Bringing the Railway to Daming

Chapter 286: What is the story behind Hua Mulan and Mu Guiying? [Request for subscription]

"Over the course of seven years, the Ming Dynasty's situation deteriorated. To resist the invasion of the Later Jin, the White Spear Army crossed the Hun River and engaged in a bloody battle with the Eight Banners Army. In this battle, Qin Liangyu's brothers, Qin Bangping and Qin Banghan, were both killed."

"But the relief offered by the court was disingenuous and chilling. Wearing the uniform of a second-rank imperial official, Qin Liangyu tearfully appealed for the injustice done to her brother's funeral, winning the imperial award of the hereditary position of Vice Governor."

"The following year, the She An Rebellion broke out. First, She Chongming rebelled in Chongqing. He used a trick to capture almost all the high-ranking officials in Sichuan. He laid siege to Chengdu, and the situation in Sichuan became critical."

"Qin Liangyu beheaded the envoys who came to persuade her to surrender, beat the drums and marched west, leading her army straight to Chengdu, where she defeated She Chongming and quickly put down the Sichuan Rebellion. However, her brother Qin Minping was ambushed and killed in the subsequent battle to quell An Bangyan."

"Everyone in Shu praises Liang Yu's name, but in the court, because she is a woman, she is slandered."

"As time passed, the figures of my husband and brother gradually faded. When I opened my eyes, I saw the slaughter by the Qing army again."

"In the third year of Chongzhen's reign, Qin Liangyu was nearly sixty years old, her hair white. When Huang Taiji entered the pass and besieged the capital, Qin Liangyu responded without hesitation. Knowing that the national treasury was depleted, she donated all her property to pay the troops..."

Amidst the inexplicably sad music of Xuan Ni, the female general fought in one battle after another, her black hair turning white, but her eyes remained firm and sharp.

However, the decline of the Ming Dynasty was beyond human control. In the continuous wars during the Chongzhen period, Qin Liangyu's daughter-in-law Zhang Fengyi, son Ma Linxiang, and nephew Qin Gongming also died in battle one after another.

"In the 13th year of Chongzhen's reign, Zhang Xianzhong surrendered but rebelled again, wreaking havoc in Sichuan. Qin Liangyu raised her own military funds and fought against the rebels."

"However, the governor-general and the governor-general were in factional strife, and personal interests were put above public interest. In this battle, almost all of Qin Liangyu's 30,000 white-pole soldiers were killed, and they were unable to quell the rebellion."

"She wanted to rally the local chieftains of Xidong to fight again, offering only half the government's rations and wages, but her proposal was rejected by the governor. Qin Liangyu, now over sixty years old, could only return home with wounds all over her body and the news of the deaths of tens of thousands of Shiqu people, sighing..."

In the video, the female general is fighting bloody battles, but it seems that there are enemies everywhere around her and she can’t kill them all.

In the end, it couldn't even protect the Ming Dynasty's flag and fell down!

Seeing this scene, Zhu Di couldn't help but clench his fists until they creaked. He said angrily, "How could the court of the late Ming Dynasty be filled with such selfish and incompetent people? I really want to lead the troops to fight alongside Qin Liangyu and save the Ming Dynasty!"

Old Zhu got even more angry and shouted, "What right do you have to make a fuss? Just watch the video quietly first!"

Zhu Di immediately became dispirited.

"A few years later, Beijing fell, Chongzhen committed suicide, and the Qing army entered the country, announcing the change of ownership of this land with a series of massacres."

"Zhang Xianzhong's power also grew rapidly. He first caused chaos in Huguang and then entered Sichuan, causing successive defeats for the government troops. Qin Liangyu gathered the last of the troops in Shiqu and went to rescue them, but she was outnumbered and defeated."

"After that, Qin Liangyu, short of soldiers and food, could only defend Shiqu and barely maintain peace in the area."

"In the second year of the Longwu reign, the Emperor, who was far away in Fujian, bestowed upon Qin Liangyu the titles of Grand Tutor and Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, and bestowed upon her the title of Marquis of Loyalty and Honour."

"Two years later, the court Qin Liangyu served was gone, most of the people she protected had passed away, and her life had come to an end."

"As the only female general recorded in official history, Qin Liangyu, the Marquis of Loyalty and Honour of the Ming Dynasty, died at home in the second year of the Yongli reign, filled with regret, at the age of seventy-four."

In the video, a white-haired female general put on armor, held a spear in her arms, sat on a chair, and never got up again.

At the same time a poem appears on the screen.

"I have learned the Eight Diagrams of Xichuan, and I hold the military order in my sleeves. Women are always willing to accept it, so who says a general is not a man?"

After the second video was over, the Zhu family remained silent for a long time, only some concubines and princesses were wiping their tears.

About two minutes later, it was Empress Ma who sighed first, "Qin Liangyu, what a remarkable woman!"

Old Zhu also sighed, "The Qin and Ma families of Shiqu, Sichuan, can be described as families full of loyal heroes."

Zhu Biao said bluntly: "The Ming Dynasty has let down the Qin and Ma families, but Qin Liangyu led the two families to be loyal to the Ming Dynasty. She shed countless blood for the Ming Dynasty, and countless young people died... Alas!" Zhu Di also wanted to say something, but found that nothing he said was appropriate.

In fact, he really wanted to go to the Wanli Dynasty and give the Wanli Emperor a good beating. If it weren't for the Wanli Emperor's mischief, the Ming Dynasty wouldn't have suffered so many tragic events.

At this time, Zhu Tan said to Zhu Xiongying: "Xiongying, you must educate your descendants well and govern the Ming Dynasty well. Don't let down those who shed blood and sacrificed their lives for the Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Xiongying nodded seriously, "Don't worry, Uncle Twelve, Xiongying will do it."

Hearing this, Liu Kuan sighed secretly: Who doesn't want to teach their descendants well? But how can it be so easy to teach descendants well?

"Liu Kuan, do you have anything else to say about Qin Liangyu?"

Old Zhu's question brought Liu Kuan back to his senses. He thought for a moment and said, "In fact, there are many works in later generations that praise female generals, such as Hua Mulan, Mu Guiying, and Liang Hongyu, but there is no one that praises Qin Liangyu."

Upon hearing this, everyone became curious.

Empress Ma asked, "We all know Liang Hongyu, but what are the stories behind Hua Mulan and Mu Guiying?"

Liu Kuan explained: "Hua Mulan first came from the poem 'The Ballad of Mulan' from the Northern and Southern Dynasties, which is the line 'Jiji fujiji, Mulan weaves by the window.'"

After Liu Kuan started, he found that everyone present, including Zhu Biao, was still confused. Apparently, in the early Ming Dynasty, "The Ballad of Mulan" was probably an extremely obscure poem, and few people knew about it.

He was too lazy to recite the entire text - if Lao Zhu and others wanted to know, they could just ask someone to check it out later.

"It was probably during the Jiajing and Wanli periods that the genius Xu Wei adapted The Ballad of Mulan into the play, The Female Mulan Joins the Army in Her Father's Place. It later became a popular play and was later adapted into television series, animations, and films, making Hua Mulan known to almost everyone."

"As for Mu Guiying, she is a famous female character in the drama 'The Romance of the Yang Family Generals,' which was compiled and adapted by a Ming Dynasty novelist from folk stories about the Yang Family Generals that were circulated during the Song and Yuan dynasties."

"In this story, the Yang family, a military family descended from Yang Ye during the Song Dynasty, is also full of loyal and heroic people. Almost all of their sons, daughters-in-law, and even grandchildren died on the battlefield for the Song Dynasty."

"Mu Guiying was Yang Ye's granddaughter-in-law and the last head of the Yang family. The most famous play related to her is called 'Mu Guiying Takes Command.'"

"Both 'Mulan' and 'The Legend of the Yang Family Generals' are complete stories with a lot of content. If Your Majesty and Your Majesty are interested, I can tell you slowly when I have time."

Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma smiled, understanding that Liu Kuan meant that it was not convenient to talk about it today.

Zhu Yuanzhang then asked, "Since future generations can make films about the nearly fictional characters Hua Mulan and Mu Guiying, why not also make films about Qin Liangyu?"

Liu Kuan said: "I don't know the real reason, but netizens speculate that there are three main reasons."

"First, Qin Liangyu is the only female general recorded in official history and a national hero. Perhaps those who filmed her later were worried about being criticized if they didn't film her well."

"Secondly, it's said that because Qin Liangyu's White-Pole Soldiers slaughtered the Qing Eight Banners Army so ruthlessly during the Battle of Hunhe, she was hated. After all, it was only a century after the fall of the Qing Dynasty, and there were still remnants of the former Qing forces, who were obstructing the release of films and TV series related to Qin Liangyu."

"As for the third reason, although Qin Liangyu's story is recorded in official history, few people know about it. Without fame, there's no buzz, so no one wants to film it."

After hearing Liu Kuan's explanation, Zhu Yuanzhang and others were surprised.

If they could barely understand the first and third reasons, then the second reason was difficult to understand.

But Old Zhu didn't ask any more questions. He turned around and glanced behind him. Seeing that the children had begun to slack off, he said, "Okay, let's stop here with the story of Qin Liangyu. Let's get ready to show the movie."

"Yes."

　Second update.

　　Good night~
　　
　　
　
(End of this chapter)