a river cruise; Qian bestowing upon his bride the new name of Hedong. Although he married her as a concubine, Qian treated Liu as his principal wife, and they were married in a formal wedding ceremony. Her affinity for cross-dressing persisted after they were married; she regularly wore men's clothing whilst in public and on occasion made calls on her husband's behalf whilst dressed in his Confucian robes (this affectation earned her the nickname rushi, "Confucian Gentleman", which also puns on her chosen name Rushi). After the collapse of the Ming dynasty in 1644, Liu tried to persuade her husband to commit suicide and martyr himself to the fallen Ming. Qian refused, instead choosing to organise the resistance movement against the newly established Qing regime. In 1648, the couple had a daughter together. The last years of her life were difficult for Liu. In 1663, she entered the Buddhist laity, partly as a response to the destruction of her husband's substantial personal library, the Crimson Cloud-Storied Hall. After Qian's death in 1664, his creditors and enemies attempted to extort money from Liu; their machinations eventually drove her to hang herself. List of paintings Landscapes with Figures, album leaves, ink and color on paper. Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Misty Willows at the Moon Dike, 1643, handscroll, ink and color on paper. Palace Museum, Beijing. Poetry During her life Liu was a prolific poet, publishing four collections of her work before the age of 22. Her calligraphy was noted for its bold, masculine strokes, using the "wild-grass script" style. Her solo anthologies included Songs from the Mandarin Duck Chamber and Poems Drafted by a Lake, and her poetry was published alongside her husband's in a number of his works. The Qing dynasty magistrate Chen Wenshu (陈文述) helped preserve her tomb and once helped rebuild it. To this day, Liu Rushi's tomb still exists. See also Classical Chinese poetry Tales of Ming Courtesans, a historical novel by Alice Poon in which Liu Rushi is one of the three protagonists, the other two being Chen Yuanyuan and Li Xiangjun. References Further reading Suicides by hanging in China 1618 births 1664 deaths Ming dynasty poets Writers from Jiaxing Chinese women poets 17th-century Chinese poets Poets from Zhejiang Burials in Suzhou 17th-century Chinese women 17th-century Chinese people Eight Beauties of Qinhuai Painters from Zhejiang Ming dynasty painters Artists from Jiaxing Chinese concubines 17th-century Chinese