Ching Shih
(also known as Shi Xainggu, Cheng I Sao, Ching Yih Saou, and Zheng Yi Sao)
From Prostitute to Pirate Lord. *inserts Started From the Bottom by Drake*
She became a prostitute at a floating brothel
The main theories are that:
- Ching Shih was Zhèng Yi's favourite prostitute, so when he had the brothel she worked at raided, he asked that she be brought to him. The men obeyed and Ching Shih and Zhèng Yi then married.
- Zhèng Yi just asked Ching Shih to marry him, like a normal person, and, while asking for power and wealth, Ching Shi agreed.
What is definitely known though, is that Ching Shi and Zhèng Yi ran the Red Flag Fleet together. I'd say relationship goals but in some accounts he technically kidnapped her, which isn't the best way to start a relationship.
Under their leadership, the Red Flag Fleet grew from 200 ships to somewhere between 1700-1800 ships. Which is a lot of ships. The fleet became colour coded with the Red fleet being the top fleet, the other colours were Black, Blue, Green and Yellow. They also formed the Cantinese Pirate Coalition with another pirate, Wu Shi'er.
Six years into their marriage, in 1807, Zhèng Yi decided that death was easier than a divorce died. And instead of stepping down to let Chang Pao, her husband's right hand man and their adopted son who then later became her lover which is just weird on many, many levels, take over, she take her dead husband's place as leading of the fleet.
She then married her adopted son... for reasons... And had his son sometime between the ages of 32-35. Chang Pao died at the age of 36.
Ching Shih was a strict pirate lord who implemented "laws" used to control and protect the pirates in her fleets.
These included:
- Any loot gained through a plunder was to be presented to the fleet before it could be shred about. The ship that obtained the loot was entitled to 20% of it, while the remaining 80% was put into the fleet's collective funds. Disobey once and you'll be beaten, do it twice and you were beheaded.
- Female prisoner of the fleet there were considered ugly were to be released, completely unharmed.
- If a pirate wanted to have sex with a female prisoner, they were to marry her. They had to be faithful to their new wife... or they'll be beheaded.
- Raping a female captive will lead to your beheading.
- Having consensual sex with a female captive without permission lead to your beheading and the captive being tied to a lead weight and thrown into the ocean.
- If you left your post or took shore leave without permission you'll lose your ears, do it a second time you were beheaded.
Due to the success of the Red Flags under Ching Shih's control the Chinese government partnered up the Portuguese government to try to capture and kill her in 1809. They sent "suicide boats" (ones loaded with straw and explosives and set on fire- to the pirates who extinguished them and then used them. In the battle, the pirates lost no ships and only 40 people. Due to shame, the leader of government expedition falsified the reports and committed suicide.
After a while, Ching Shih was like, "fuck this" and negotiated amnesty for herself, got a government official to witness her marriage to Chang Pao and then retired, with money from the government and all of her warrants cancelled. She even got Chang Pao a position as lieutenant in the Chinese Navy. He used his position to destroy all of their old pirate rivals.
For the rest of her life, she ran a brothel and gambling den until the age of 69, when she died.
Sources:
Notes:
- I don't know if the husband's name is correct, some sources say Zhèng Yi, while others say Cheng I and Ching.
- Some sources vary of the location of the brothel.
- Some sources vary on the year of her birth.
- I don't know what I'm doing.
- Sources vary on the name of Chang Pao.
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