One day in early winter in 1873, Yang Yuelou and his fiancée Wei Abao held a secret wedding in a room near Wenyunli, Shanghai Concession. Yang Yuelou was a famous Peking Opera actor at that time, and Wei Abao was the daughter of a wealthy businessman in Xiangshan, Guangdong.

That should have been the beginning of a happy life.

One day in early winter in 1873, Yang Yuelou and his fiancee Wei Abao held a secret wedding in a room near Wenyunli, Shanghai Concession. Yang Yuelou was a famous Peking Opera actor at that time, and Wei Abao was the daughter of a wealthy businessman in Xiangshan, Guangdong.

This is not an ordinary wedding. Because the wedding was in progress, some uninvited guests suddenly arrived. They are county officials and police officers in Shanghai. The door for the wedding was closed and the person who came to the room broke through the wall before entering. Yang Yuelou wanted to escape, but jumped downstairs but was caught. Wei Abao was arrested on the spot. The visitor also checked Wei Abao's dowry - a large box of clothes and jewelry.

Then public opinion fermented rapidly. This is the Yang Yuelou case, which was later called one of the "HTM2, the Four Strange Cases of in the Late Qing Dynasty".

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Their marriages and even meetings are somewhat legendary.

Yang Yuelou, born in 1844, has been in the Beijing Peking Opera world since childhood. When he became famous, he established his own sect, "Zhonghuatang". There is currently no detailed account of Yang Yuelou's life. I only know that he is a famous actor with both appearance and talent. He is burly and handsome; in terms of skills, he is skilled in martial arts and a loud voice.

1872, Yang Yuelou entered the Danguiyuan, the oldest and largest Peking Opera Theater in Shanghai at that time. Even in Danguiyuan, which is full of talents, Yang Yuelou is an outstanding one. The reason why Yang Yuelou went to Shanghai was influenced by the trend in the circle at that time. Tongzhi years, Shanghai's Peking Opera industry has developed rapidly and has received high salaries. Peking Opera culture is widely popular in all social classes in Shanghai. Therefore, many famous stars went south to Shanghai to explore.

Shanghai Library contains "Jiangyun Pavilion Diary". This is the diary of a person nicknamed "The Master of Jiangyun Pavilion". The owner of Jiangyun Pavilion is a drama fan and has visited Danguiyuan more than a hundred times a year. He should have belonged to the upper class of the beach at that time.

When the owner of Raoyun Pavilion first met the famous Yang Yuelou, he described the scene at that time as "quite lively". When watching Yang Yuelou's performance for the second time, the scene was "very lively and the play was very impressive."

As a veteran drama fan, the "owner of Jiangyun Pavilion" quickly became familiar with Yang Yuelou. They had been drinking together many times. When Yang Yuelou was arrested and imprisoned, the "owner of Jiangyun Pavilion" complained to him in his diary, "I am just a thief in love and a thief in the rivers and rivers. I really don't understand the intention of asking the official! In short, if you want to add a crime, you will have no choice but to worry. I am deeply sorry for Yuelou." When I later read the report on the Yang Yuelou case in " declaration ", the "owner of Jiangyun Pavilion" evaluated it as "justice and freedom in the hearts of the people". With his strength and fame, Yang Yuelou quickly became a famous actor in Shanghai. His performances always attract many drama fans to watch. Danguiyuan and another theater Jin Guixuan even filed a lawsuit to compete for Yang Yuelou. One day, Yang Yuelou performed " Brahma Palace ". This drama tells the love story of a young man and woman at the end of the Yuan Dynasty. The two met and fell in love at an temple fair. After returning home, the woman suffered from what was commonly known as "lovesickness". Later, the man pretended to be a woman and went to the woman's house. The two of them made a private lifelong enrollment. Finally, the two overcame many obstacles and got together. This is a happy story. It fascinated a girl audience. She was Wei Abao, who was only 17 years old at the time.

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Wei Abao is from Xiangshan, Guangdong who lives in Shanghai and lives with his mother Wei Wang. Her father was a comprador of a foreign company. He worked in Guangzhou, Hong Kong and other places and was not by her side all year round.

Wei Abao was fascinated by Yang Yuelou's performance and watched "Brahma Palace" for three days in a row. After returning home, like the heroine in the drama, Wei Abao fell into a state of depression and suffered from "love-lost disease".

Wei Abao, who was overwhelmed by longing for a longing, wrote a love letter to Yang Yuelou, "Describe my longing in detail and want to engage in a marriage contract." It was also given with love letters, and there is also an eight-character post , which was used for engagement in ancient times. Yang Yuelou has been an artist who has been in the world for many years now. When he received the letter, he was a little doubtful and worried that someone would want to harm him, so he did not respond. Wei Abao, who had not received any response for a long time, finally fell ill.

Wei Abao's mother, Wang Wei, is an enlightened woman. For the sake of her daughter, she asked someone to propose to Yang Yuelou. After obtaining his mother's consent, Yang Yuelou finally agreed to get engaged. What was Yang Yuelou's mental journey at this time? Why did he agree to this marriage without the two of them having a deep relationship? He did not leave any clues to peep. However, according to the analysis of Li Changli in in "Seeing Changes in Social Ethics of the Late Qing Dynasty from the "Yang Yuelou Case", Yang Yuelou was driven by the motivation to pursue equality of identity because he was already comparable to the children of a rich family in terms of living standards, but as a Peking Opera actor, he was still considered an actor.

Unexpectedly, after the two got engaged, Wei Abao's uncle found out. This uncle held a conservative concept and firmly opposed the two's engagement on the grounds that it violated the law of "good and lowly not marrying" at that time. "Only breaking the engagement will not be humiliating the door," the uncle said harshly.

"Good and cheap" is a major motto of the Yang Yuelou case. Under the unequal and backward concept of feudal society, actors were classified as "unfamiliar people", which was different from "better people" such as scholars, farmers, industry and commerce. According to this concept, Yang Yuelou belonged to the "unpreience",

and Wei Abao belonged to the "better man". The marriage between the two parties is separated by a legal barrier. The punishment provisions for violating the "good and lowly marriage" in the "Qing Dynasty Laws" are: "Any parents and slaves marry a good woman and a slave will be 80 rods. The woman's family will be reduced to the first level, and those who do not know will not do it. The slaves will be the same as those who marry themselves. Parents who know the information will be reduced to the second level, so those who become maids will be 100 rods."

Although these backward laws gradually relax in actual implementation, there is such a law hanging over the head, which is always a jail on the development of social concepts.

Shanghai is a place that is greatly influenced by modern Western concepts. Living in it, Yang Yuelou and Wei Abao's ideas are also relatively trendy. They decided to break through the shackles of "good and cheap people will not marry" and pursue their own happiness. At this time, they thought of elopement.

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1873, the first day of the 11th lunar month, Wei Abao quietly left home with his dowry. Yang Yuelou is not far outside and is greeted by Yuelou. The two were preparing to hold a secret wedding not far from home.

I don’t want their elopement to leak the news. Wei Abao's uncle acted as a "Fahai in the business world". He joined forces with a businessman from Xiangshan in Shanghai to sue Yang Yuelou for the crime of "rifting theft". In this way, the law enforcement officers of the government rushed to their wedding scene and the scene at the beginning of this article happened.

This ordinary case became a "strange case" because of the bizarre encounter between the male and female protagonists, the huge controversy caused by the judgment, and the violent collision between tradition and modern concepts.

case quickly became a hot topic on the streets. In fact, during the escort process, Wei Abao and Yang Yuelou were following and watching.

The Yang Yuelou case was then tried in the Shanghai County Government. The judge who was tried was Ye Tingjuan, the magistrate of Shanghai. From Yang Yuelou's perspective, it was an unfortunate thing to meet Ye Tingjuan. Because Ye Tingjuan, like Wei Abao, is from Xiangshan, Guangdong. Like Wei Abao's uncle, he has a clear clan position in his hometown. According to a report by Shen Bao, Ye Tingjuan's attitude towards the case was "abhorrent Yuelou and misbehaving." Such tendency also destined the result of the initial trial of the case. That night, the trial of the case began. Yang Yuelou was beaten all night. When the magistrate Ye Tingjuan asked Wei Abao, the latter's answer was "Marry a chicken and follow the chicken, and there is no different ambition." Wei Abao was determined to be with Yang Yuelou. Her words angered Ye Tingjuan and were slapped two hundred times in the face.

After severe torture, Yang Yuelou was tortured, so he had to falsely accused him of having an affair with Wei Abao and abducted him. His confession turned the story into another version. He said that he met Wei Abao during the performance. When he saw her "cute" in his performance, he bribed the wet nurse who was with her. Then the two met and got along together.

Then the capture room found a box of powdered medicine at Yang Yuelou's house. It was dark in color and had a strange smell, as if it was an aphrodisiac. Wei Abao passed the court inspection and was no longer a virgin. These facts later became evidence of the initial trial and concluding case.

In this case, Wei Abao's mother, Wang Wei, was a marriage between the two. Therefore, after the incident, Wei Wang actively left and tried every means to get the two to be released. But when she looked for uncles from the same clan, the other party was unwilling to help. She had to take the relevant proof to go to the court and declared that she agreed to the marriage between them. But the magistrate Ye Tingjun was unmoved. He believed that Wei Abao's father donated official positions because of business, and as a civil servant, it was impossible for him to know the law of "good and lowly not marrying". The case was hanging at the time, and Yang Yuelou and Wei Abao, involved in the case, continued to be detained. Soon, Wei Wang died in worries.

After Wei Abao's father returned to Shanghai in December, he stated that he was not aware of the marriage. In this way, Wei Wang, who took the initiative to take responsibility, passed away, and Wei Abao's father left the responsibility clear. Under the cultural context of "the orders of parents and the words of the matchmaker", the trial became unfavorable to Yang Yuelou.

There are many other factors that are not good for Yang Yuelou. Xiangshan businessmen jointly accused Yang Yuelou of "evil and illegality". In addition, another thing was discovered by Yang Yuelou. Previously, Yang Yuelou and the opera troupe were charged with causing trouble in a pawnshop in Xiaodongmen. He was characterized as "uneasy". These factors give people a hint that Yang Yuelou is a "recurring offender" in the public opinion field of the case.

Ye Tingjuan convicted Yang Yuelou of the initial trial as "abduction". This is the worst crime that can be convicted in this case. Scholar Shi Quan believes that the final conviction of Yang Yuelou as "abduction" was because the case information obtained by the presiding official was incomplete and was influenced by his own subjectivity.

Things are getting big. At that time, this was discussed in the streets and alleys of Shanghai.

Wei Abao's businessman father was unwilling to take his daughter home again. Wei Abao was sentenced to Shantang (official marriage agency in the Qing Dynasty) to be a mate, and finally to an old man in his seventies.

When the Yang Yuelou case arrived at the superior court, he revised his confession. At that time, the superior court was Songjiang Prefecture . When the prefect of Songjiang Prefecture interrogated Yang Yuelou, he kowtowed and shouted for justice. The prefect was quite pity for him and said, "I know that you are wronged." After hearing the prefect say this, Yang Yuelou, who was worried and uncertain about life and death, said: "The young man has hope for life. The Qin Jing of the Great Man is hanging high, and it is really a crime for the people to live and die, and the flesh and bones are flesh and bones." However, when the case was transferred to the re-examination of the county magistrate of Lou County, the original verdict was upheld. Yang Yuelou was beaten with two hundred large plates and was warned not to redeem his confession.

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Yang Yuelou case became one of the main topics in Shanghai in those months. Public opinion has had huge differences from the beginning.

The conservative faction cursed Yang Yuelou, believing that he seduced Wei Abao, and firmly advocated severe punishment for Yang Yuelou. "Shen Bao" mentioned: "The street talks are really unpleasant." Some people believe that "the Yuelou is always inappropriate, and it is evil for everyone to share." The more tolerant faction believes that the Yang case should be included in the category of "good and lowly, not married" and does not apply too severe punishment.

The biggest controversy in this case is its punishment. The initially tried crime is "abduction", rather than the law related to "good and lowly marriage" that most people think. According to Yang Yuelou's behavior, they performed the normal marriage procedures. Qinglu punishes "abduction" much heavier. The "Qing Dynasty Laws and Regulations: Criminal Laws" stipulates: "Anyone who abducts a woman or a child, or who sells a wife, concubine or descendants, does not distinguish between good people and slaves, and has not been sold, but who is tempted, if the tempted person is not aware of the information, he will be the leader of the prison. He will be a siege for one hundred rods and travels three thousand miles." siege for , which is equivalent to the death penalty suspended execution of .

Why didn’t Yang Yuelou get a more serious verdict, such as jailing for prison? Scholar Ma Weiwei believes that it is the report on judicial justice in Shenbao.

Shanghai's famous "Shen Bao" continues to pay attention to the Yang Yuelou case. According to Ma Weiwei's research, influenced by the source of information, when "Shen Bao" began to report the case, the wording was official, such as "Yang Yuelou's abduction case". But the strong criticism in society put a lot of pressure on the "Shengbao". "Shenbao" therefore chose to publish all kinds of opinions. At that time, various fierce debates occurred around the case. Some views sympathize with Yang Yuelou and criticize the feudal shackles. Some stand on the traditional side and support the laws and customs of "good and lowly marriage".

Later, Shenbao was under pressure from Xiangshan businessmen and his attitude became conservative. Finally, Shenbao stopped publishing manuscripts about the Yang case, and only published manuscripts written by merchants from Xiangshan. "Shenbao" has published more than 50 reports and commentary articles about the Yang case.

This case has undergone layers of review procedures. The Qing Dynasty's Ministry of Justice eventually sentenced Yang Yuelou for the crime of "abduction". Yang Yuelou was sentenced to be sent to Heilongjiang to serve as a military officer.

1875, things turned around. In this year, Emperor Guangxu ascended the throne and met Empress Dowager Cixi for 40 years and wanted to pardon the world. Yang Yuelou meets the conditions for amnesty. In the end, the famous actor was beaten to eighty boards and deported from his hometown. The following year, after experiencing the tragedy of fate, Yang Yuelou got married again. His wife is an artist who talks about storytelling . While still in Yang Yuelou's detention, the artist gave him a lot of care and help. After Yang Yuelou was released, the two finally walked together.

Yang Yuelou later returned to Beijing and joined the troupe's third celebration class.

1888, Yang Yuelou won the honor. The Sanqing class he was in charge was selected as the imperial officer, and only the best actors could be selected as the best performer. Empress Dowager Cixi admired Yang Yuelou very much and rewarded him with twenty taels of silver. But the glory of a generation of artists did not last long. In 1889, Yang Yuelou died of illness at the age of 45.

What he left with him was that unforgettable and bitter love memory.

This article is from an article in "History of China in the Mysteries". Those who are interested can search and read it by themselves.