The peasant uprising of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was a magnificent historical event in China in the 19th century. In this campaign, which lasted for 14 years, a legendary female figure appeared - Hong Xuanjiao. She was not only the righteous sister of the leader of the uprising, Hong Xiuquan, but also a powerful figure in the Taiping Army, and later married Xiao Chaogui, one of the five kings. Hong Xuanjiao, known as the "first beauty", played a key role in the major turning point of the uprising, but her final ending is full of mysteries. Did she die heroically or cautiously retreat? Will her glorious years come to an end?
The peerless Hong Xuanjiao
Guangxi Province is a beautiful place, but in the last century, there has been a tumultuous peasant uprising. The trigger for the uprising was the exorbitant taxation and extortion of taxes by local officials, which plunged the people's lives into a dire situation. In this land filled with gunpowder, a handsome woman emerged, she was a fierce general in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Uprising-Hong Xuanjiao.
At that time, Hong Xuanjiao was also called Yang Yunjiao, a Hakka family, and his ancestral home was in Guangxi. According to the custom of the time, she was taught by her family how to be a virtuous and virtuous woman since she was a child. However, fate is often an unpredictable thing, and in just a few years, Yang Yunjiao, whose family was ruined, left her hometown and started a new and tortuous life journey.
As a down-and-out woman, Yang Yunjiao once went door-to-door to ask for living expenses from relatives and friends, which was quite embarrassing. By chance, she was discovered by Hong Xiuquan's cronies and recommended to Hong Xiuquan, but she never returned. When Hong Xiuquan saw Yang Yunjiao for the first time, he was impressed by her beautiful appearance, and her alert personality was also appreciated. So, Hong Xiuquan immediately took her in and renamed her Hong Xuanjiao, and loved her as a righteous sister.
Since then, Hong Xuanjiao has been following Hong Xiuquan, and the two can be said to be like brothers. Hong Xiuquan loved Hong Xuanjiao's beauty and intelligence, and admired her noble spirit of actively participating in the revolution. In the early days of the uprising, Hong Xuanjiao was already Hong Xiuquan's personal celebrity, and the two were almost inseparable. With the advancement of the uprising, Hong Xuanjiao's military rank became higher and higher, and he was successively awarded important positions such as "Left Army Division" and "Jiuxitai Order".
As a woman, it was rare to have such a prominent position in that conservative and feudal era. This is all due to Hong Xuanjiao's own outstanding qualifications: not only graceful, but also has the appearance of a sinking fish and a goose; What is even more commendable is that she is thoughtful, intelligent, decisive and extraordinary. With these outstanding points, Hong Xuanjiao's status in the army is naturally superior. Whenever he encountered a major military decision, Hong Xiuquan would personally seek advice from Hong Xuanjiao. Countless rebel soldiers admired Hong Xuanjiao's extraordinary strategy and considered her to be one of the important contributors to the growth of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.
The legendary encounter of the prodigal son in love
The rebel camp of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom can be said to be open, and heroes from all walks of life gather together. Among these elite soldiers, there is one character whose experience is really embarrassing, that is, Hong Xuanjiao's husband - Xiao Chaogui, the king of the West.
Xiao Chaogui was originally from Guangxi, and had met the future leader of Hong Xiuquan when he was a child. The two have had a lot of fate since they were children, and they are looking for a virgin in their hometown and wandering the rivers and lakes together, which can be described as a good friendship that they have nothing to talk about. When he was young and vigorous, Xiao Chaogui was angry with the public because of the disaster, and he had to go away and wander abroad for many years.
Time flies in a blink of an eye, and the smoke of the Taiping Rebellion has gradually spread across the land of Guangxi. After hearing the news, Xiao Chaogui resolutely joined the Hong army, and soon stood out with his outstanding strategy and martial arts, and was appreciated by Hong Xiuquan as one of the five kings of the West. When the rebel army was in full swing, Hong Xiuquan suddenly remembered his childhood friend Xiao Chaogui, so he married his henchman Hong Xuanjiao to him, hoping that this friend could always follow him.
In this way, the heroic and brave Xiao Chaogui married the stunning beauty Hong Xuanjiao, which can be described as a pair of couples that the world envies. Soon after the two got married, Xiao Chaogui was ordered to go on an expedition and left Hong Xuanjiao's side. The war was difficult and the situation was capricious, Xiao Chaogui was on the front line for several years, and there was no news of him and his wife Hong Xuanjiao. Finally one day, the bad news came - the brave Xiao Chaogui was killed in a vicious battle, which made the Hong army all regret it.
After the news of Xiao Chaogui's death was transmitted back to the barracks, Hong Xuanjiao burst into tears and was in pain. She could never have imagined that this brave and warlike husband would die so young, and the marriage between the two would be aborted. In addition to mourning, Hong Xuanjiao was even more resentful, she secretly vowed to avenge her husband and avenge this husband-killing enemy.
Since then, this peerless beauty has gradually eclipsed, and she can no longer regain her former radiance. She began to lose weight day by day, and the moth eyebrows and eyes that had been in her hands became dull. Seeing Hong Xuanjiao so gloomy, although Hong Xiuquan felt regretful, he also wanted to open a new way out for this girl.
By chance, Hong Xiuquan arranged for Hong Xuanjiao to get acquainted with an emerging general, Wei Changhui. Wei Changhui is also a rising star in the Taiping Army, and he quickly rose to important positions at a young age with his extraordinary strategy and courage, and is regarded as a star of tomorrow. Because both of them are outstanding talents, and Wei Changhui is a chic and uninhibited wanderer, the two soon met and talked earnestly, and gradually became acquainted.
Hong Xiuquan's original intention was to let Wei Changhui be Hong Xuanjiao's new husband and rekindle the hope of life for this poor widow. Who knew that fate was always unpredictable, and after some entanglement, Hong Xuanjiao and Wei Changhui instead formed a sincere friendship of life and death, and became the two Titos in the alliance. In the turbulent years that followed, the two stood side by side and shared weal and woe, creating many thrilling legends.
Fight to the death
In the rebel camp of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, all kinds of characters can be said to be gathered. Among these brave and good soldiers, Yang Xiuqing, the king of the East, has the most brilliant military exploits. This handsome general, known as "unparalleled bravery", relied on his extraordinary military talent and extraordinary wisdom to lead the troops, and captured Nanjing, an important town in the southeast, in one fell swoop, making the Taiping army's formation reach an unprecedented height.
However, as the saying goes, people can't look good, although Yang Xiuqing is brave and fearless, but there is a fierce flame of power and ambition in his bones. Since he held the heart of Nanjing, the heart of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, he gradually swelled his head, and he didn't take Hong Xiuquan's military orders in his eyes. Sometimes they will deliberately contradict or even openly disobey Hong Xiuquan's decision-making, which will cause the entire rebel camp to fall apart and greatly damage their vitality.
Yang Xiuqing acted so recklessly and had great ambitions to dominate the overall situation, which naturally caused Hong Xiuquan to be extremely dissatisfied and vigilant. Since Hong Xiuquan was far away in the Shaanxi base area, he could only hope that a few cronies around him could curb Yang Xiuqing's arrogance. Hong Xuanjiao is the best of these cronies, and she naturally clearly sees the true face of Yang Xiuqing, a traitor.
Once, Hong Xuanjiao accidentally discovered that Yang Xiuqing had a bad heart for her. This suave handsome general, seeing Hong Xuanjiao so beautiful and moving, actually had the dirty idea of taking her as a concubine. On a dark and windy night, Yang Xiuqing actually broke into Hong Xuanjiao's camp under the pretext of trying to forcibly make love with her. Who knew that Hong Xuanjiao was very alert and had already taken precautions, but when she saw that the situation was wrong, she immediately shouted for help, completely disrupting Yang Xiuqing's black plan.
After this battle, Hong Xuanjiao was even more wary of Yang Xiuqing, and always guarded against this person's conspiracy. She began to plot how to get rid of the threat in order to prevent future troubles. By chance, Hong Xuanjiao got acquainted with Wei Changhui, and the two gradually became good partners in intrigues. Hong Xuanjiao told Wei Changhui about Yang Xiuqing's various conspiracies.
Originally, Hong Xiuquan also planned to let Wei Changhui enter Hong Xuanjiao's house, hoping that these two people could come together. But because the husband and wife should not be in the right place, the two became rebel friends instead, and they hit it off, determined to get rid of the scourge that hindered their future - Yang Xiuqing.
In this way, Hong Xuanjiao wooed Wei Changhui, and the two secretly conspired, and finally instigated the Tianjing Incident that shocked China and foreign countries. One dark night, they led their henchmen and soldiers into Yang Xiuqing's camp and mercilessly killed this porcelain maniac. The fall of Tianjing, the chaos of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, the shock of the government and the opposition, this battle can be called cloud-shaking and thrilling.
Although Yang Xiuqing was eliminated, the violent act of Hong Xuanjiao and Wei Changhui also completely intensified the contradictions between the Taiping Army, making this originally united peasant rebel army completely fall apart and be torn apart. The Qing regime soon took advantage of the situation and launched a general attack on the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, which led to the complete decline and destruction of this once mighty uprising.
Ups and downs clutch is always emotional
As time passed, the peasant uprising movement in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom gradually reached a low point. This peasant army, which was once famous and brilliant in the world, gradually lost its former arrogance under the double attack of internal and external troubles. Many banner soldiers who were brave and good at fighting at the beginning also abandoned the darkness and turned to the light and betrayed the rebel camp.
In the context of this turbulent era, Hong Xuanjiao also fell into a bumpy and difficult fate. Originally, as Hong Xiuquan's right-hand man, she was in charge of the heavy army, and she had a transcendent status, but she lost her net worth and life overnight. The so-called "prosperity and twilight suffering", this old saying really came true to this legendary woman.
Hong Xuanjiao finally suffered this fate, all because her friend Wei Changhui, who once shared life and death, single-handedly directed a horrific conspiracy. Originally, the two were brothers and sisters, and they could be said to be heart-to-heart and shared weal and woe. However, as the war intensified and the internal strife intensified, Wei Changhui's status and real power in the army also increased day by day. Slowly, this person's heart slowly began to change.
Wei Changhui, who blindly pursues power and wealth, began to feel that Hong Xuanjiao, an old friend beside him, had become a stumbling block to his future. After all, Hong Xuanjiao is known for her prestige and transcendent status in the Taiping Army, coupled with her closeness to Hong Xiuquan, which makes Wei Changhui always feel that his ambitions are difficult to fulfill. So, he began to secretly plot and try to get rid of this "stumbling block" that hindered his future.
By chance, Hong Xuanjiao inadvertently discovered some clues of Wei Changhui's conspiracy, so she secretly began to guard against this former friend. In this way, the two began to guard against each other, and gradually lost their former trust and respect. One dark night, the contradiction finally broke out.
That night, while Hong Xuanjiao was asleep, Wei Changhui quietly led a group of henchmen and soldiers into Hong Xuanjiao's camp, preparing to bring him to justice in one fell swoop. However, Hong Xuanjiao was as alert as before, and she had already taken precautions, and at the critical moment, she escaped from the camp overnight and escaped this catastrophe.
After this great change, Hong Xuanjiao was disheartened and could no longer settle down in the Taiping army's camp. She left the barracks alone and lived a lonely life in northern Shaanxi. It wasn't until one day that she accidentally met Hong Xiuquan, who was recruiting troops in the northwest, that the two met again and started a new chapter of life.
Hong Xiuquan saw Hong Xuanjiao, who had lost everything, and his heart was full of mixed feelings. It is really embarrassing that this former beauty and fierce general has now fallen to such a point. In order to appease the old department, Hong Xiuquan reorganized Hong Xuanjiao into his entourage and asked her to assist him in commanding the army. However, due to the passage of time, Hong Xuanjiao has long lost her former demeanor. In addition, she was obsessed with Wei Changhui's conspiracy, and her temperament became more and more cold. The delicate face of the young girl in the past has also been consumed by the bumpy experience, and gradually revealed her old and haggard face.
Maybe it's because of the touching scene, Hong Xiuquan always sees Hong Xuanjiao today, and his heart is always mixed. This once beautiful woman has now become like this, which is really emotional. Hong Xiuquan thought about it, and finally decided to give Hong Xuanjiao a stable home, and no longer let her wander in adversity. So, he arranged for Hong Xuanjiao to settle down in Gaoyang County in the northwest and live a stable life.
Since then, this former "first beauty" has lived in seclusion in Gaoyang County, living a nameless and lonely life, as for her final ending, no one knows. The old things are gone, the wind and clouds are getting farther away, and everything can only be ruthlessly washed away by the torrent of years......
The old things are fading away, only the vicissitudes of life remain
In that turbulent era of change and war, Hong Xuanjiao can be described as a famous female hero. This once peerless and majestic female general has experienced ups and downs in the whirlpool of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Uprising. Her life can be described as ups and downs, twists and turns, and it can be called a living epic legend.
As Hong Xiuquan's cronies and confidants, Hong Xuanjiao's original status is not high. She is in charge of heavy troops, and she is invincible all over the world. In that year, the Taiping Army won one after another, and Hong Xuanjiao also established a lot of feats and achievements in it. In particular, Yang Xiuqing, who teamed up with Wei Changhui to get rid of the wolf's ambitions in the Battle of Nanjing, is even more famous and is known as the "No. 1 Tito" in the peasant army.
But fate makes people, Hong Xuanjiao's life has also experienced too many ups and downs and tribulations. Her first husband Xiao Chaogui died young, and the newlywed Yan'er died not long after. After that, Wei Changhui conspired to frame her, forcing her to lose her life and be displaced for a time. In the end, although it was reused by Hong Xiuquan, it was no longer beautiful, and the people were old.
Time has passed, and Hong Xuanjiao's peerless appearance has long since ceased to exist, replaced by a haggard old face full of vicissitudes. Her slender moth eyebrows, which had once been juggling, were now rough and devoid. The handsome and extraordinary pretty face of the past is now also covered with the ravines and wrinkles of the years. Even so, she was still one of the last strugglers of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and she would not rest until her death.
In this way, under Hong Xiuquan's arrangement, Hong Xuanjiao finally settled in seclusion in Gaoyang County, Shaanxi, and lived a nameless, idle, wild crane-like life. Perhaps it was God's intention to let her enjoy her old age in peace, and this weather-beaten heroine could finally spend the rest of her life in the remote town of Gaoyang. Her glorious years are long gone, and now all that remains is an old body and eternal remembrance.
In Gaoyang's days, Hong Xuanjiao was always alone and rarely interacted with others. Maybe it was too many vicissitudes of life in the past that made her realize the ruthlessness of the world, so she always cherished herself so much and maintained a high degree of vigilance against the outside world. The place where she lives is a simple grass hut, which is similar to the rich life of the past.
According to folk legends, whenever there is a dead of night, Hong Xuanjiao can always be heard singing alone in the house, thinking about the passing youth. The face that had been through the vicissitudes of life was full of recollections of the past, looking haggard and sentimental. Perhaps it is this endless longing and nostalgia that makes her bumpy encounter for most of her life so suffocating.
Some people familiar with the matter said that looking at the past, Hong Xuanjiao herself was extremely emotional. She once dreamed of her heroic posture back then, and when she remembered the scene when she and Wei Changhui took care of each other, she couldn't help but burst into tears. After waking up from the dream, she was even more sad, and let out a long sigh, regretting the true character of the hero back then, and mourning the scarred fate.
In this way, the iron-blooded heroine who was once a powerful woman finally ended up in such a bleak end, which really makes people sigh. The first half of her life was thrilling, but the decadence of her later years was full of emotion. Hong Xuanjiao's life has gone through ups and downs, ups and downs, and in the end, only gloomy memories and vicissitudes are left....