Qin Liangyu

Qin Liangyu (1574-1648), courtesy name Zhensu, was born in Zhongzhou, Sichuan (now Zhongxian County, Chongqing). She was the only female general in Chinese history who was included in the biographies of generals in the official history of Ming Dynasty, breaking the prejudice that "women are inferior to men". She was born into a family of military generals. She was taught by her father to "hold the sword to defend the country" and learned the art of cavalry and archery at an early age. At the age of 16, he married Ma Qiancheng through a martial arts competition, and the two created the "White Pole Soldier" together. After her husband's death, he was ordered to take over his duties in his stead, starting a military career of more than 40 years. She had great military exploits throughout her life. In the 27th year of Wanli, she went on an expedition with her husband and quelled Yang Yinglong's rebellion in Bozhou. In the first year of Tianqi, she led troops to help, successfully solved the siege of Chengdu and regained Chongqing. After the Battle of Saarhu, she sent her brother to lead 3,000 white-armed soldiers to help Liaodong to resist the Hou Jin Dynasty. In the third year of Chongzhen, Huang Taiji entered the pass and destroyed the city. She raised her own food and salary, traveled thousands of miles to work hard, and cooperated with Sun Chengzong to regain the lost land. After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, the 73-year-old Qin Liangyu stood firm on the stone pillars and resolutely refused to surrender to the Qing Dynasty. In recognition of her loyalty, Emperor Longwu of the Southern Ming Dynasty named her "Prince Taibao Zhongzhenhou". Qin Liangyu was good at both civil and military skills. He was good at riding and shooting, mastered the art of war, and was good at writing. He was strict in running the army. He invented "Tian Guan" and "Earth Listening" to detect the enemy, and he also killed relatives in a righteous cause. His family adhered to loyalty and was praised by Emperor Chongzhen in poems. Her deeds were widely praised by later generations, and literati such as Bing Xin and Guo Moruo praised her. The patriotic general Feng Yuxiang even advocated "to commemorate Hua Mulan and learn from Qin Liangyu." Today, relevant relics are still preserved in Zhongxian County, Chongqing. The Qin family tradition has been passed down from generation to generation. Her spirit of loyalty and courage has traveled through time and space, becoming an eternal example of "women must not give way to men".