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"It is sad to protect one's head and visit flowers, but one's achievements in life must be buried. After hastily preaching and talking about sutras, this is the only time I come to this world."
In 1943, the 61-year-old Lu Bicheng left this desperate poem in Kowloon, Hong Kong passed away.
Looking back on her life, she became famous when she was young and was the first female editor in the history of China. In her middle age, she dominated the shopping mall and was once among the top three richest people in the Republic of China.
dedicated herself to animal protection and charity in her later years. Convert to religion and pursue peace on the spiritual platform; after death, 's body turns into dust, and is buried in the sea with flour and fish food, leaving no trace of dust in his heart.
is such a strange woman. After her engagement was broken off by the Wang family, who had been dating her since she was a child, due to a huge family change at the age of twelve, she never married and became the first person to speak out for women. Together with the martyr Qiu Jin, she was also known as "women "Double Heroes".
Why on earth was she unwilling to get married during these long years? What kind of opportunity did give her to become a great literary artist in the early Republic of China when women were not valued?
The turning point in life begins in the spring of 1903, when Lu Bicheng was preparing to go to Tianjin to study.
became famous
1903 was the seventh year that Lu Bicheng stayed with her uncle's house in Tanggu with her mother and three sisters after her father Lu Fengqi died of illness.
My uncle was a salt transport envoy and his family was quite wealthy. What's more, Lu Bicheng's eldest sister and her uncle's son had been in love for a long time. The two got married soon, and they were more interested in the Lu sisters.
But Lu Bicheng has been sensitive since childhood and has a delicate mind . During the seven years that was in Tanggu, Lu Bicheng followed his uncle's wishes and has been exposed to old-style education in private schools.
In her early years, her mother gave her good inner education, which made Lu Bicheng very open-minded. Therefore, her uncle's feudal stubbornness became one of the reasons why she urgently wanted to leave home.
Private School Model Picture Source Network
This was a period of great intellectual change in the literary world, where feudal eight-legged writing collided with advanced Western philosophies.
Lu Bicheng spent her teenage years in the Reform Movement of 1898 , Gengzi Incident and other national reforms. She deeply felt the urgency of saving the country and yearned for new schools in big cities.
In the spring of 1903, there was a secretary in my uncle’s official office named Fang Xiaozhou. His wife, Mrs. Fang, is going to live in Tianjin for a while. Lu Bicheng felt that this was a good opportunity to leave.
But things are not as simple as she thought.
老天津
Uncle has long been dissatisfied with Lu Bicheng's unconventionality since she was a child. He holds the idea that "it is virtue for a woman to have no talent", and has been suppressing her personality over the years.
Therefore, after it was known that she wanted to go to Tianjin, her uncle unexpectedly met with fierce opposition and placed her under custody.
Lying in bed late at night, Lu Bicheng thought about all the humiliation he had endured over the years, and became increasingly angry. She made up her mind: she must escape from this place.
Her idea was supported by her mother. Born into a wealthy family in Beijing, her mother, Yan, was taught by the words and deeds of her ancestors and became Lu Bicheng's first teacher.
With the help of her mother, Lu Bicheng successfully arrived at the station, boarded the train to Tianjin alone, and began her free life.
However, happiness is always short-lived. In the car, Lu Bicheng came to her senses and realized that she had brought nothing with her.
No clothes, no money, and no food. Lu Bicheng, who got on the bus after evading the fare, saw that he had no money to buy the ticket, so he sat in his seat and worried.
The woman sitting next to her frowned at this pretty and quiet little girl for a long time, and then came up to talk to her.
This woman is the proprietress of the " Fo Zhaolou " hotel in Tianjin. She once received Mr. Sun Yat-sen and was also the first noble person Lu Bicheng met.When
learned of Lu Bicheng's predicament, the proprietress felt that she was still young but well-educated in her speech and behavior, so bought her a ticket and invited her to stay in her home.
Although food and accommodation have been solved, it is always impossible without money. Lu Bicheng asked her where Secretary Fang's wife lived, and wanted to seek help from Mrs. Fang. With this question of
, I really found a way.
Hearing that Mrs. Fang lived in the "Ta Kung Pao " newspaper office, Lu Bicheng wrote her a letter of greetings. The letter also described in detail some interesting things he experienced while escaping from his uncle's house to Tianjin. The fonts are beautiful and the writing is vivid.
After receiving the letter, Mrs. Fang was attracted by its description. She often took it out and read it over and couldn't put it down.
She works in "Ta Kung Pao" and sees countless articles every day, but is still impressed by Lu Bicheng's writing style, which shows that her literary talent is outstanding.
As fate would have it, this letter was seen by Prime Minister Ying Lianzhi of Ta Kung Pao in 1904.
Two years ago, Ying Lianzhi founded "Ta Kung Pao" with the purpose of "creating a popular culture, improving people's wisdom, imitating European and Western scholarship, and enlightening the wisdom of our compatriots". Knowing that this interesting and clever letter was written by a girl, Ying Lianzhi was greatly praised.
He did not look down on Lu Bicheng's female identity. He was so impressed by her writing style that he personally went to the Fo Zhaolou Hotel and made an appointment with her to come to the Ta Kung Newspaper Office on the evening of April 20 to talk about the literary world with the couple.
At the dinner party, Lv Bicheng burst out with pride and performed "Man Jiang Hong·Feelings" on the spot, which won bursts of applause.
Ying Lianzhi has been advocating the establishment of female schools and getting rid of superstition in recent years. In his opinion, Lu Bicheng can be called a pioneer in female studies.
On the night when she wrote the poem, Ying Lianzhi invited her to the Ta Kung Pao office. She lived with Mrs. Fang and became a trainee editor of "Ta Kung Pao". This was a very bold decision at the time.
Not only that, he also posted a poem written by Lu Bicheng in the "Miscellaneous" column of "Ta Kung Pao", causing an uproar.
In the gloomy China, a glimmer of dawn shines from afar. Ask who sings about women's rights, Ruo Andak? Xuelang Qianhun searches for the sea of sorrow and karma, looking at East Asia in the 20th century. Don't be surprised to hear Qinggui crying and talking wildly!
Quietness and leisure are like a long night; fetters and bondage, no rest, the emperor is nowhere to be seen, the anger is hard to let go, the soul left everywhere is not found, the blood cannot be shed, the sighing frog lives at the bottom of the well, and its wishes are often violated, and the love is empty provoke.
This poem was once called the "Chinese Women's Emancipation Declaration." Such a talented and beautiful woman, Lu Bicheng became famous for a while.
Facts have proved that Ying Lianzhi did not make a mistake. The addition of Lu Bicheng made "Ta Kung Pao" unprecedentedly popular. The "Miscellaneous Miscellaneous" column even became a communication channel between Lu Bicheng and major celebrities and literati.
Lu Bicheng also published many articles on liberating women's rights and promoting women's education, such as "Discussions on Promoting Women's Studies" and "On the Purpose of Promoting Women's Studies" , which paved the way for her to become the principal of Beiyang Women's Public School in the future. .
Because of her broad vision and mind that is different from other women, her status in the literary world is getting higher and higher. More and more people respect her and admire her.
is also among them . He is sixteen years older than Lu Bicheng, and his family already has a wife who was his childhood sweetheart who had the kindness to meet him when he was young. Naturally, he is more passionate than polite, and has become Lu Bicheng's best confidant.
At this time, Lu Bicheng was able to become financially independent with her literary talent.
But for her, this is just a way for her to survive in Tianjin. She has never forgotten her original intention of coming to Tianjin: to enter a school, receive advanced education, broaden her horizons, and serve the country.
So, after Ying Lianzhi helped her inquire about the enrollment quota but failed, Lu Bicheng embarked on the road of organizing a girls' school.
Principal of Girls' School
On November 7, 1904, Beiyang Girls' Public School officially opened.
As the first public school for girls in China, its founding is inextricably linked to Lu Bicheng.
Although Ying Lianzhi kept asking Lu Bicheng on her way to school, in the end no new school was willing to accept a girl. What to do with
? Why not make one yourself!
It happened that the authorities wanted to open a girls' school. After hearing about this, Lu Bicheng asked Ying Lianzhi to contact Fu Zengxiang, the person in charge of the matter, and wanted to participate in the assistance.
Before this, Lu Bicheng was already well-known in the literary world, and people in the literary world always favored her. After being recommended by Yan Fu, Fu Zengxiang and other literary figures, Lu Bicheng successfully joined the team that established a women's school.
After all the previous difficulties in enrolling in school, Lu Bicheng no longer simply wants a chance to study. She hopes that all women like her will no longer face this kind of situation.
In order to better achieve his goals, of course it is most appropriate to take the power of the school into his hands.
So, after a series of preparatory work, Lu Bicheng made his request.
"If you are not recognized as the founder and chief teacher, we will have no choice but to break up."
At that time, the candidate for the chief teacher, that is, the principal had not yet been determined. The original supervisory position was reserved for Lu Bicheng's uncle who had lost his official position, but he also resigned.
At this time, Ying Lianzhi took his wife and children to Shanghai because his younger brother was getting married. Therefore, in the council's decision, Lu Bicheng's request was agreed to, and she served as the chief instructor, while Fu Zengxiang became the supervisor. (The chief teacher is equivalent to the principal, and the supervisor is like the person in charge. The two restrict each other)
Later generations will know that Lu Bicheng promoted many advanced ideas and systems during his teaching in the school. But at the beginning, this road was full of obstacles.
The first problem Lu Bicheng encountered was that the school’s internal management philosophy was inappropriate.
Although Fu Zengxiang holds the supervisory position in name, in fact, it is his wife, Ms. Ling, who performs it on her behalf.
Not long after school started, the two had differences due to various trivial systems. The dispute gradually reached a fever pitch. After Ms. Ling put the matter on the table with a resignation letter, Lu Bicheng was isolated .
At this time, everyone said that Lu Bicheng's actions and words were mostly decisive and difficult for others to control, so they were reluctant to work with her.
After this incident, Fu Zengxiang resigned, and Ying Lianzhi also issued a statement that he would no longer interfere in the school affairs. Beiyang Women's Mansion has completely become Lu Bicheng's arbiter.
Looking at it now, is Lu Bicheng really arbitrary? Not entirely sure.
Lu Bicheng was one of the earliest educators in China to attach great importance to the cultivation of physical fitness. The policy of the comprehensive development of "morality, intelligence, and physical fitness" she proposed has also been followed by later generations. Up to now, it has become the "moral, intellectual, physical, and aesthetic development policy". ", labor" more comprehensive requirements.
On the other hand, she proposed that the purpose of women's education should be to utilize women's special advantages and develop women's power.
"Be a complete citizen for the country" and "do not be a complete individual for the family".
In her view, a woman's identity should not only be a good wife and mother required by the world.
Later, under her education method, Beiyang Women's Public School successively trained famous women such as Deng Yingchao, Liu Qingyang, Xu Guangping, which promoted women's education to be gradually recognized by the world and improved the social environment for women to go to school.
In 1907, Lu Bicheng's best friend Qiu Jin died generously for the revolutionary cause. The two have always relied on each other on the road to advancing women's rights. Qiu Jin's death dealt a huge blow to her.
Lu Bicheng’s life also took a major turning point.
Because her correspondence with Qiu Jin was searched out, she was once wanted by the authorities and hid in her home every day in panic. Her teacher Yan Fu once described: "Since Qiu Jin was killed, she has been frightened."
In order to avoid the limelight, she could not go to school. At this moment, Yuan Kewen appeared and rescued her.
Lu Bicheng had several encounters with Yuan Kewen because of the preparations for the establishment of a girls' school. But for Yuan Kewen, Lu Bicheng's beauty and talent have made him admire him for a long time.
Yuan Kewen was born in a family of high-ranking officials. He used himself as a guarantee to pave a way for Lu Bicheng to survive.
Lu Bicheng was grateful for his life-saving grace, so he had more contacts with the Yuan family. At this time, she was already in her thirties, and her mentality was no longer as reckless and bold as when she was young. Since then, she has tempered a lot of her temper.
But the conflict between her and Ying Lianzhi did not ease, but intensified.
In 1908, Ying Lianzhi published an article in Ta Kung Pao, admonishing female teachers not to dress ostentatiously, and the conflict between the two completely broke out.
Lu Bicheng chose to completely break up with Ying Lianzhi. After that, she never went to the newspaper office again, and the feeling of knowing each other finally disappeared.
Soon, After the Revolution of 1911, Beiyang Women's School was forced to close.
With the help of Yuan Kewen, Lu Bicheng became the confidential secretary of his father, Yuan Shikai, and was one of the few female secretaries. She began her last journey in the political turmoil.
Decisive Battle in the Shopping Mall
In 1915, after the failure of the Revolution of 1911, Lu Bicheng resolutely resigned from the position of secretary of the Presidential Palace.
She actually did a great job at her job, but what made her avoid was the darkness and intrigue in the political arena.
In her opinion, the government did not really recognize her talents and gave her a high but idle position. was just using her female identity to build her own political platform.
is like a vase with icing on the cake.
His father died of illness when he was young. Later, his mother and the four sisters of the Lu family struggled to survive amidst kidnapping and extortion by relatives who were greedy for family wealth.
Lu Bicheng, who used a letter to beg his father's friend to save his life, saved his mother and sisters from fire and water, and successfully escaped from the Lu family, was not someone who was looked down upon.
After leaving politics, she went to Shanghai, hoping to use her many years of connections in officialdom to make a difference in the business.
Gold will shine wherever it is. At this time, Shanghai was mostly filled with foreigners. It was a city full of gold and luxury.
Lu Bicheng is well-known throughout the country. Relying on the connections of Yuan Kewen, Fei Shuwei and others, he quickly established a relationship with Shanghai Qinggang, and enjoyed great success in the transaction.
Lu Bicheng soon gained a substantial net worth, and even became one of the top three richest people in the Republic of China, living a very luxurious life.
"I am accustomed to luxury and spend a lot of money, all of which I save myself. I am familiar with Tao Zhu's learning."
Having huge wealth, some people may think about having successors and a happy family.
Fei Shuwei thought so too.But not for myself, but for Mr. Yuan.
Yuan Kewen helped Lu Bicheng a lot. Although he was seven years younger than her, their relationship was extraordinary.
As a good friend of Yuan Kewen, Fei Shuwei could feel that Lu Bicheng had a special bond with him.
According to rumors, he served as a matchmaker between the two. Although there are no historical records, it is unknown whether it is true or not, but from the perspective of outsiders, Yuan's special affection for Lu has been obvious.
Hearing the rumors, Lu Bicheng joked: "Yuan is a young man, he can only play tricks in the entertainment field, and he can't do anything."
From his previous dealings, we can know that Lu Bicheng is a unique person. The tragic experiences at home during her childhood always made it difficult for her to let go of her guard, and she didn't value love.
On the contrary, her huge wealth gave her a pair of wings, free from any worldly constraints.
In 1918, after she donated 100,000 yuan to the Red Cross, she went on a study tour to Columbia University in the United States as a special reporter for the Shanghai Times and traveled around the world.
While studying in the United States, she stayed in a hotel that was known as the "world's first" hotel. The daily rent is so high that even wealthy Americans can only stay there for seven days in a row, but she stayed there for six months.
For a time, the news about the rich Chinese woman caused a sensation throughout New York, and all the upper-class celebrities rushed to invite her to the banquet. Lu Bicheng always changed into a gorgeous outfit every time she held a banquet, and never repeated it. The luxury in this can be seen from this.
In 1923, Lu Bicheng returned to China after completing her studies and lived alone in a villa in Shanghai.
People not only lamented, what kind of person is such a legendary woman, who is qualified to attract her attention.
In the years of loneliness, Lu Bicheng has not never considered looking for a relationship. But in her opinion, very few people can close their eyes.
She herself is an outstanding writer, so she requires a partner who has a high status in the literary world and whose souls resonate with her.
does not look at family background or assets, only literary achievements.
Unfortunately, the person she admired, was either married or not the right age. Given her wealth and status, she really didn’t have to force herself, so in the end she just took it lightly.
Day by day, year by year, Lu Bicheng went further and further on the road of religious sustenance.
At first, Ying Lian's identity as a Catholic was an opportunity for Lu Bicheng to come into contact with religion, but the two had major differences in their ideas about the nature of the world.
While living overseas, Lu Bicheng has been doing her best in charity and animal protection.
In her early years, she became interested in philosophy and other issues about the origin of the world.. Troubled by the rough life circumstances of her childhood and adolescence, she hoped to find a moment of peace in external objects.
Her in-depth understanding of animal protection gave her a deeper understanding of all things. She firmly believed that life has its origin. This idea eventually led her to become a monk in Geneva, Switzerland. In 1930, she officially became a layperson and led spiritual practice.
However, the reality is not as simple as she expected.
In 1931, the Second World War broke out. During the war, Lu Bicheng spent a period of ups and downs in life. After returning to Hong Kong, he died in 1943 in , Kowloon, completing the last journey of his life.
In the end, in accordance with her request, her inheritance (200,000 Hong Kong dollars) was donated to Tung Lin Kuk Yuen in Hong Kong, and the ashes were mixed with flour to make balls and thrown into the sea.
Thinking about Lu Bicheng’s life, the trauma in her childhood had a profound impact on her. However, with her talent and tenacity, she came out of the shadows and eventually became a role model for countless women to pursue freedom and independence, pioneering female speech. The first of freedom.
Secularity cannot be the criterion for evaluating her. She has stood out in the context of her own time.
In the face of setbacks and difficulties, we should, like Lu Bicheng, not give up shaping ourselves, develop skills, and ultimately have a broader vision.
Looking back at this time, everything is just a training to achieve oneself, and then gain strength from it to move forward.
What do you readers think of such a strange woman? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment area.
