Chapter 170 Marriage

In 1889, 17-year-old Liang Qichao participated in the Guangdong Provincial Examination and won the eighth place in Juren.Li Duanfen, the chief examiner, loved his talent and betrothed his cousin Li Huixian (according to Professor Xia Xiaohong's textual research, Li Huixian's real name should be Li Duanhui, but Li Huixian is temporarily used here) to Liang Qichao as his wife.Li Huixian was 4 years older than Liang Qichao. Two years later, the two got married.In the summer of the following year, Liang Qichao and his wife returned to their hometown in honor. Li Huixian was born in a noble family, but she abides by filial piety and takes care of housework. She is deeply loved by the Liang family and has won the reputation of being a virtuous person in the countryside.

After the failure of the Reform Movement of 1898, Liang Qichao fled to Japan alone, while Li Huixian and his family stayed in Guangdong.The Empress Dowager Cixi ordered the arrest of Liang Qichao's family, and the Liang family escaped a catastrophe by fleeing to Macau. After Liang Qichao arrived in Japan, he wrote to Li Huixian: "...Nanhai Master came, and I had to hear about the current situation of my family in detail. I also heard that Qing was generous and calm, with the same tone of words, no complaints, and strong words. I was happy and respected when I heard it. Si really deserves to be a good friend in Ren Gong’s boudoir." He sent a photo of his kimono to Li Huixian and said: "Although the clothes are different, the spirit remains the same. Seeing my photo is like seeing myself." After Li Huixian came Japan, the two were able to reunite.

Li Huixian not only took care of Liang Qichao's life, but also helped Liang Qichao's career a lot.Scholars have verified that the earliest husband and wife reporter should be Liang Qichao and Li Huixian.Liang Qichao couldn't speak official Chinese well, and he suffered a lot for this. In the early days of the Reform Movement of 1898, Liang Qichao was already famous in the capital, and Emperor Guangxu had heard of him for a long time. However, when he was summoned, because Liang Qichao did not know the official language, it was difficult to communicate with each other.This made Liang Qichao make up his mind to learn Mandarin well.Li Huixian grew up in the capital since she was a child, and she is fluent in Mandarin.After she arrived in Japan, Liang Qichao asked his wife to teach him Mandarin.Soon, Liang Qichao's official speech became extremely fluent, and he was handy in social situations.

In 1915, when Zhang Xun was restored, Liang Qichao joined the National Defense Army to attack Zhang Xun, and he was worried about his family.Li Huixian understood righteousness deeply, and encouraged him, saying: "From the high hall to the children, I will take care of myself. If you die for the country, don't look back." Liang Qichao loved and respected Li Huixian very much, and sometimes he was a little afraid of her, so he was also known as a fear of guilt.Feng Ziyou's "Revolutionary History" once wrote "Liang Rengong's Love History", and determined that Liang Qichao's marriage was not happy: "Li girl is ugly and addicted to chewing betel nuts. The wife and brother are in Jinliang for their official career, so they are also safe."

Liang Qichao's granddaughter Wu Liming also said when recalling her grandmother: "Li Hui is a serious person, with a bit of a surly temperament", "so everyone in the family is a little afraid of her." Liang Qichao and Li Huixian respected each other as guests, and they only quarreled once in their lives.When Li Huixian was dying, Liang Qichao regretted it and said to his eldest daughter Liang Sishun: "Shun'er, I always feel that your mother's strange illness was caused by our fight. I am so sad that I can't bear to say it. Now I can't bear it any longer, and I want to alleviate my crime a little bit by speaking out."

On September 13, 1924, Li Huixian died of breast cancer. Liang Qichao wrote "The Essay on Sacrifice to Mrs. Liang", which said: "My virtue is lacking, and the king will correct it; my life is so difficult, and the king will help it; I have If you have doubts, you will discuss and discuss; if I have pleasure, you will write about your possessions; if I have worries, you will make them healthy; If you lose your king, you will only be wandering in the shadows." And Liang Qichao's "The Tomb of the Dead Wife Mrs. Li's Burial" is also full of affection. Liang Qichao "made this article for a day, slowly chanted and revised it, and it took another two days to complete it", and he regarded himself as "one of the best articles in his life". And let Liang Sishun, Liang Sicheng and other children and his daughter-in-law Lin Huiyin "all wish to recite it by heart, which can increase temperament."

In 1899, Kang Youwei ordered Liang Qichao to go to Honolulu to handle the affairs of the Royal Association.One day, an overseas Chinese businessman surnamed He who joined the royalist faction in Honolulu hosted a family banquet for Liang Qichao, and met He Huizhen, a woman who made Liang fall in love. He Huizhen is the daughter of an overseas Chinese businessman named He. She is 20 years old. She has received Western education since she was a child. She has been a school teacher since she was 16 years old. She speaks excellent English.On that day, overseas Chinese businessmen also entertained Westerners, so she was asked to be Liang Qichao's interpreter.Before getting to know Liang Qichao, He Ni admired Liang Qichao very much. He once wrote an anonymous article to argue for Liang Qichao. After Liang learned about it, he was very grateful.During his stay in Honolulu, Liang Xianghe studied English, and the two secretly fell in love.

When parting, He Huizhen said affectionately: "I respect and love Mr. Liang very much. I may not be able to meet in this life. I hope that in the next life, but I will get a small statue from Mr. Liang, and my wish will come true." Liang Qichao couldn't bear to refuse and agreed to give the gift.A few days later, Liang Qichao gave the photo to He Huizhen as agreed, and He Yi gave back two exquisite small fans embroidered by himself. After parting, Liang Qichao missed He Huizhen with surging emotions.He said to himself: "When the wine is gone and the people are scattered, I can't sleep all night. The little deer in my heart suddenly rises and falls. I have never seen such a ridiculous thing in my 28 years of life."

Soon, someone persuaded Liang Qichao to marry a woman who could understand English as his wife to help his career development.Liang Qichao pondered for a moment and said: "I know who you are talking about. I respect her, love her, and miss her very much, but Liang has a wife. Back then, I founded the 'Monogamous World Association' with Mr. Tan Sitong. I I can’t live up to my words; besides, my head has already been offered a reward of 100,000 yuan by the Qing court, and even my wife gathers less and disperses more, how can I hurt another good woman?” Liang Qichao faced his feelings calmly. In his letter from home, he confessed his relationship with He Huizhen, and told Li Huixian his attitude towards He Huizhen, saying that he reluctantly made a decision of "absolutely impossible".After reading it, Li wrote back and said: "You are not a woman, so you don't have to stick to it. If you really like He Huizhen, I am going to tell my father to make decisions for you and fulfill you; if it is really like what you said in your letter, then Put it aside, don't worry about it, it's important to take care of your body."

After Liang Qichao received his wife's letter, he hurriedly replied, telling his wife not to tell Liang's father about this, and repeatedly confessed to his wife that he had "never said a single word to He Huizhen, and treated him like a younger sister".The letter said: "Can this matter be reported to the court? You will be tired of me being scolded; even if you don't get scolded, you will be tired of the old man getting angry. If you haven't sent the report, please don't mention it in the future. What I said in the previous letter is nothing more than gratitude." He is sincere and full of love, so I narrated it for you, and let out the knot in my chest. It is impossible to have such delusions. My body is looked up to by everyone, and every action is published in newspapers. , It is rumored in the streets and alleys, why did you come today? The father is in distress, the family and the country are in trouble, and now I am traveling on official business, and I am involved in the affairs of my children for no reason. The Supreme Being is one who forgets about love. In Huizhen, it is also about love, and it is only about etiquette and righteousness."

It is also said that Liang Qichao originally wanted to marry He Huizhen as a concubine, but He politely refused on the grounds that any minister had a wife, and bigamy was not allowed in civilized countries. Liang Qichao treated He Huizhen completely as if he was in love, but even so, Liang Qichao was once reprimanded by his teacher Kang Youwei as "lewd and immoral". When Liang Qichao was the chief justice of Yuan Shikai's government, He Huizhen came to Beijing and expressed to him that he wanted to form a friendship with Qin and Jin Dynasties.But Liang Qichao only hosted a banquet for He Huizhen in the chief's living room, and tactfully refused He's confession.He Huizhen returned disappointed.After Li Huixian died of illness, He Huizhen visited Liang again in Beijing, but Liang Qichao still declined.For Liang's actions, He Huizhen's cousin-in-law, Liang Qiushui, editor of Beijing News, was very annoyed. Liang Qichao once wanted to introduce He Huizhen to his middle-aged widowed brother Mai Menghua, but He Huizhen politely declined on the grounds that he would abide by celibacy and never marry. According to Feng Ziyou's "Revolutionary History", when Li Huixian and Liang Qichao got married, they brought two dowry maids, one named Ahao and the other named Wang Laixi.Wang Laixi is Wang Guiquan. She is smart and diligent, and is deeply liked by the Liang family. She is in charge of family affairs and even finances. In 1903, Wang became Liang Qichao's concubine. Liang Qichao never publicized that he had a concubine. When he mentioned Wang Guiquan in his letters, he often referred to him as "Miss Wang", "Three Aunt" or "Laixi". In 1924, when Li Huixian was seriously ill, Wang Guiquan was pregnant with her youngest son, Si Li, and when she was about to give birth, Liang Qichao called Wang Guiquan "little concubine" for the first time in a letter to his friend Jian Jichang. Wang Guiquan loved the children very much. All the children of Liang Qichao had a deep affection for Wang Guiquan. They called Li Huixian their mother and Wang Guiquan their mother. Under Wang Guiquan's unpretentious education, Liang Qichao's nine children were mostly engaged in scientific work, and three academicians emerged: architect Liang Sicheng and archaeologist Liang Siyong were elected as the first academicians of the Academia Sinica in 1948, experts in rocket control systems Liang Sili was also elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1993. In 1968, 85-year-old Wang Guiquan was separated from his children and finally died in a dark hut. After the "Cultural Revolution", the children of the Liang family planted a mother tree next to the joint tomb of Liang Qichao and Li Huixian, and erected a monument to commemorate Wang Guiquan, an ordinary mother who raised several pillars.