Liu Rushi
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 Listen to 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, good at 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 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 actually 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.