As we all know, civilization 6 is a game that contains well-known historical figures from all periods and industries around the world. As "Great Chinese Men", there are eleven of them, and they have made great achievements in their respective fields, including Confucius, Sun Tzu, Qu Yuan, Li Bai and others that we are all familiar with. There is a strange name that comes into our eyes - Zheng Yiyi.
Stills of Confucius in The Spring and Autumn of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty
China is one of the only four remaining ancient civilizations, and there have been many great people, so why did "Civilization 6" choose this unknown "Zheng Yiyi"? What are her deeds, which are favored by foreigners and even respected by the West as a "great Chinese man"?
Zheng Yiyi, who is revered by the West as a "great man of China"
In the game, Zheng Yiyi was the "naval commander" in the early Qing Dynasty. In fact, she is the wife of Zheng Yi, a famous pirate in the South China Sea, which is also the origin of her name "Zheng YiYi".
During the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty, piracy in Fujian and Zhejiang was rampant, and the strength of pirates in Guangdong was not much more. At that time, there were many bankrupt and unemployed fishermen and sailors in the coastal areas of Guangdong, who made a living by looting. In the literature, it is recorded that "thieves in the ocean, ten crimes and nine guangdong", which shows the rampant situation of piracy in the coastal areas of Guangdong at that time.
Jiaqing stills
So, what is the reason for the rise of pirates in Guangdong?
First of all, Guangdong's coastal waterways are intertwined, and there are many islands in the coastal areas that can be inhabited and hidden, so it is more ideal in terms of geographical location, and pirates have a certain geographical advantage.
Secondly, Guangdong's coastal trade was developed, and the "Maritime Silk Road" opened since the Tang Dynasty started from Guangzhou. Chinese ships carried high-value items such as silk, tea, and porcelain, while foreign merchant ships carried silver dollars, woolen fabrics, and even opium, which were very tempting for the poor but adventurous pirates.
Finally, during the Jiaqing period, the pirates in Guangdong were basically in a state of self-destruction, without government supervision, and the Vietnamese Xishan regime provided them with shelter, which is why it became an opportunity for the rise of pirates.
Portrait of Zheng Yiyi
Zheng Yi's sister-in-law took over Zheng Yi's banner and became the leader of the Red Flag Gang
The leader among the pirates in Guangdong is the Hongqi Gang led by Zheng Yi and Zheng Yiyi. Zheng Yi was ambitious, he wanted to unify the various forces at the mouth of the Pearl River into a "pirate alliance", and Zheng Yi's sister-in-law became his helper. The day did not go according to people's wishes, but Zheng Yi died in a strong typhoon, which can be described as "dying before leaving the division".
Since then, Zheng Yiyi has taken over the banner of Zheng Yi, and she has become the actual leader of the Red Flag Gang. Not only has the Red Flag Gang not decayed, but its power has grown. The Qing government was helpless and had no choice but to take her. In order to wipe out haikou and eliminate the Red Flag Gang, they united with the British invaders and confronted Zheng Yiyi's pirate coalition.
The "History of Chinese Piracy" records that "Zheng Yiyi led the Hongqi Gang to carry out the struggle against the qing dynasty official government, but also fought against the Western capitalist invaders."
In the author's opinion, this statement is relatively one-sided. Because there is very little evidence that the Red Flag Gang rebelled against despotism for the sake of the people. In fact, the Red Flag Gang's initial and ultimate motivation was for economic gain. From the day they stepped on the "thief ship", the pirates had hatred for society, and their piracy activities did not belong to the "anti-Qing", nor were they against the invaders, but were just bandit activities in the pure sense.
The prototype of "Lady Qing" in the movie is Zheng Yiyi
The Qing Dynasty government had no choice but to adopt a "Huairou policy" against Zheng Yiyi's sister-in-law.
The Red Flags kidnapped a wealthy British businessman named Graspool. The Red Flag Gang managed to get a ransom of seven thousand six hundred and fifty-four Spanish silver dollars, but they were very trustworthy and eventually released Grasspur.
When Grasspool returned to England, he published a book detailing his abduction and the anecdotes of Zheng Yiyi, the leader of the Red Flag Gang.
Graspur's book records that the Manchu Qing government was so angry at the behavior of the Red Flag Gang that it sent a series of large armies to conquest. As a result, either zheng yiyi was defeated or let Zheng yiyi escape, and the Manchu Qing government could only sigh with joy. As a last resort, the Qing government adopted a "Huairou policy" towards Zheng Yiyi.
"National Hero" Lin Zexu
When the Opium War broke out, Zheng Yi's sister-in-law had already been recruited. She actively advised Lin Zexu to fight against the British. Therefore, from another point of view, Zheng Yiyi can also be called a "national hero".