The videos I watched became popular in ancient times

The late Qing Dynasty was an era of national destruction and family ruin, but also an era of great changes in social thought.

At this time, the Qing Dynasty was facing internal and external troubles, and the people were living in dire straits.

In this environment, many people became addicted to drugs and started to make a living by selling both their art and their bodies.

At the same time, new ideas emerged and a large number of people with lofty ideals emerged. It was also this period that created Sai Jinhua's legendary life.

Sai Jinhua is a very ordinary person, but she is legendary in modern history.

At that time, she had unusual relationships with many literati and scholars at home and abroad, making Sai Jinhua's life even more legendary.

Sai Jinhua, an ordinary yet extraordinary woman, her life experience is like a tortuous and tragic epic, full of challenges, courage and sacrifice.

Her name may not be mentioned much in the long scroll of history, but her contributions have deeply influenced the lives of thousands of people.

History is written by heroes who had the courage to change the world.

However, while praising these heroes, we should not forget those who have been silently contributing on the margins, and Sai Jinhua is one of them.

Sai Jinhua's life was full of dramatic highs and lows. She was kicked out of her home time and time again, and eventually died alone in misery in her later years.

However, her name will live on forever because of her countless self-sacrifices and dedication.

"Sai Jinhua's original name was Zhao Caiyun. She was sold to a boat prostitute in Suzhou when she was young. When she grew up, she changed her name to Fu Caiyun and officially started to work as a prostitute."

"In the 12th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu, Hong Jun, a Suzhou native and the top scholar during the Tongzhi period, returned to his hometown of Suzhou to observe mourning for his mother's death."

"During his mourning period, Hong Jun socialized with local celebrities and went on boats with them, where he met Fu Saijinhua, a famous prostitute who was already well-known in Suzhou at the time."

"Hong Jun, who was 47 at the time, fell in love with Sai Jinhua at first sight when she was only 16 years old."

"So Hongjun spent money to redeem Sai Jinhua and took her as his concubine."

"Since Hongjun already had a wife and a concubine, Sai Jinhua's marriage to Hongjun was considered as his second concubine."

"After marrying Hong Jun, Sai Jinhua was renamed Hong Mengluan by Hong Jun."

"After marriage, Hongjun and Sai Jinhua had a very good relationship, and Sai Jinhua was Hongjun's only favorite."

"In the 13th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu, Hong Jun was appointed by the Qing Dynasty as foreign minister to Russia, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands."

"According to the rules at the time, Hongjun's wife, Wang, was canonized as a royal lady, so he could take her with him to Europe to take up his post."

"But Wang was unwilling to travel a long distance to Europe, and Hongjun's other concubine Lu was also unwilling to leave her hometown to go to Europe. Only Sai Jinhua, who was in love with Hongjun, was willing to accompany him."

"So Wang lent the imperial concubine's clothes to Sai Jinhua and asked her to accompany Hongjun to Europe instead of herself."

"So Hongjun took Sai Jinhua with him to Europe to serve as foreign minister of four countries. Therefore, as a feudal woman, Sai Jinhua had the honor to accompany Hongjun on his tour of European countries."

"Sai Jinhua also got to know many of Europe's upper-class celebrities. The last German emperor, Wilhelm II, and Queen Victoria both met Hong Jun and his wife Sai Jinhua."

"According to Sai Jinhua's later recollections, it was at this time that she met German General Waldersee, the commander-in-chief of the Allied Forces."

"In the 18th year of Emperor Guangxu's reign, Sai Jinhua and Hong Jun spent more than five years in love in Europe, during which time they gave birth to a daughter, Hong Deguan."

"At the end of that year, Hong Jun's term of office expired, so he was recalled by the Qing Dynasty and appointed as the Minister of War. Hong Jun returned to the capital with Sai Jinhua and their daughter Hong Deguan."

"Not long after returning to the capital, in the second half of the second year, Hong Jun fell seriously ill and passed away."

"Since Hongjun's wife Wang and concubine Lu were both in Suzhou at the time, only Sai Jinhua and her daughter Hong Deguan accompanied Hongjun to serve as an official in the capital."

"So after Hong Jun passed away, Sai Jinhua had to escort Hong Jun's coffin from the capital to his hometown, Wu County, Suzhou, with her daughter Hong Deguan."

"After returning to Hongjun's hometown in Wuxian, Suzhou, she was bullied by Hongjun's concubine, Lu, because Hongjun had passed away and Sai Jinhua gave birth to a daughter."

"Lu believed that it was Sai Jinhua who stole Hong Jun's love for her because of her marriage, so she made things difficult for Sai Jinhua."

"After Hong Jun passed away, the family was run by his wife, Wang, and she and Lu stayed together in their hometown all year round."

"So the two of them had a deep relationship, so Wang also followed Lu to make things difficult for Sai Jinhua."

"Under these circumstances, Sai Jinhua found it very difficult to live, so she made up her mind to give her daughter Hong Deguan to Wang and Lu, and she left the Hong family and ran to Shanghai."

Lu Xun: Sai Jinhua and Cixi are known as the two treasures of China, one in the court, the other in the opposition; one sold out the country, the other sold herself; one is hateful, the other is pitiful.

Sai Jinhua, just by hearing this domineering name, you can tell that this is a legendary woman.

The word "sai" means stronger, the word "jin" represents wealth and the word "hua" is used for women to refer to their appearance.

This name together means that she is more beautiful than the most precious beauty in the world, Sai Jinhua.

In fact, Sai Jinhua had a total of six names in her life, and behind each name, there was a story of bitter tears.

Sai Jinhua, whose real name is Zhao Caiyun, has a very ordinary name.

But it sounds nice, and doesn't have any special meaning.

Her hometown is relatively poor, so her family moved to Suzhou to make a living.

The Zhao family was really struggling to make ends meet, and there was also a bit of a male-biased mentality towards girls.

So he made up his mind and sold Zhao Caiyun, who was in her prime, to a flower boat on Suzhou River and became a prostitute.

Qingguan people are different from ordinary prostitutes. Ordinary prostitutes sell their bodies, while Qingguan people sell their art.

Although Zhao Caiyun's family was poor, she had a good voice.

Just a few songs sung by that little voice are enough to make your bones go soft.

The madam on the brothel also had a keen eye for talent and classified her as a prostitute, who usually sold her art but not her body.

But if the price is high, it is not impossible to consider it.

At this time, Zhao Caiyun changed her name to Fu Caiyun.

He thought there were several reasons for the name change.

First, working on a flower boat is not glorious after all.

If the news gets out in the future, it will bring bad reputation to the Zhao family. Changing the surname will not bring shame to the family.

Second, when they enter a brothel and are performing artists, they all like to give themselves flower names. This is a rule of the industry.

Third, since I have been sold by my father anyway, I will have nothing to do with the Zhao family in the future, so I can give myself whatever name I want.

Fu Caiyun is small, has a sweet voice, and learns things quickly.

The music sung also has a tender and pitiful quality, which naturally arouses the sympathy of the listeners.

There was a man who was old but young at heart, and he was the top scholar in the Tongzhi period, Hong Jun, who was then the Minister of Rites of the imperial court.

Hongjun's mother passed away, and he returned to Suzhou to mourn.

As a result, when I passed by a flower boat, I heard that there was a famous prostitute named Fu Caiyun in it.

Although the top scholar is nearly fifty years old, he is still a playboy and he loses his mind at the first sight of Fu Caiyun.

For Fu Caiyun, the best outcome is to become a good person.

Moreover, she married the top scholar in the imperial examination, which is a rare example in Chinese history.

"In order to survive in Shanghai, Sai Jinhua had to go back to her old job as a prostitute."

"But Sai Jinhua did not do it herself. Instead, she used her private money to buy two girls to do business and became a brothel owner herself."

"She was also known as the wife of the top scholar and the wife of the minister. In a short time, Sai Jinhua became famous in Shanghai."

"Lu was very angry when she heard that Sai Jinhua was doing well in the prostitution business in Shanghai under the name of the No. 1 Scholar's Wife."

"Lu's father, Lu Runxiang, was the top scholar in the Tongzhi period. He later served as a teacher to the last Qing emperor Puyi. At the time, he was the Left Censor-in-Chief and Minister of Works. So Lu told Lu Runxiang about this matter."

"Lu Runxiang was also very angry. After all, Sai Jinhua's titles of "the wife of the top scholar" and "the wife of the ambassador" were insults to Hong Jun's reputation during his lifetime."

"So Lu Runxiang informed the Shanghai prefect and ordered him to expel Sai Jinhua from Shanghai, and so Sai Jinhua was expelled from Shanghai."

"Since she couldn't make it in Shanghai, Sai Jinhua decided to move north."

"Sai Jinhua first went to Tianjin, but after learning the lesson in Shanghai, she didn't dare to use the title of the wife of the top scholar or the ambassador's wife again."

"After all, Tianjin is closer to the capital, and she is also afraid that Lu Runxiang will cause trouble for her again."

"So Sai Jinhua rented the old site of the famous brothel Jinhuayuan in Tianjin, changed her name to Sai Jinhua, reopened Jinhuayuan, and organized her own Jinhua troupe to continue her business."

"By the 25th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu, Sai Jinhua's prostitution business in Tianjin had become very successful."

"So Sai Jinhua wanted to expand her business and opened the Jinhuayuan in Beijing, so she moved the Jinhuayuan from Tianjin to Beijing."

"Sai Jinhua is a person with strong communication skills. She would pay respects to the local leaders when she arrived at a place."

"After arriving in the capital, Sai Jinhua first deliberately made friends with Lu Yufang, a famous Confucian businessman in the capital, and later the two became sworn brothers and sisters."

"From then on, Sai Jinhua gained a firm foothold in the capital and was nicknamed Sai Erye."

"Then in 1900, the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded China."

"Cixi and Emperor Guangxu fled the capital in a hurry, leaving the people of the capital behind. The Eight-Nation Alliance invaded the capital and began to plunder and kill innocent civilians."

"Then the rumor spread among the people that Sai Jinhua used her communication skills to stand up and dissuade the Allied General Waldersee from issuing an order prohibiting the indiscriminate killing of civilians."

"Sai Jinhua even sacrificed her beauty to dissuade Waldersee."

"However, the reputation of a chivalrous woman who saved the country did not bring much change to Sai Jinhua's life. Her life was still very difficult."

"In 1911, Sai Jinhua retired from the business world and married Cao Ruizhong, an inspector of the Shanghai-Nanjing Railway, as a concubine."

"As a result, Cao Ruizhong passed away more than a year after their marriage, and Sai Jinhua had no choice but to resume her old job in Shanghai."

"In 1913, Jiangxi Governor Li Liejun opposed the dictatorship of warlord Yuan Shikai, and then the Tongmenghui also opposed Yuan Shikai's dictatorship, which led to the Second Revolution."

"As a result, the Second Revolution failed and Li Liejun was forced to flee to Japan. Wei Sijing, a member of the Tongmenghui who followed Li Liejun, was also wanted by Yuan Shikai."

"Wei Sijing plans to go to Shanghai first, and then go to Japan from Shanghai to meet up with Li Liejun."

"Wei Sijiong met Sai Jinhua during his stay in Shanghai. Later, it was Sai Jinhua who used money and connections to help Wei Sijiong escape from Shanghai to Japan."

Zhang Daqian: The rumor that Sai Jinhua was a chivalrous woman who saved the country is not true.

In 1900, the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded China and Sai Jinhua, who was originally just a famous prostitute, became a world-famous figure overnight.

Empress Dowager Cixi left the people of the capital to the Eight-Nation Alliance. When the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded the capital and burned, killed and looted, the famous Beijing prostitute Sai Jinhua stepped forward.

According to folk rumors at the time, Sai Jinhua became the mediator between the Eight-Nation Alliance and the Qing Dynasty.

On the one hand, Sai Jinhua urged the Allied Commander-in-Chief Waldersee not to kill innocent civilians, and on the other hand, she persuaded the widow of the German Minister Clemens von Ketteler who was killed by the Qing army to give up her hatred. On the other hand, she requested the Qing government to build a monument for Clemens to appease the incident of the ambassador's killing.

There are also rumors among the people that Sai Jinhua did this to please Waldersee.

She even sacrificed her looks and used her body to please Waldersee, which resulted in the Eight-Nation Alliance stopping its harassment and killing of the people in the capital.

Therefore, all the people in the capital were grateful to Sai Jinhua and called her a chivalrous woman who saved the country.

Sai Jinhua seems like a chivalrous prostitute. Although she has fallen into prostitution, she loves her country and is willing to sacrifice herself to save civilians when the country's survival is at stake.

In fact, most of these folk rumors are not true. Even Sai Jinhua herself was evasive when interviewed afterwards.

At first, Sai Jinhua denied knowing Waldersee, but later it was reported that she sacrificed her looks to please Waldersee.

She began to admit that she had lived with Waldersee for a period of time in order to save the people of the capital, but she only admitted this after the rumors spread among the people.

The rumor that Sai Jinhua used her body to please Waldersee mainly came from the novel "Flowers of Sin" written by a late Qing Dynasty novelist.

As for the late Qing court and officials at that time, they all believed that the rumor that Sai Jinhua and Waldersee lived together was pure nonsense.

A scholar in the Republic of China once interviewed Sai Jinhua in her later years, and later wrote a book called "Sa Jinhua's Abilities" based on the interview with Sai Jinhua.

In this book, Sai Jinhua herself confessed in her later years that she had only met Waldersee a few times when they were in Europe.

There was no question of knowing each other or talking to each other, let alone having any influence on Waldersee.

This can also be regarded as Sai Jinhua herself denying the fact that she lived with Waldersee in her later years, so there is no question of using her body to please Waldersee to stop the Allied forces from killing.

In fact, this is true for himself. Waldersee came from a noble family of German princes.

Waldersee himself was very self-respecting. After his wife's death, he lived alone and never lived with any woman.

Therefore, he enjoyed a high reputation in Europe and was appointed commander of the Allied Forces by German Emperor Wilhelm II.

Therefore, Waldersee would never destroy his reputation for a woman like Sai Jinhua, and it was impossible for them to live together.

When the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded China, one of Sai Jinhua's men was captured by the German army.

When Sai Jinhua was talking with German middle and lower-level officers, she saw Waldersee passing by from a distance.

However, Sai Jinhua and the two middle and lower-level German officers avoided Waldersee and did not dare to step forward to meet and greet Waldersee.

Therefore, Sai Jinhua, who didn't even dare to say hello to Waldersee, would never have tried to persuade Waldersee to reduce the killing.

The story about Sai Jinhua using her body to please Waldersee and saving the people of the capital is just a folk rumor.

When scholar Hu Shi was studying in the United States, he met an American officer who participated in the Eight-Nation Alliance's invasion of China. This American officer told Hu Shi that all the rumors about Sai Jinhua circulating among the people were false.

Because the United States was in competition with Germany at the time, Americans had been keeping a close eye on the movements of the German army, and they were hoping that Waldersee would create such a gossip scandal.

Even the Americans did not find any scandal about Waldersee, so the story about Sai Jinhua and Waldersee was completely false.

When she was young, Sai Jinhua once boasted that when the Eight-Nation Alliance captured the capital in August, she risked her life to meet Waldersee and gave advice that stopped the Eight-Nation Alliance from killing people in the capital.

However, Waldersee was just a figurehead commander of the coalition forces. He arrived in China from Germany only after the war was basically over in October. Sai Jinhua would not have met Waldersee at all in August.

As for who stopped the Eight-Nation Alliance from burning, killing and looting China, nominally it was Waldersee, but he was forced to do so under pressure from public opinion.

At that time, the atrocities committed by the Eight-Nation Alliance in China were reported by major media in Europe and the United States, which aroused the sympathy of the European and American people for the Chinese people, and protest marches broke out.

Under pressure from public opinion, Waldersee suggested to German Emperor Wilhelm II that he should immediately rectify military discipline and stop the atrocities of the Allied forces.

Therefore, the main reason for stopping the atrocities of the Eight-Nation Alliance was the public pressure in Europe and the United States at that time, and it was not the result of the influence of Sai Jinhua alone.

It is very likely that Sai Jinhua only knew some daily German expressions, and some middle and low-ranking officers of the Eight-Nation Alliance came out to spend money to have fun and interacted with the prostitution business she ran.

Sai Jinhua also took this opportunity to persuade these middle and lower-level officers not to kill innocent civilians.

As a result, she became more and more legendary among the people and was regarded as a woman who could influence the Allied Commander-in-Chief Waldersee.

After becoming famous among the people, Sai Jinhua also wanted to use her fame to expand her business.

Therefore, there were inconsistencies in the interviews with her, and it was only in her later years that Sai Jinhua told the truth.

Of course, Sai Jinhua can be regarded by the people as a chivalrous woman who saved the country.

It was also because no matter what, she at least did her best to persuade some middle and low-level officers of the Eight-Nation Alliance to kill fewer civilians, and indirectly saved some innocent civilians.

In contrast, it was Cixi who took the initiative to declare war on the great powers and eventually provoked the Eight-Nation Alliance to invade China, but in the end she fled to Xi'an.

In this way, the contrast between Empress Dowager Cixi and Sai Jinhua became obvious, and people also wanted to belittle Empress Dowager Cixi by praising Sai Jinhua.

The high and mighty Empress Dowager Cixi was, in the end, not as strong-willed as a prostitute.

"In 1918, Wei Sijing returned to China from Japan and first came to Shanghai."

"In order to repay his gratitude, Wei Sijing married Sai Jinhua, who was two years older than him, at the Shanghai New Hotel."

"Wei Sijiong truly loves Sai Jinhua. After they got married, many people advised Wei Sijiong against it."

"Why would you marry a middle-aged woman who is older than you?"

"Wei Sijing said that old sugarcane is sweeter, and the older it gets, the fresher it gets."

"Wei Sijing also told Sai Jinhua that he would only call her by her nickname Caiyun and would not call her by any other names because those names represented Sai Jinhua's humiliating past."

"Later, Wei Sijing changed Sai Jinhua's name to Zhao Lingfei, implying that after the two got married, Sai Jinhua's soul would take a leap forward."

"Although outsiders were not optimistic about their marriage, Wei Sijiong's friend, revolutionary pioneer Mr. Li Liejun, was very supportive of their marriage, and Li Liejun even presided over their wedding and served as a witness."

"After marriage, Sai Jinhua was afraid to see operas about her filmed during the Republic of China period."

"But Wei Sijing comforted her and told her that the past was just a dream in the mortal world and she should just laugh it off."

"Sai Jinhua and Wei Sijing lived a loving life for three years, and Wei Sijing died of illness in 1921."

"Since Wei Sijing's family looked down on Sai Jinhua, they did not allow her to stay in the Wei family."

"Sai Jinhua cried and begged the Wei family, saying she didn't want any money."

"She just wanted to take away Wei Sijing's and her token of love and their wedding photos. In the end, Sai Jinhua left the Wei family with the photos and tokens."

"What is even more surprising is that after leaving the Wei family, Sai Jinhua did not return to her old profession of prostitution."

"Instead, he lives in the slums with an old nanny, living in extreme poverty."

"Someone once advised Sai Jinhua to go back to her old job so that she could support herself, but Sai Jinhua said that if she went back to her old job, she would not be able to face Mr. Wei in her grave."

"Therefore, Sai Jinhua would rather be poor and destitute in her later years than return to her old job, which shows that she loved Wei Sijing deeply."

"In fact, Sai Jinhua's life was very rough. Although she lived in the dust, she was extremely afraid of being looked down upon."

"She advertised herself as a dedicated warrior to save the people of the capital because she didn't want to be looked down upon."

"But Wei Sijing treated her with great respect and sincerity."

"That's why she was willing to become destitute for Wei Sijing and give up the chance to resume her old job."

"Sai Jinhua once said in her later years that she had met countless men in her life, but the ones who moved her the most were Hong Jun and Wei Sijing."

"Hongjun loved her youth and beauty, and he saved her from suffering and took her on a tour of Europe to broaden her horizons. This was a great favor to her."

"Wei Sijing treated her with sincerity and honesty, and never looked down on her. He gave her the dignity that a woman should have. This is true love."

"At the end of 1936, Sai Jinhua took a last look at the wedding photo of her and Wei Sijing that had been hanging in her bedroom."

"Then she closed her eyes with relief and ended her legendary but troubled life at the age of 66."

Hu Shi: Although Sai Jinhua has passed away, her spirit will never fade over the years.

After her youth passed, Sai Jinhua felt endless loneliness and helplessness in her heart.

Sai Jinhua knew that her life in brothels was a thing of the past, and she was no longer young, so remarrying became her only option.

However, Sai Jinhua does not regret her choice.

Because she has devoted herself to the country and the people, this is her pride and honor.

In her later years, Sai Jinhua married two people successively, Cao Ruizhong, the inspector of the Shanghai-Nanjing Railway, and Wei Sijing, a senator.

Although both husbands took great care of Sai Jinhua, fate was not kind to her.

Cao Ruizhong died in the line of duty, and Wei Sijing died of illness, leaving Sai Jinhua a widow many times and facing the ups and downs of life alone.

Due to her identity and social prejudice, Sai Jinhua was kicked out of the house again.

Sai Jinhua's past became an obstacle to her progress and left her with nowhere to settle down.

Faced with social indifference, she had no choice but to return to her old job and devote herself to the life of a brothel once again.

However, Sai Jinhua was not defeated by all this.

She still has a love for her country, even though her achievements are gradually forgotten and only rumors about her remain.

Sai Jinhua knew very well that her deeds were not for praise, but came from her inner kindness and responsibility.

In her later years, Sai Jinhua rented a dilapidated house and lived with a maid.

Although she was in poverty, she never gave up her love for life and her hope for life.

She held on to her dignity and beliefs and lived a simple and determined life.

In the end, Sai Jinhua died in poverty.

Her death did not cause much sensation, and many people did not even notice that this former savior had passed away.

After Sai Jinhua's death, the capital was in a state of panic and rumors were spreading.

Many people are still resentful of her past and believe that she has a bad reputation.

However, in this turbulent time, some people with compassion and understanding stood up.

Some painters who had contact with Sai Jinhua got together and decided to raise money to give her a decent funeral.

These painters interacted with Sai Jinhua not because of her identity, but because they saw the greatness and extraordinaryness in her heart.

They knew that although Sai Jinhua had become a prostitute, her soul was noble.

Sai Jinhua once devoted herself to the country and the people, which is what they admire and remember.

When the painter Qi Baishi heard the news of Sai Jinhua's death, he felt deeply respected.

He inscribed a stele for Sai Jinhua to express his praise for the chivalrous legend of this woman.

Qi Baishi believed that Sai Jinhua was a woman worthy of respect and praise, and her life experience was far more glorious and great than those who lived a life of drunkenness and dreams.

However, Sai Jinhua herself did not personally appreciate the praise and respect.

Sai Jinhua is no longer with us, but her heroic name becomes more and more dazzling in the eyes of the world, but these beautiful voices can no longer be heard.

Sai Jinhua's life was so extraordinary. She had experienced glory and lows, she had love and loss, and she had dedicated and worked hard for her country and people.

Sai Jinhua's experience is like a touching and tragic song that moves people.

Although Sai Jinhua's reputation was once obscured, in the eyes of those who have understanding and compassion.

She is a true heroine who deserves to be remembered and praised forever.

Sai Jinhua's story makes the world understand that a person's value should not be based solely on external identity and social status, but more importantly on inner kindness and dedication to the country.

And when people stood in front of Sai Jinhua's tomb, they couldn't help but make silent promises.

Just as Qi Baishi said, a hundred years later, he wanted to be buried next to Sai Jinhua to keep her company.

This oath is a tribute to a great heroine and a continuation of beautiful values.

Although Sai Jinhua's life has passed away, her spirit will never fade away over the years. (End of this chapter)