Lady Liang梁夫人

History vs. fiction

Lady Liang. Wife of Han Shizhong, enfeoffed as Lady Anguo, beat the drum to assist in battle. Wife of Han Shizhong, personally wove thin mats for a house. Wife of Han Shizhong...

• based on factWife of Han Shizhong, enfeoffed as Lady Anguo, beat the drum to assist in battle. | Wife of Han Shizhong, personally wove thin mats for a house. | Wife of Han Shizhong, helped the Yue family with funeral arrangements. | Wife of Han Shizhong, held the seal of the Five Armies' Commander. | Wife of Han Shizhong, arranged funeral affairs.

  Historically, Lady Liang did exist. Her deeds are recorded in historical sources such as the History of Song. For example, the Biography of Han Shizhong records: 'On the Lantern Festival, he held a grand lantern display in Xiuzhou, then suddenly led troops to Zhenjiang. When the Jin troops arrived, Shizhong's army had already stationed at Jiaoshan Temple. Jin general Li Xuan surrendered and was accepted. Wuzhu sent an envoy to communicate, agreeing to a great battle, and he agreed. After about ten rounds of battle, Lady Liang personally held the drumstick and beat the drum, and the Jin troops could not cross. They returned all they had plundered to request passage, but he did not listen; they offered famous horses as tribute, but he still did not listen. Chala in Weizhou sent Bojin Taiyi to rush to Huainan to aid Wuzhu, and Shizhong confronted the two chieftains at Huangtiandang for forty-eight days. Taiyi Bojin's army was north of the river, Wuzhu's army south of the river, and Shizhong anchored naval ships at the foot of Jinshan, having previously prepared iron chains with large hooks for his brave soldiers. The next morning, the enemy ships shouted and advanced, and Shizhong divided his sea ships into two columns to attack from behind, and with each lowering of a chain, they dragged a ship and sank it. Wuzhu was in dire straits, sought a meeting, and pleaded pitifully. Shizhong said: 'Return our two emperors, restore our territory, then we can be spared.' Wuzhu was speechless.' In the Romance of the Yue Family, Chapter 16 describes: 'The marshal thought: "If I do not send troops to rescue, it will surely lead to total defeat; if I go to rescue, I fear this pass will be lost." While hesitating, the attendants reported: "Lady Liang has come out to the hall." Marshal Han met her and sat down, then asked: "Madam, what is your opinion?" The lady said: "I heard that Sun Hao led troops into the barbarian camp. With his talent and martial skill, leading fifty thousand troops against Wuzhu's over five hundred thousand barbarian soldiers is like driving sheep into a tiger's mouth. If he is lost, the treacherous minister will surely submit a memorial, falsely saying that you sat by and did not rescue. In my humble opinion, you should send troops to reinforce." Marshal Han said: "What you say is right, but it would let that treacherous villain off easy." Then he issued an order, asking: "Who dares to lead troops to rescue Sun Hao?" Immediately a young general stepped forward and said: "I dare to go!" The marshal looked and saw it was his eldest son, Han Shangde. The marshal said: "My son, you may lead a thousand troops to rescue Sun Hao and return." The young man agreed and was about to leave when the lady called him back and instructed: "My son, the way of a general is to keep an eye on all sides and listen in all directions. Fight if you can, defend if you must. If you do not see Sun Hao, quickly return your troops, and do not take risks in battle!"'