The videos I watched became popular in ancient times

The Qinhuai River in Nanjing has remained unchanged for more than a thousand years, from the Tang Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty.

During the day, it is a water town in the south of the Yangtze River, a beautiful girl from a small family.

At night, it transforms into a brothel, with people flirting and posing.

There are beautiful ladies who are peerless and gorgeous, and there are playboys who are frivolous and decadent.

Various contradictions are perfectly and harmoniously gathered on the Qinhuai River, just as if the Qinhuai River has two sources.

One is the Buddhist holy land of Baohua Mountain, and the other is Yanzhi River.

Two completely opposite poles eventually merge into one, you are in me and I am in you.

The greatest contradiction is the greatest harmony, which is infinitely charming.

Whether it is an ancient pagoda or a brothel or a pleasure boat, they are actually places of transcendence.

Reality is too cruel, people need to escape.

Some convert to Buddhism, some become prostitutes.

It seems that one is transcendent and the other is degenerate, but in fact they end up in the same place.

It is said that Qinhuai River is a place of fireworks, money-spending and pleasure-seeking.

In fact, it is still the human world, with the same joys and sorrows.

In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, the famous prostitutes of Qinhuai were the most respected.

Although they are of humble status, most of them possess noble character and are able to remain untainted by the mud.

There are eight famous Qinhuai prostitutes in history, namely Liu Rushi, Chen Yuanyuan, Dong Xiaowan, Li Xiangjun, etc.

Each beauty has a bumpy experience and a touching story, and many of them are free and easy people who are keen on pursuing a free life.

But there was an unparalleled beauty born on the banks of the Qinhuai River, she was Dong Xiaowan.

Dong Xiaowan was one of the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. She was the dream lover of many men.

She is in the world, but she is untainted by the mud, and she is pure and clear without being coquettish.

As a geisha, she loves someone with all her heart, with a true heart that is rare among women in this world.

Even if love turns into loneliness in the end, she remains loyal until her death.

Dong Xiaowan went from being a pampered rich girl to a prostitute and experienced many joys and sorrows in her life.

I have also seen dynasties change and lamented the sadness of the times.

In the end, she chose to marry as a concubine and ended her life in hunger and cold.

"Dong Xiaowan was born in the Dong family embroidery shop in Suzhou. The Dong family has a scholarly atmosphere."

"Ms. Bai, the mistress of the embroidery shop, is the only daughter of an old scholar and has been well-read since childhood."

"She gave birth to a daughter for the Dong family. To express the harmonious relationship between husband and wife, she was named Bai and nicknamed Qinglian."

"The parents treated their little daughter as a treasure and taught her poetry, calligraphy, painting, needlework and women's needlework, hoping to train her into a girl with both talent and virtue."

"This was supposed to be a happy family, but things never happened."

"When Dong Bai was thirteen years old, his father suddenly fell ill and passed away."

“Two years later, chaos was approaching Suzhou.”

"The mother and daughter discovered that the embroidery shop had been emptied by a treacherous clerk."

"Bai was so angry and anxious that she fell ill in bed."

"With her mother's death, the embroidery shop going bankrupt, and debts looming, the burden of life suddenly fell on the fifteen-year-old Dong Bai."

"Dong Bai, who had lived in seclusion with his mother since childhood, had developed a proud and arrogant character and was unwilling to beg for money."

"In a hurry, I resorted to a desperate measure. I accepted someone's recommendation and came to a pleasure boat on the Qinhuai River in Nanjing, changing my name to Xiaowan."

"Not long after, he returned to Suzhou Bantang and displayed his gorgeous banner."

"Dong Xiaowan's beautiful appearance and extraordinary temperament quickly made her famous in Qinhuai."

"She had to humble herself and smile, but she could not hide her noble character."

"Although some dandies were dissatisfied, some scholars and scholars praised her integrity."

"There is a type of guest who, although they are old, have both leisure and sufficient financial resources."

"I like to take my favorite prostitute to travel around the mountains and rivers to enjoy the natural scenery, and Dong Xiaowan also enjoys it."

"For several years, Dong Xiaowan indulged herself in romantic affairs and lingered in the mountains and rivers."

"Under the influence of the beautiful natural scenery, the beautiful Dong Xiaowan has a more otherworldly temperament."

"At the age of sixteen, Dong Xiaowan had already become famous."

"She is also very talented and clever. She has learned the family embroidery method since she was young. She is known as the needlework goddess and the music saint on the Qinhuai River."

"Therefore, she, along with Liu Rushi, Li Xiangjun and others, was one of the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai, dominating the beauty of Jiangnan."

Li Shishi: Dong Xiaowan is like a unique water lotus on the Qinhuai River. Her eccentricity has long been well-known in the prosperous and beautiful Qinhuai River.

Since ancient times, there have been many talented women in the south of the Yangtze River, who were nurtured in this water town.

Every day of the poetic and picturesque life is like a beautiful painting, which makes people unforgettable.

Dong Xiaowan was born in such a charming water town in the south of the Yangtze River.

Her mother, Bai, was born into a scholarly family. Her grandfather was a scholar, but that was also the end of his official career.

Feeling frustrated and depressed, he passed on all the knowledge he had learned throughout his life to his only daughter, Bai.

Bai did not disappoint him and gradually grew up to be a well-educated and well-mannered lady.

Later, she married the son of Dong's embroidery shop. After marriage, the couple lived in harmony and soon gave birth to a daughter.

Bai named her Dong Bai, nicknamed her Qinglian, hoping that she would be able to escape from the mud of the world like the blue lotus and become independent.

The Dong family is a famous local family in Suzhou and has been running an embroidery shop for more than 200 years.

Because of the excellent embroidery skills and fine workmanship, the business has always been very good.

The couple was overjoyed after having a daughter. They devoted a lot of effort to her and taught her how to read, write, play the piano, chess, calligraphy and painting.

Dong Bai was also very intelligent, and was well versed in poetry, calligraphy and painting at a young age.

Moreover, her needlework skills are amazing, and she is a girl known far and wide for her virtuous character and talent.

Such a happy family of three encountered unprecedented changes many years later.

That year, Dong Bai was thirteen years old. His father died suddenly, catching the orphan and his widowed mother off guard.

After taking care of her father's funeral, her mother took her to live in seclusion in a quiet room.

Because the mother and daughter had never been involved in the management of the embroidery shop, they could only hand it over to the shop assistants.

After two years of seclusion, the Ming Dynasty began to decline and wars continued in various places.

Seeing this chaos, Bai wanted to close the embroidery shop, earn some money, and take her daughter away to avoid disaster.

However, when the accountant calculated, it was found that the embroidery shop not only had no money left, but also owed several thousand taels of silver.

Bai knew that it was his servant who did it, but he had no evidence, so he had no choice but to swallow the bitter pill. Not long after, he fell ill.

Dong Bai, who was only 15 years old, not only had to find a way to repay his debts, but also had to take care of his sick mother.

But she was always proud and refused to bow her head to borrow money from others, so she followed other people's advice, changed her name to Dong Xiaowan and went to Nanjing to perform in a pleasure boat on the Qinhuai River.

"In the 12th year of the Chongzhen reign of the Ming Dynasty, Mao Xiang came to Nanjing to take the imperial examination."

"Hearing my friends Fang Yizhi and Hou Fangyu praising Dong Xiaowan, I couldn't help but feel curious about this legendary cold beauty."

"After many twists and turns, he was introduced by Fang Yizhi and finally met Dong Xiaowan in Bantang, Suzhou."

"That night Dong Xiaowan came back from the banquet, drunk and leaning on the bedside, looking extremely delicate and frail."

"The two of them talked behind the curtain, and Mao Xiang was certainly amazed by the beauty's grace."

"Dong Xiaowan often attended banquets with celebrities and heard people talking about Mao Xiang. She knew that there was such a talented man in Fushe who was both upright and romantic."

"I am deeply moved by this meeting."

"In the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, Mao Xiang met for the second time, and Dong Xiaowan expressed her commitment to him."

"Mao Xiang was caught off guard. He pretended to be drunk and said goodbye in a hurry the next day."

"Dong Xiaowan had no choice but to see him off all the way."

"This delivery lasted for twenty-seven days."

"From Huguan to Beigu, Mao Xiang rejected her 27 times in a row."

"But after so many times of seeing each other off and chasing each other, their feelings for each other became stronger and stronger."

"Under Liu Rushi's mediation, Qian Qianyi redeemed Dong Xiaowan."

"In the spring of the following year, Dong Xiaowan and Mao Xiang got married."

"After Dong Xiaowan married into the Mao family, she put aside her worldly desires and devoted herself to serving Mao Xiang's family." "She did everything herself and got along very well with the Mao family."

"Mao Xiang's mother and wife particularly liked Dong Xiaowan, and Dong Xiaowan was also respectful and obedient."

"In their spare time, Dong Xiaowan and Mao Xiang often sat in the study room of the painting garden, commenting on landscapes and identifying gold and stone inscriptions."

"But the most impressive thing about Dong Xiaowan is that she managed to live her trivial daily life in a romantic, beautiful and full of emotion."

"After arriving at the Mao family, Dong Xiaowan took care of all the daily chores, and everything was in perfect order."

"Dong Xiaowan is indifferent by nature and doesn't like rich, sweet food."

"Mao Xiang, on the other hand, likes sweets, seafood, and cured and smoked foods."

"The food that Dong Xiaowan prepared for him was fresh, delicious and varied."

"The short period of happy and peaceful life soon passed. As the Qing army moved south, Mao Xiang and his family had to flee."

"After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, the Mao family had a difficult life. Mao Xiang fell seriously ill three times, and it was Dong Xiaowan who took care of him day and night."

"It was this meticulous care that saved Mao Xiang from death and enabled him to live to the age of 82 during those chaotic years."

"But this exhausting life eventually devoured Dong Xiaowan's young life."

Liu Rushi: Falling in love with someone you like and giving your life for him is the tragedy of Dong Xiaowan's life.

A rich lady who has lived in seclusion for many years would feel somewhat uncomfortable if she was suddenly thrown into a mixed crowd.

Dong Xiaowan was aloof and serious by nature, when she was performing on the painted boat.

It was inevitable that she would encounter guests who deliberately made things difficult for her, but she rejected them all out of her noble character.

The vulgar man looked at her with obscene eyes, making her feel uncomfortable, but she could only endure it.

Over time, this self-admiring personality has won the appreciation of some elegant people.

However, her personality affected the income of the pleasure boat, which made the brothel owner extremely angry with her. In a fit of rage, she left Nanjing and returned to Suzhou.

But as soon as she arrived, the creditors showed up. Looking at her mother lying on the hospital bed, she burst into tears.

Not long after, in order to survive, Dong Xiaowan returned to her old ways and sold herself to a brothel in Bantang.

Although she was in a very dangerous place, Dong Xiaowan still insisted on not selling herself.

However, in order to survive, she had to hide her nobleness and smile all day long.

On weekdays, there are many guests who have leisure time and strong financial resources. They would invite Dong Xiaowan to accompany them to travel and enjoy the scenery, and sometimes they would stay for ten days or half a month.

For Dong Xiaowan, it is also a blessing to be able to travel among mountains and rivers.

Another kind of luck was that she also met the lover of her life, Mao Xiang, here.

He was a famous talent in Fushe and was quite renowned.

As early as when Dong Xiaowan was still performing in Qinhuai River, Mao Xiang had heard people mention her. He was very yearning for her and wanted to meet her.

Dong Xiaowan had also heard of Mao Xiang's name, but the two always missed each other and never had the chance to meet.

Once Mao Xiang came to Suzhou and asked around for news about Dong Xiaowan.

Upon learning that she had sold herself to Ban Tang, he went to visit her several times but each time he saw her out for an outing with guests.

Later, Mao Xiang stayed in Suzhou for a while. Before leaving, he went to Bantang again, and this time the two finally met.

Dong Xiaowan was dressed in simple and light makeup, which was very different from the other women in Bantang, and won Mao Xiang's favor.

The two talked about literature and current affairs, and Mao Xiang was impressed by Dong Xiaowan's elegant conversation and quick thinking.

They chatted for a long time before Mao Xiang reluctantly left.

This conversation planted the seeds of love in the hearts of both parties, and the death of Dong Xiaowan's mother also allowed this naive love to begin to ferment.

"In the eighth year of Shunzhi, the virtuous concubine Dong Xiaowan finally closed her tired eyes."

"She passed away so peacefully amid the wailing of the Mao family."

"Dong Xiaowan's devotion to Mao Xiang was neither as regrettable as Liu Rushi's marriage to Qian Qianyi, an old man 36 years older than her, nor as tragic as Li Xiangjun's death due to blood splashing on the peach blossom fan."

"Everyone says they are a perfect match made in heaven."

"But according to unofficial historical records, there was a kind of awkwardness and helplessness between them that was hard to explain."

"It makes people feel infinitely moved by this couple's marriage. Perhaps the unparalleled love that has been passed down for hundreds of years is just a legend."

"Dong Xiaowan entered the Mao family and never left the house. She washed away all her makeup, studied needlework, and never forgot her status as a concubine."

"She doesn't look like the charming and lovable Qinhuai girl at all. She looks more like a maid from a wealthy family."

"Besides, Mao Xiang went to Suzhou for Chen Yuanyuan, but by then, Chen Yuanyuan had been abducted by a wealthy family."

"Although Dong Xiaowan finally entered the Mao family after many twists and turns, she did not see Mao Xiang's enthusiasm and care for her. Instead, it seemed that Dong Xiaowan was determined to go there and was wishful thinking."

"When the country is in crisis, all the neighbors flee like birds and beasts."

"No one in the family could do anything, except Dong Xiaowan who had prepared the money in advance."

"Although Mao Xiang didn't say, this money belongs to the Mao family or Dong Xiaowan's private money."

"If it's the former, it also shows how meticulous and attentive Dong Xiaowan is in her daily life."

"If it is the latter, then it shows his noble character of sacrificing himself for others in the face of great difficulties."

"Dong Xiaowan has never been the apple of Mao Xiang's eye. One can imagine how much grievance and resentment Dong Xiaowan must have felt after spending nine years together."

"In Dong Xiaowan's last days, whether Mao Xiang was truly moved by her tenderness was no longer important."

"When the two of them were together, Mao Xiang always looked down at Dong Xiaowan."

"In Dong Xiaowan's heart, Mao Xiang was probably just a carrier of a gorgeous dream of love that she had woven for herself."

"She has always lived in her own dream and stubbornly believed that she is the happiest heroine in this romantic love."

"The lucky journey of a famous scholar and a famous prostitute in love, although limited in duration, is rare and precious."

"Dong Xiaowan, in her prime years, had withered away like this."

Li Xiangjun: Dong Xiaowan fell into despair for love. Perhaps every man has loved such a woman.

The death of her mother dealt a heavy blow to Dong Xiaowan, and she fell ill after the funeral.

Mao Xiang once visited Dong Xiaowan, and their relationship was sublimated.

Dong Xiaowan saw the light of freedom emanating from Mao Xiang, which was something she longed for.

Later, it was Dong Xiaowan who took the initiative many times, which accelerated the pace of this relationship.

After her mother passed away, she had no more concerns in the world and did not want to indulge in alcohol and sex anymore. The appearance of Mao Xiang was the life-saving straw that helped her escape from this whirlpool.

Not long after, Mao Xiang went to Nanjing to take part in the provincial examination, and made an agreement with Dong Xiaowan that he would come back after the exam to redeem her.

However, when she was about to be redeemed, the madam of Bantang was unwilling to let her go.

Because Dong Xiaowan is famous, she is Bantang's cash cow.

The two sides were in a stalemate and didn't know what to do for a while.

It happened that Liu Rushi and Qian Qianyi went to Suzhou for a trip, and Liu Rushi and Dong Xiaowan became friends while they were at the Qinhuai River.

After hearing about this, Liu Rushi asked Qian Qianyi to take care of it.

Qian Qianyi was also a well-known person in the local area, and the redemption issue was resolved through his lobbying.

After Dong Xiaowan married Mao Xiang, she got along very well with other members of the Mao family.

She spends her time copying calligraphy, painting and cooking. The famous Jiangnan delicacy Dong Rou is her creation.

But this kind of life only lasted for a year. As the Qing troops marched south, they looted all of Mao's family's property.

Mao Xiang took Dong Xiaowan out to escape, and when they returned home after the war, nothing was left.

The days of lack of oil and rice were barely manageable thanks to Dong Xiaowan's careful budgeting, but Mao Xiang soon fell ill and suffered from unbearable abdominal pain, which tortured him beyond recognition.

Dong Xiaowan took care of him day and night and never showed any dislike.

After half a year of this, Mao Xiang's condition began to improve.

But at this time, Dong Xiaowan was already exhausted and emaciated, and no longer had the charm of the famous Qinhuai prostitute.

Not long after, Mao Xiang's condition, which had just improved, worsened again. He developed an abscess on his back and was unable to lie on his back.

Dong Xiaowan sat beside the bed and let him sleep in her arms, and she sat like this for a hundred days.

Suffering from hunger and cold, and having to take care of her husband, Dong Xiaowan's health completely collapsed.

In the eighth year of Shunzhi, Dong Xiaowan closed her eyes forever due to illness, ending her miserable life.

Some people say that Dong Xiaowan went from being a famous prostitute in Qinhuai to a brothel owner, and her life after marriage was very miserable. If she had stayed in Bantang and been a famous prostitute who sold her art but not her body, it would have been better than this.

However, who could have known that even in such days of hunger and cold, Dong Xiaowan was still content to endure it.

Because this is the freedom she wants, a freedom where every cry and laugh comes from the heart.

For her, it was not a tragedy, but a blessing. (End of this chapter)