background and was bullied, she remained proud and refreshing".
"Take off all the rouge and gouache in the boudoir".
"[Stories in the Clouds] Liu Rushi in the Clouds - Songjiang Memories Behind the Names of Celebrities".
"Liu Rushi, practicing love".
陈寅恪《柳如是别传·第三章》:“未几，为郡守所驱，如是请辕文商决。置古琴一张，倭刀一口。问辕文曰：‘为今之计，奈何？’辕文徐应曰：‘姑避其锋。’如是大怒曰：‘他人为此言，无是怪。君不应尔。我与君自此绝矣。’持刀斫琴，七弦俱断。辕文骇愕出。”
""Thinking about past stories makes me sad like this" ——A brief explanation of "Liu Rushi's Farewell Biography"".
"Wang Ranming, a businessman who values friendship".
"Dong Xiaowan has outstanding talents, loves to write poetry, and is very serious and hardworking".
"《親愛的・柳如是》劇力萬鈞　主題沉重卻不失幽默｜何故專欄".
"[Baijia Forum] Liu Rushi's name comes from a poem by Xin Qiji".
^ ""女侠名姝"柳如是".
^ Victoria Baldwin Cass (January 1, 1999). Dangerous Women: Warriors, Grannies, and Geishas of the Ming. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 40–44. ISBN 978-0-8476-9395-5.
^ Bonnie G. Smith (2008). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History: 4 Volume Set. Oxford University Press. pp. 125–6. ISBN 978-0-19-514890-9.
^ Cahill, James (1990). "The Painting of Liu Yin". In Weidner, Marsha (ed.). Flowering in the Shadows: Women in the History of Chinese and Japanese Painting. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press. p. 104. ISBN 978-0824811495.
"Landscapes with Figures". Freer/Sackler. Smitihsonian Institution. Retrieved March 31, 2019.
Lee, Hui-shu (April 2015). "Voices from the Crimson Clouds Library: Reading Liu Rushi's (1618-1664) Misty Willows by Moonlit Dike". Journal of Chinese Literature and Culture. 2 (1): 173–206. doi:10.1215/23290048-2887589. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
"Group photo: Talented, beautiful and upright, the life and calligraphy and painting works of Qinhuai Bayan".
"Liu Rushi".
"莫怪女儿太唐突，蓟门朝士几须眉：秦淮八艳之柳如是".
Qian Yong (钱泳)《履园丛话》也有记载：“嘉庆二十年间，钱塘陈云伯（陈文述）为常熟令，访得柳夫人墓在拂水岩下，为清理立石。”

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Courtesans	Bai Mudan Empress Dowager Bian Chen Yuanyuan Dong Xiaowan Eight Beauties of Qinhuai Gu Mei Hongfu Li Shishi Li Xiangjun Li Ye Liu Rushi Ma Shouzhen Sai Jinhua Su Xiaoxiao Wang Wei Xue Susu Xue Tao Yu Xuanji
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