In the late Qing Dynasty, it was poor and weak, and the Manchu Qing government did not have the strength to deal with the Western powers with strong guns and guns, so it had to compromise step by step, so imperialism became more rampant and wantonly trampled on the land of China. During this period, in order to awaken the numb Chinese, some people with lofty ideals did not fear bloodshed and sacrificed, and used their lives to promote the revolutionary cause. For example, Qiu Jin, the "Jianhu Woman" who did not let her eyebrows be raised, was the first feminist activist in China, who played a huge role in the development of the women's liberation movement and was also one of the first revolutionary pioneers to stand up and overthrow the feudal rule of the Qing government.
▲ "Opium War" scene painting
Qiu Jin, born in the first year of Guangxu (1875 AD), originally known as 獉瑾, the character Xuanqing, changed his name to Jin during his study in Japan, changed his name to Jingxiong. The Qiu family has been an official for generations since Qiu Jin's grandfather, and his father was once the governor of Chenzhou, which can be said to be a famous official eunuch family in Minxian County, Fujian Province. Qiu Jin has been very talented since childhood, and when she was young, she went to the family school with her brother to study, not only familiar with literature and history and poetry, but also learned to ride a horse and shoot arrows at the age of fifteen. When she was 19 years old, she followed her father to Xiangtan County, Hunan Province, where her father Qiu Shounan met Wang Dianchen, the richest man in Xiangtan, who saw qiu Jin dignified and beautiful, and entrusted a matchmaker to propose to his son Wang Tingjun, Qiu Jin herself was extremely dissatisfied with this marriage, but at that time, the marriage had to obey the orders of her parents and the words of the matchmaker, and could not resist.
▲ Qiu Jin old photo
After marrying her husband Wang Tingjun, although she lived a rich life, she did not have a common language with the people around her, and often felt bitter. During this period, she became acquainted with Tang Qunying and Ge Jianhao, who could be described as like-minded, often drinking and writing poems together to discuss the democratic revolution, and was called "Xiaoxiang Three Female Jie" by people at that time. Qiu Jin's revolutionary ambitions have always been unsupported by her husband, and she was reprimanded by Wang Tingjun: "This is a man's business, you don't think about it." Qiu Jin retorted: "Women also have the responsibility to save the country and save the people." In 1904, Qiu Jin ignored Wang Yanjun's objections and resolutely went east to Japan to study. In Japan, Qiu Jin came into contact with the advanced ideas of Western society and continued to make progress in her thinking.
▲Qiu Jin's former residence
In the thirty-second year of Guangxu (1906 AD), Qiu Jin returned to China to launch an uprising and rebellion, not only secretly compiling the Guangfu military system, but also agreeing with Xu Xilin of the Guangfu Society to launch a revolution in Anhui and Zhejiang at the same time. With the failure of the Anqing Uprising, Qiu Jin was implicated in the confession of Xu Xilin's brother Xu Wei and was exposed. After Qiu Jin learned of Xu Xilin's defeat, she refused all the advice of the people to her, and in the face of the menacing Qing army, she resolutely insisted on sticking to the Datong Academy, which was the center of the revolutionary uprising, and imitated Tan Sitong, saying that "the revolution must be shed in blood to succeed."
▲The ruins of the Chase Academy
Shanyin County made Li Zhongyue awe-inspired by Qiu Jin's righteousness, and he himself felt that the Qing Dynasty's rule had long been powerless to return to heaven, and only revolutionary China had a way out. Therefore, in order to help Qiu Jin and others escape, he deliberately dragged Guifu, the prefect of Shaoxing. Later, he was discovered by Guifu, the prefect of Shaoxing, and ordered that if he did not execute Datong Xuetang and others, he would be regarded as Qiu Jin's accomplices. Li Zhongyue had no choice but to send someone to arrest Qiu Jin and others. After being arrested, Qiu Jin did not flinch in the slightest in the face of the harsh torture of the Qing court, resolutely did not confess, and only told people that "the autumn wind and autumn rain are sad and annoying.".
▲ Interrogation Qiu Jin stills
Li Zhongyue had great respect for Qiu Jin himself, and he also deliberately went to visit Qiu Jin in prison, and said to Qiu Jin: "The rest of the people are humble and light, ashamed and powerless, but the death of Ru is not my will, fortunately forgive me." Qiu Jin expressed understanding of his behavior and did not complain, but entrusted Li Zhongyue to help him with two small favors before leaving: first, do not be a scoundrel, and second, do not strip after death. Li Zhongyue agreed with a full mouth, and repeatedly fought for Qiu Jin in front of the prefect Guifu, and finally Guifu finally agreed to these two requests. However, Guifu proposed to have Li Zhongyue executed in order to punish Li Zhongyue for helping Qiu Jin escape. In the early morning of July 15, 1907, Qiu Jin calmly and righteously at the Xuanting Pass in Shaoxing, and throughout her life, she struggled for the promotion of feminism and revolutionary construction.
▲Li Zhongyue stills
After that, the imperial court blamed him, believing that Li Zhongyue was harboring female criminals, so they dismissed him from his post and went to Hangzhou to be convicted. Li Zhongyue's deeds were deeply revered by the villagers, so when he left Shaoxing, hundreds of gentry sent him off. But he felt guilty and said: "It is a pity to leave a sufficient plan and fail to save the overall situation!" During his stay in Hangzhou, Li Zhongyue was depressed and lamented to others all day: "I did not kill Bo Ren, but Bo Ren died by me!" The guilt deepened, making Li Zhongyue have the idea of committing suicide and seeking death. Fortunately, every suicide was saved by relatives and friends in time, and his wife was even more panicked and did not dare to leave him half a step. However, taking advantage of his wife's absence, Li Zhongyue ended his life with a rope, which was less than a hundred days before Qiu Jin was righteous. The gentlemen of Hangzhou sighed at Li Zhongyue's death, and countless people came to mourn and send him off.
Resources:
"The Biography of Qiu Jin", "Continuation of Anqiu Xinzhi"