The Eight Beauties of Qinhuai refer to the eight talented and famous actresses who lived along the Qinhuai River in Nanjing in the Jiangnan area in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Qinhuai is a prosperous place in Nanjing. It is separated by a river on both sides of the river. They are the Jiangnan Gongyuan (now the imperial examination in China), the general examination venue of the southern region.

Museum), and on the other side is the famous Jiuyuan and Zhushi, where famous actors from the southern jiofang gather.

"Banqiao Miscellaneous Notes", first seen by Yu Huai, wrote about six people: Gu Hengbo, Dong Xiaowan, Bian Yujing, Li Xiangjun, Kou Baimen and Ma Xianglan.

Later generations added Liu Rushi and Chen Yuanyuan and called them the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai.

The "Eight Beauties of Qinhuai" refers to the eight famous Nanqu performers on the Qinhuai River in Nanjing in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, so it is also called the "Eight Beauties of Jinling".

Yu Danxin, a veteran of the Ming Dynasty, recorded in "Banqiao Miscellanies" as follows: Liu Rushi, Gu Hengbo, Ma Xianglan, Chen Yuanyuan, Kou Baimen, Bian Yujing, Li Xiangjun, and Dong Xiaowan.

Taiwan's Zheng Jingsheng replaced Ma Xianglan with Zheng Tuoniang in the article "The Mystery of Dong Xiaowan".

The book "Shunzhi and Concubine E" co-authored by Wang Deheng and Chen Yuyi has undergone major changes. It added Li Shiniang, Gong Zhizhi, and Huang Yanqiu, and removed Ma Xianglan, Kou Baimen, and Bian Yujing.

Yu Danxin, the author of "Banqiao Miscellaneous Notes", was a contemporary of the "Eight Beauties of Qinhuai". He also lived in Jinling for a long time and was a frequent visitor to the Qinhuai River. It seems that what he said is correct.

In addition, the "Eight Beauties of Qinhuai" engraved by Ye Yanlan in the late Qing Dynasty, the description of "Eight Beauties of Jinling" existing in the Rugao Water Painting Garden, the former residence of Dong Xiaowan and Mao Pijiang, and the novel "Dong Xiaowan, a Famous Actor of Qinhuai" co-authored by Liu Peilin and Zhang Deyi

The names of the "Eight Beauties of Qinhuai" listed are also the same as those in "Banqiao Miscellaneous Notes".

Liu Rushi was a famous singer and songwriter who was active during the Ming and Qing dynasties. She had a strong personality, integrity, intelligence, and great courage. Her reputation was no less than that of Li Xiangjun, Bian Yujing and Gu Meisheng.

Liu Rushi's name is hidden, with the courtesy name Rushi, and the diminutive Zhiwu. His real name is Yang Ai. He read Xin Qiji's poem: "I saw how charming the green mountains are, and I expected that the green mountains would look like this to me." So he named himself Rushi; later he was also called "Hedong Jun", "Hedong Jun", "Hedong Jun" and "Hedong Jun"

"Mr. Miwu".

She is from Jiaxing, born in the forty-sixth year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty (1618). She was smart and studious when she was young. However, due to her poverty, she was robbed and sold to Wujiang as a maidservant at an early age. She fell into Zhangtai when she was young and changed her name to Liu Yin.

In the troubled times, he traveled between Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Jinling.

Because of her unparalleled beauty and talent, she became a famous concubine of Qinhuai.

She left behind many anecdotes worth telling and literary poems such as "Grass on the Lake", "Wuyin Grass" and "Child Slips".

Liu Rushi was once friendly with Zhang Fu and Chen Zilong, the leaders of the Nanming Restoration Society, and agreed with Chen Qing. However, Chen was unfortunately defeated and died in the anti-Qing uprising.

Liu's requirements for choosing a son-in-law were very high. She looked down on many proposals from celebrities, and some of them only stayed at the friendship stage.

Finally, in the 14th year of Chongzhen, when she was in her 20s, she married Qian Qianyi, a leader of Donglin who was over fifty and a well-known bureaucrat.

After Qian married Liu, he built the magnificent "Jiangyun Tower" and "Hongdou Pavilion" for her in Yushan. The golden house hides the beauty.

Liu's descendants gave birth to a daughter.

Some "red scholars" believe that the Jiangyun Pavilion designed by Cao Xueqin is derived from the Jiangyun Tower of the Liu family.

When Emperor Chongzhen hanged himself and the Qing army occupied Beijing, the Hongguang Small Court was built in Nanjing, which was known as Nanming in history.

Liu Rushi supported Qian Qianyi to become the Minister of Rites of Nanming.

Soon the Qing army marched south. When the troops approached the city, Liu persuaded Qian to join him and die for his country. Qian was thoughtful and speechless. Finally, he stepped into the pool and tested the water and said, "The water is too cold to enter."

Ms. Liu "wanted to sink into the pool", but Ms. Qian held her back.

So Qian was shy and welcomed the surrender.

Qian Jiangqing went to Beijing, but Liu stayed in Nanjing.

Qian became a minister of the Ministry of Rites and a bachelor of the Imperial Academy in the Qing Dynasty. Due to the influence of the Liu family, he resigned after half a year due to illness.

Later, he was involved in two lawsuits.

Liu Rushi bribed him to be released from prison while he was ill, and encouraged him to contact Zheng Chenggong, Zhang Huangyan, Qu Shichun, Wei Geng, etc. who were still resisting.

Liu also tried her best to support and comfort the anti-Qing rebels, all of which showed her strong patriotism and national integrity.

Qian Qianyi's surrender to the Qing Dynasty should have been criticized by later generations, but Liu Rushi's righteous deeds diluted people's antipathy towards him.

Yu Dafu recorded Liu Rushi's poem "I Hear the Room in Spring" in "Yuxia Zazai".

In terms of literary and artistic talents, she can be called the first of the "Eight Beauties of Qinhuai".

After reading her poems, the famous scholar Chen Yinke felt "stunned" and admired Liu Rushi's "clear words and beautiful sentences".

The people of the Qing Dynasty believed that her ruler slips were "more beautiful than those in the Six Dynasties, and they were deeply affectionate to Ban Cai".

Liu is also proficient in music, has graceful dancing, and is also famous for her calligraphy and painting. Her paintings are skillful, simple, and beautiful; her calligraphy is highly praised by future generations, who call her "an iron fist with a silver hook, which can capture the wonderful traces."

After Qian's death in 1664, the villagers gathered to seize his property. In order to protect the Qian family's property, Liu committed suicide with a silk tie.

Although the villains were scared away, a generation of talented women ended their lives like this.

After Liu's death, he was buried in Fushui Villa in Yushan.

Liu Rushi is a very talented female poet, and her handed down works include "Wu Yin Cao", "Liu Rushi's Poems", "Chi Xu" and so on.

Liu Rushi's main poems: Jin Mingchi·Ode to the Cold Willow has a sad cold wave and a ruthless afterglow, which is Xiaoxiao Nanpu.

The wind blows more, and the lone shadow of the frost strips, I still remember the flying catkins of the old days.

When I arrived late at night, the sun was setting in the mist, I saw a traveler, and my waist was as thin as a dance.

There is always a sense of desolation, very haggard, but there are still some beautiful poems from Yantai.

Spring turns into autumn rain.

Thinking about the romantic past, it hurts me like this.

Even though there are plenty of people, they draw boats around the embankment, but they are all deserted, and the water clouds are still the same.