The videos I watched became popular in ancient times

In ancient times, men were superior to women and women existed only as accessories.

No matter how talented or beautiful you are, you cannot control your destiny.

Even when ancient writers and poets described the fate of beauties, they all wrote sadly that beautiful women have always been short-lived, expressing their regret that beauties did not have a good ending.

During the Northern Song Dynasty, there was a brothel girl who was very popular. Her name was Li Shishi.

Such a legendary woman, her ending became a mystery, and no one knows what her life was like in her later years.

Li Shishi, this legendary woman, her story is like a flash in the pan.

Her experience is a microcosm of countless famous women in ancient times.

Without the pursuit of men, they seem to be nothing, without their own value and charm.

Even though she was beautiful and even though she was loved by the emperor.

But in the war-torn Northern Song Dynasty, when people couldn't even protect themselves, who would care about her?

The ending is predictable. Despite all the beautiful scenes, it is extremely sad and miserable.

People only know about her glory, but have no way of knowing her ending.

No matter how amazed you are at her experience, it can only turn into a sigh.

"Li Shishi's original surname was Wang, and her father was the owner of a dyeing factory in the city of Bianliang, Tokyo."

"In order to ensure her longevity, her father sent her to a Buddhist temple since she was young."

"The old monk touched her head and she burst into tears."

"The old monk thought she looked like a Buddhist disciple, because people call Buddhist disciples 'Shi', so he named her Shishi."

"However, the name of Li Shishi did not bring her a peaceful and happy life."

"When Li Shishi was four years old, her father was imprisoned for a crime and died of illness in prison. She had no choice but to live on the streets."

"Li Shishi, who was homeless and helpless on the streets, was adopted by Li Yun, who ran a brothel. She stayed in this brothel as a reserve seed for a future rising star."

"Perhaps it was Li Yun's years of experience that gave her a unique eye. She made Li Shishi learn music, chess, calligraphy and painting from a young age, and cultivated her unique ability to entertain people with singing and dancing."

"Li Shishi was very talented. When she made her debut in Bianjing at the age of 13, she immediately caused a sensation."

"For a while, young men from Wuling competed to have their hair tied up, and Li Shishi became famous in Bianliang City."

"Song Huizong Zhao Ji was a famous talented emperor and also a romantic emperor."

"One day, Emperor Huizong of Song accidentally wrote a poem on a round fan: 'I don't like the meal I choose this morning, and the imperial kitchen wastes the eight delicacies in vain.'"

"Because I was at a loss for words, I asked a university scholar to continue the poem."

"The minister was quite clever. He figured out what Emperor Huizong was thinking, and continued, 'I have tasted all the flavors in the world, but Jiangmei is only a little sour.'"

"This scholar's sourness is exactly the Li Shishi who is very popular in the capital."

"Song Huizong, who was used to seeing the beauties in the harem, allowed Li Shishi to meet the emperor at the top of the temple at Fanlou under the introduction of Gao Qiu."

"In order to conceal his identity, Song Huizong visited Fanlou as a businessman and ordered eunuchs to deliver gold, silver and jewelry."

"However, Song Huizong, who came to meet the beauty, waited until after midnight."

"I just saw Li Shishi, who came late without any makeup and in plain clothes."

"Li Shishi didn't take this money-grubbing businessman seriously at all."

Liu Rushi: Li Shishi was an extraordinary woman who was deeply admired by literati and scholars in the late Northern Song Dynasty.

Under Li Yun's training, Li Shishi became proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting.

He is even more outstanding in singing, dancing and lyrics.

In addition, Li Shishi was extremely beautiful and soon became a famous courtesan in the capital.

Li Shishi’s alum building actually contains most of the romantic history of the Northern Song Dynasty.

Although this statement is exaggerated, it is not groundless.

In the Northern Song Dynasty, talented men and famous prostitutes drank and talked about poetry.

In fact, it will not be looked down upon, but will be talked about with relish.

Famous poets of the Northern Song Dynasty, such as Zhang Xian, Yan Jidao, Qin Guan, Zhou Bangyan and others, appeared in Li Shishi's alum tower one after another, and their poems were circulated.

Zhang Xian was a famous romantic poet in the Northern Song Dynasty.

Zhang Xian was a playboy all his life. When he was 80 years old, he took an 18-year-old concubine. The saying "a pear tree overshadows a crabapple tree" is about this incident.

Zhang Xian once wrote a poem "Shishi Ling" specifically for Li Shishi, praising the young Li Shishi as being as beautiful as a hibiscus flower.

Yan Jidao, a poet of the Northern Song Dynasty, is a typical representative of the graceful and elegant school.

Yan Jidao and Li Shishi had frequent interactions, and there was once a rumor that Li Shishi was going to marry Yan Jidao.

But Yan Jidao was the son of Prime Minister Yan Shu after all, so how could he marry Li Shishi?

Despite this, Yan Jidao still had deep feelings for Li Shishi.

Yan Jidao wrote a poem "Shengcha Zi" specifically for Li Shishi, one of the lines of which is "I have seen all the flowers in Yingchuan, none is as beautiful as Shishi's."

After Yan Jidao, the person who had an affair with Li Shishi became Qin Guan.

Qin Guan, who wrote "If love between two people is long-lasting, why should they be together day and night?", was a master of love poetry in the Song Dynasty.

Qin Guan once wrote a poem "A Bunch of Flowers" for Li Shishi, and between the lines, he revealed his admiration for Li Shishi.

The great talent Zhou Bangyan wrote the most poems for Li Shishi, and the two were very affectionate.

Unfortunately, the two of them were unable to achieve a happy ending because a big shot, Song Huizong Zhao Ji, whom Zhou Bangyan could not afford to offend, intervened.

During the reign of Emperor Huizong of Song, a special department was set up to find beauties for him.

Song Huizong would leave the palace every now and then to observe the sufferings of the people. Sometimes he would not return all night and had to ask for leave from his ministers and stop attending court for a day.

It was not uncommon for talented men in the Northern Song Dynasty to frequent places of entertainment, so Emperor Huizong of Song often went out to visit prostitutes.

From this we can see how unique Li Shishi was in the Northern Song Dynasty, even Song Huizong wanted to see her beauty.

"Song Huizong asked him his age but he didn't answer, so he wanted to ask again."

"Li Shishi simply left the table and started playing "Autumn Wild Geese on the Peaceful Lake" three times in a row."

"At dawn, Master Li did not see the guest off. She just stood up and turned away, not giving the emperor the slightest bit of face."

"It was Li Shishi's nonchalant attitude, which made her treat money like dirt, that moved Emperor Huizong of Song."

"In front of Li Shishi, Song Huizong completely turned into Zhao Ji, and became an ordinary man."

"He can express his affection to his heart's content, in his own way, without any intention or requirement."

"It was because of this coincidence in life that Li Shishi's status went from being a popular top star to becoming a private treasure of the emperor."

"Song Huizong not only spent a lot of money to rebuild Fan Tower, but also wrote the three characters of Xinghua Tower in his unique thin gold script."

"Hanging high up in the building, his romantic affairs are clearly visible to the world."

"In order to facilitate the meeting with Li Shishi, Song Huizong also ordered people to build more than a hundred houses from the palace to the east to the front of Li Shishi's Xinghua Tower, and set up a wall to set up a passageway, so that Song Huizong could travel back and forth between Fanlou and the palace."

"Zhou Bangyan was a Beijing official entrusted with an important task by the court. He was favored by Li Shishi because of his talent."

"One day Zhou Bangyan came to meet Li Shishi, but he didn't expect Song Huizong to come to visit him suddenly. In panic, Zhou Bangyan had to hide under the bed."

"Song Huizong drew back the curtain and entered. Li Shishi hurried over to greet him and they sat down in each other's arms."

"Then he ordered his servants to present fresh oranges. Li Shishi split the oranges with her bare hands, and the two of them tasted the fresh oranges and talked about love."

"Before he knew it, the night was already deep. Song Huizong was ill and could not stay, so he said goodbye to Li Shishi and left."

"Zhou Bangyan witnessed the emperor's visit to a brothel with his own ears. Although he was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat and crawled out from under the bed, he also found the experience funny."

"So he composed the lyrics and music 'Youthful Travel' based on what he had seen and heard and gave it to Li Shishi."

Li Qingzhao: The scandal between the emperor, the poet and the famous prostitute caused a sensation and was known to everyone in the world. The emperor here was of course Emperor Huizong of Song, the poet was the talented Zhou Bangyan, and the famous prostitute was Li Shishi.

The scandal between the three people had its reasons, so it spread quickly in the government and the market and circulated for a long time.

Zhou Bangyan is the master of the graceful and elegant school and has had a great influence on later generations.

When Li Shishi became famous, Zhou Bangyan was already in his sixties.

But when he first met Li Shishi, Zhou Bangyan was so overwhelmed by the beauty that he felt like a second spring in his life.

After having fun, he wrote a poem "Yutuaner" and gave it to Li Shishi.

After that, Zhou Bangyan and Li Shishi had a close relationship.

The old and the young have become close friends regardless of age.

In his later years, Zhou Bangyan lived in Li Shishi's Jinxian Lane for a long time, eating and living with Li Shishi, and spent the happiest time of his life there.

One evening, Zhou Bangyan and Li Shishi were having a pleasant conversation.

Suddenly, the maid ran in in a panic to announce that the emperor had arrived.

When Zhou Bangyan heard this, he was horrified, fearing that he would be caught by the emperor and his reputation would be ruined.

Although Li Shishi was a little panicked, she remained calm and immediately instructed Zhou Bangyan to hide under the bed.

As soon as Zhou Bangyan crawled under the bed, Song Huizong came in with a few new oranges that were tributed from Jiangnan.

In order to avoid arousing the suspicion of Emperor Song Huizong, Li Shishi looked shy and used all her skills to serve him and make him laugh heartily.

That night, Song Huizong spent a long time in Jinxian Lane with Li Shishi in a gentle and affectionate manner.

It was not until the third watch that Song Huizong reluctantly left, but Zhou Bangyan, who was under the bed, was very upset.

However, Zhou Bangyan’s night of hiding was not in vain.

Zhou Bangyan crawled out from under the bed and was inspired to write a poem called "Youthful Travel".

After reading the poem, Li Shishi liked it very much and immediately composed music and sang it.

This song is gentle and beautiful, and it quickly became popular and became the most popular song in Tokyo.

This poem reached the ears of Song Huizong, who soon discovered the hidden story behind it.

Out of jealousy, he banished Zhou Bangyan from Tokyo.

Li Shishi was not happy with this and was worried and haggard all day long.

Song Huizong half felt pity for Li Shishi and half admired Zhou Bangyan's talent.

So Zhou Bangyan was summoned back to the capital and promoted.

"A few days later, Emperor Huizong of Song visited the Xinghua Tower, and Li Shishi sang the song "Youthful Travel" to him on a whim."

"Song Huizong immediately realized that someone had stayed in the room on the day of his visit, and he was reluctant to attack Li Shishi, who was already filled with remorse."

"The next day, the emperor ordered Prime Minister Cai Jing to dismiss Zhou Bangyan from his post and expel him from the capital on the grounds that the tax amount was insufficient."

"After eliminating Zhou Bangyan, his love rival, Song Huizong calmly went to Xinghua Tower to visit Li Shishi."

"But I didn't expect that Master Li would not come back until the end of the night, and she only came back in the dark at the beginning of the night."

"Song Huizong, who had been waiting impatiently, was about to explode when he saw that Li Shishi was unhappy."

"But seeing that Li Shishi's face was filled with sorrow, I couldn't help but feel soft-hearted."

"Only then did we know that the reason why Li Shishi returned late was because she went to see Zhou Bangyan off on his long journey."

"Li Shishi sang a new song, "Prince of Lanling", to Emperor Huizong of Song. He felt sad and loved Li Shishi's chivalrous spirit. He also developed a love for Zhou Bangyan."

"So he issued an imperial decree to pardon Zhou Bangyan and summoned him to be the music director who wrote lyrics and composed music. The two of them became bosom friends."

"In April of the second year of the Jingkang reign, the Jin army broke through Dongjing and abducted Emperors Huizong and Qinzong."

"A large number of Zhao royal family members, concubines, and noble officials, totaling more than 167 people, fled north to the Jin Kingdom. The Northern Song Dynasty, which had lasted for years, was destroyed."

"The country is no longer a country, and life for Li Shishi is nothing but misfortune after the mountains and rivers are broken."

"The capture of Emperor Huizong of Song has announced that the prosperity that Li Shishi once enjoyed is bound to be shattered like an illusion."

"Li Shishi was neither humble nor arrogant towards the powerful and noble, and she never lost her integrity, which won the love of Emperor Huizong of Song."

"Among the literati, Li Shishi resonated with talented scholars like Zhou Bangyan and received their deepest praise."

"As for the heroes of the outlaws, Li Shishi personally felt the desolation and helplessness in their lives and gave them the deepest understanding and support."

"Li Shishi's life was short, but she used her life to tell future generations about the unique glory of the last dynasty."

Sai Jinhua: In fact, Li Shishi’s fate is a microcosm of the demise of the Northern Song Dynasty.

Song Huizong was an excellent person in all aspects except being an emperor.

He was an outstanding talent in calligraphy, painting, Cuju and polo, but unfortunately he was a tyrant.

When the Jin army was approaching the city, Song Huizong did not want to be the king of a fallen country, so he quickly abdicated the throne to his son Song Qinzong.

After Song Qinzong ascended the throne, he changed the reign title to Jing Kang.

Then, the Jingkang Incident happened, and both Emperor Qinzong and Emperor Huizong of Song became prisoners of the Jin people.

At that time, when the country was on the verge of destruction, Emperors Huizong and Qinzong wanted to use women and money to buy peace.

Emperors Huizong and Qinzong sent three thousand beauties to the Jin people as requested.

However, the Jin people were greedy and asked for it again.

Emperors Huizong and Qinzong had no choice but to send their palace maids and concubines away.

These women were later taken back to the Jin camp along with Emperors Huizong and Qinzong.

In front of the Jin people, the women of the Song Dynasty were subjected to the "Sheep-Leading Ceremony" and were touched here and there with their upper bodies exposed.

During this process, there were many people who committed suicide due to unbearable humiliation.

Because Song Huizong was a king who lost his country, Li Shishi's fate during the transition period between the two Song dynasties also attracted attention from later generations.

Because of Li Shishi's special background, most of the records about her come from unofficial history.

There are two completely different accounts of Li Shishi's ending.

One is more complete, the other is more tragic.

The first version is that when Emperor Huizong of Song abdicated, Li Shishi became a nun with her hair uncut and never married.

Later, when the Northern Song Dynasty was destroyed, Li Shishi donated all her property to the Southern Song Dynasty as military supplies, hoping that the Southern Song Dynasty could recover the lost territory.

Li Shishi later moved south with the Southern Song Dynasty to the Hunan and Xiangxi areas and lived in a nunnery.

The second statement is more tragic.

After the Jingkang Incident, the Jin people had heard that there was a beautiful woman named Li Shishi in the Song Dynasty, so they asked the traitor Zhang Bangchang to look for her.

After many twists and turns, Zhang Bangchang finally found Li Shishi.

Li Shishi scolded Zhang Bangchang for being ungrateful. She was a lowly prostitute who had been treated kindly by the Song court, and she would rather die to repay the emperor's kindness.

As a minister of the Song Dynasty, Zhang Bangchang was never let down by the dynasty, but he wanted to destroy the dynasty.

After cursing, Li Shishi tried to commit suicide by stabbing her throat with a golden hairpin, but failed. She then swallowed gold and died.

According to the first statement, Li Shishi's life can be considered complete.

Li Shishi donated her family property to defend her country and fulfilled her obligations as a citizen of Song.

Although she is a woman, her mind is no less broad than those of the surrenderist men.

According to the second statement, although Li Shishi's life was tragic, she was not pitiful.

She used her life to defend the dignity of the nation. Although she was a prostitute, her backbone was no less than those two weak emperors. (End of this chapter)