家世

家系忠州秦氏，自今湖北麻城孝感鄉遷入，此支始祖秦安司，偕妻黃氏，子國龍、國寶，並偕冉、江、何、楊、廖、李諸姓一同入蜀，于黔江邵慶路彭水後山長灘壩厥居，又于明初得襲萬戶侯職，轄九溪十八土司。秦良玉為秦安司九世孫。

生平

萬曆二年正月初二日（1574年1月24日）申時，秦良玉生于忠州之鳴玉溪。父秦葵是貢生出身，好讀書，尤長於兵法。三個子女中他最喜歡秦良玉。當萬曆時，盜賊蜂起。秦葵對二個兒子曰：「天下將有事矣，你們能執幹戈以衛社稷者，才能算得上是我的兒子。」又對秦良玉說：「汝雖弱女子，也應該習兵法，不要當流寇的魚肉。」秦良玉欣然與兄秦邦屏，弟秦民屏，同習騎射擊刺之術。秦葵又授以韜略，秦良玉尤精其法。葵曾經對子女說：「可惜良玉不是個男子，你們兄弟都比不上她。」玉曰：「使兒得掌兵柄，夫人城、娘子軍不足道也。」秦葵益奇之，來提親的人皆沒有輕易答應。石砫土司夫人覃氏代理土司之位，她的兒子馬千乘慕其名，萬曆二十三年（1595年）向秦家提親，秦葵答應了。

二十二歲的秦良玉，嫁給石柱土司馬千乘為妻，農隙與丈夫一起訓練土兵，其精銳在各部中為冠，因為其土兵部隊的兵器是尾部帶有鉤環，其餘不做裝飾的白木長矛，故被稱為「石柱白桿兵」（《石柱廳志·秦良玉傳》）。石柱白桿兵後來馳名海內。

萬曆二十七年（公元1599年），二十五歲的秦良玉就跟隨丈夫馬千乘參與對四川播州土司楊應龍的征討（播州之役和李如松平蒙古人哱拜的寧夏之役、李如松抗擊日本豐臣秀吉的朝鮮之役並稱所謂「萬歷三大征」）。當時馬千乘領軍三千，秦良玉以「土司馬千乘妻秦氏」的身份，直接統屬五百兵帶糧草相隨，連破金築等七寨，生擒叛將楊朝棟，平定播州之亂，獲得「南川路戰功第一」的戰績，主持播州之役的湖廣川貴軍務總督李化龍為秦良玉「特地打造銀牌一面，上書『女中丈夫』四字」，以表彰其殊勳。此後馬千乘因開礦事務冒犯京都太監丘乘雲，被捲入訴訟，死於大獄（《石柱廳志·秦良玉傳》），秦良玉繼承了丈夫的職位——石柱宣撫使，成為了當地的女土司。

萬曆四十七年（1620年），後金侵犯遼東，秦良玉奉朝廷徵調，帶兄邦屏、弟民屏、兒馬祥麟以精兵三千馳援遼東，秦邦屏於渾河之戰中戰死，但在白桿兵之死守苦戰下，保住榆關（今河北山海關），遏阻攻勢。兵部尚書張鶴鳴評此戰：「渾河血戰，首功數千，實石砫、酉陽二土司功。」泰昌元年至天啟元年三品服，天啟元年二品服、誥命夫人，天啟二年署都督僉事、石砫司總兵官」清朝人也承認，渾河之戰乃是女真「遼左用兵以來第一血戰」，努爾哈赤則譴責他此前自認為戰無不勝的八旗騎兵在此戰中「望風而走」，表現欠佳（《清太祖武皇帝實錄》卷三：「汝何故率吾常勝之軍，望風而走，以失銳氣」）。

天啟三年（1623年），奢安之亂末，平定全川。天啟四年（1624年），弟秦民屏慘遭安邦彥追擊而亡。

崇禎三年（1630年），後金軍入塞，入北京德勝門，秦良玉自蜀中入援京師。崇禎七年（1634年） 張獻忠入川，秦良玉與子馬祥麟前後夾擊，於夔州（奉節）敗之，張獻忠退走湖廣。崇禎十三年（1640年），在巫山和夔州重創羅汝才軍。崇禎時，以功加太子太保，封忠貞侯。。

崇禎十七年（1644年）春，張獻忠進攻夔州。秦良玉率軍馳援，慘遭張獻忠擊敗。張獻忠佔據四川後，秦良玉又急又氣卻又無能為力，只能禁止屬下跟隨張獻忠。

隆武二年（1646年），福州的隆武帝派使節到石柱，加封秦良玉「太子太保忠貞侯」爵，賜「太子太保總鎮關防」印，征秦良玉所部兵馬抗清。年過古稀的秦良玉毅然接受隆武政權的封號，舉起了「復明抗清」的旗幟。將啟行時，福州失陷，隆武政權滅亡。

永曆二年五月二十一日（1648年7月11日），在大都督府玉音樓去世，葬於石砫東龍河北岸的回龍山（今石柱縣大河鄉鴨樁村）享年75歲，謚號忠貞。有子馬祥麟。

延伸閱讀

參考書目

• 《明史·秦良玉傳》

• 《蜀龜鑑》卷七

• 《百科知識之歷史人物》

Early life and education

Qin Liangyu was born in Zhongzhou (忠州), which is in present-day Zhong County, Chongqing, to ethnic Miao parents. Her father, Qin Kui (秦葵), obtained the position of a gongsheng (貢生) in the civil service examination. He believed that girls should receive the same education as boys, so he made Qin Liangyu study history and the Confucian classics with her brothers. He also taught them martial arts. Qin Liangyu learnt martial arts more deeply than her brothers and became proficient in archery and horse-riding. She was also known for her skill in poetry.

Marriage to Ma Qiancheng

In 1595, Qin Liangyu married Ma Qiancheng (馬千乘), the tusi and xuanfushi (宣撫使; "Announcing and Pacifying Commissioner") of Shizhu County, and accompanied him in minor battles against local warlords in the southwestern border of the Ming Empire. They had a good marriage and he often sought her advice. In 1599, when Yang Yinglong (楊應龍) started a rebellion in Bozhou (播州; present-day Zunyi, Guizhou), Ma Qiancheng brought 3,000 riders with him to suppress the revolt while Qin Liangyu brought an additional 500 to support her husband. They successfully quelled the rebellion and destroyed the rebels' camps.

In 1613, Ma Qiancheng offended Qiu Chengyun (邱乘雲), an influential court eunuch, and ended up being arrested and imprisoned. He died in prison later. Qin Liangyu succeeded her husband as the xuanfushi of Shizu County. Those under her command were known as the White Cavalry (白杆兵).

Resisting rebel forces in Sichuan

In 1620, Qin Liangyu's elder brother, Qin Bangping (秦邦屏), led 3,000 White Cavalry to Liaodong to resist invaders from the Manchu-led Later Jin dynasty. He was killed in action at the Battle of Hun River (渾河之戰).

In 1623, Qin Liangyu assisted Ming forces in suppressing the She-An Rebellion in Sichuan and Guizhou led by She Chongming (奢崇明) and An Bangyan (安邦彥). In the following year, her elder brother, Qin Minping (秦民屏), was killed in battle by An Bangyan's forces.

In 1630, when Later Jin forces besieged the Ming capital, Beijing, Qin Liangyu led forces from Sichuan to reinforce the capital. The Chongzhen Emperor showered her with praises in poetry and presented her with four poems as she passed through Beijing. In 1634, when Zhang Xianzhong's rebel army invaded Sichuan, Qin Liangyu and her son, Ma Xianglin (馬祥麟), led their troops to attack the rebels, defeated them at Kuizhou (夔州; present-day Fengjie County, Chongqing) and drove them away. In 1640, Qin Liangyu defeated another rebel force led by Luo Rucai (羅汝才) in Kuizhou and Wushan. In recognition of her contributions to the Ming Empire, the Chongzhen Emperor appointed her as the Crown Prince's Guardian (太子太保) and awarded her the title "Marquis Zhongzhen" (忠貞侯; lit. "Loyal and Chaste Marquis").

Later life and death

The Ming Empire was overthrown in 1644 by rebel forces led by Li Zicheng, and its former territories were conquered by the Later Jin dynasty (later renamed to Qing dynasty). Some Ming loyalists formed a remnant state, the Southern Ming dynasty, in southern China to resist the Qing dynasty. Its nominal ruler, the Longwu Emperor, also granted Qin Liangyu a marquis title. Meanwhile, Zhang Xianzhong invaded Sichuan again, and Qin Liangyu attempted to resist him, but was defeated and forced to retreat, allowing Zhang to conquer most of Sichuan. She did however prevent her soldiers from surrendering to Zhang.

Qin Liangyu controlled part of Shizhu County and her policy of agricultural self-sufficiency made her region attractive for refugees. She helped about 100,000 refugees to settle down in Shizhu.

Qin Liangyu died in 1648 and was buried in present-day Yachun Village, Dahe District, Shizhu County, Chongqing. She was given the posthumous name "Zhongzhen" (忠貞; lit. "Loyal and Chaste") and was survived by her son, Ma Xianglin (馬祥麟).

Legacy

Qin Liangyu's life, along with her weapons and armour, is showcased in a museum in Shizhu County, Chongqing. A statue of her is in the Ganyu Hall of the Shibaozhai in Zhong County (that was preserved during the Three Gorges Project). Together with Hua Mulan, Liang Hongyu and He Yufeng, Qin Liangyu is one of the most well-known female warriors and heroines in China.

In the Twenty-Four Histories, Qin Liangyu was also the only woman whose biography was listed among the biographies of court officials and generals.

In popular culture

Qin Liangyu sometimes appears as a door goddess, usually in partnership with Mu Guiying.

Qin Liangyu is one of the 32 historical figures who appear as special characters in the video game Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI by Koei.

Qin Liangyu appears as a playable Lancer class servant in the mobile RPG video game Fate/Grand Order.