Chinese people all have a hero complex in their hearts. Countless operas from ancient times to the present have performed scenes in which heroes rob the rich and give to the poor, punish corrupt officials, and harm their brothers. Mr. Jin Yong also has a famous saying: "The great hero serves the country and the people." However, these heroes are often a source of social instability and a thorn in the side of the rulers. Han Feizi said that "Confucianism disrupts the law with literature, and chivalrous people use force to violate the prohibition" which reveals the ruler's view of them.

01

Because Northeastern people have a bold personality and dare to love and hate, they have many reckless heroes. These bandits are called "beards" by Northeastern people. Even the women of the Northeast are decisive, bold, strong-willed, affectionate and loyal. They are the most distinctive group of women in China. Countless legendary figures have emerged in Northeast China, the most famous of which is Zhang Zuolin, the "King of Northeast China". The legendary woman we are going to introduce today, nicknamed "Camel Dragon", is Zhang Suzhen (also known as Zhang Shuzhen), a famous female gangster in Northeast China during the Republic of China.

▲Still photos of the female bandit

"Camel Dragon" Zhang Suzhen has been labeled by many people. For example, she is as beautiful as a fairy, so she was attracted by Zhang Xueliang and Wu Junsheng at the same time; for example, she kills people By nature, she led the bandits to commit the "Massacre in the Eastern Wasteland"; for example, she was invincible with both guns and suppressed the bandits with her horse-riding and double-gun skills. But no matter which one of her is real, she has become a piece of history and a legend. Her story has been buried in the dusty years. When people mention this name and nickname, they all shake their heads and sigh.

▲Photos of bandit copycats

Zhang Suzhen never thought that she would become a bandit. She was just an ordinary girl born into a poor family in a small village. She had no way of deciding her own destiny in this chaotic world. Zhang Suzhen had been born with beautiful features since she was a child, and she looked like a beautiful woman at first glance. Unfortunately, she was born at the wrong time. In troubled times, her beauty would only bring disaster to the poor woman.

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Although Zhang Suzhen's family was poor, her childhood was considered happy among her peers, because her parents never disliked her because she was a daughter, but loved her. Plus, my daughter is never wronged when it comes to food and clothing. At that time, the Northeastern region was extremely barren, and there were not many families on the huge land, and they were all struggling to survive. So despite her parents' favor, Zhang Suzhen started working at a young age to support her family.

▲Bronze Statue of a Poor Family in Northeast China

Originally, this was the life of this poor family, but fate destined this family to suffer even greater hardships. Zhang Suzhen's mother has always been frail and sick, and the family's remaining savings were spent on her mother's medical treatment, but they still couldn't fill the bottomless pit. So when Zhang Suzhen was 5 years old, her mother passed away early. Zhang Suzhen's father was an ordinary worker who was bullied and squeezed like other workers. In order to bury his wife, Zhang Suzhen's father sold off his property to raise enough money for the coffin, and finally allowed his wife to be laid to rest. With his family gone, this middle-aged man could only take his daughter and start wandering.

▲Interior painting of a brothel

When Zhang Suzhen was confused about her future, fate had already helped her make a choice, a cruel choice. When she was 16 years old, Zhang Suzhen was abducted and sold into a brothel by human traffickers. Like many new sisters, she resisted desperately. The madam and thugs were very experienced in dealing with these new girls. They used a series of methods such as beatings and gang rapes. As long as they destroyed If you remove the last bit of shame from the older girls, they will be completely depraved. Zhang Suzhen did not fall. She surrendered on the surface, but the fire in her heart grew stronger and stronger.

03

The bandit Dalong never thought that he would be attracted to a 16-year-old prostitute. He originally came to visit the brothel for fun, but he was suddenly fascinated by Zhang Suzhen's temperament. Zhang Suzhen calmly told Dalong her experience, saying that as long as she was willing to redeem her, she would stay with him for the rest of her life and never leave him.

So Zhang Suzhen and Dalong returned to the bandit village and became the wife of the bandit village. But Zhang Suzhen's ambitions didn't stop there. She showed her heroic side and quickly learned to ride a horse and shoot a gun. She also had superb riding skills and could use both guns left and right, so she got the title of "Double-gun Camel Dragon", and she became famous all of a sudden. Convince the gangsters.

▲Bandit stills

When Dalong robbed the Ji family compound, he was attacked by Zhuang Ding and the security team to make dumplings. In the end, Dalong and many brothers were folded inside, and their heads were Also hung. Zhang Suzhen left there crying. She couldn't even retrieve the body for Dalong.

The bandits immediately elected Zhang Suzhen as their new leader, and their plan to avenge Dalong was launched.

In the autumn of 1924, the time for revenge had arrived. The Ji family compound and everyone who had participated in this incident were all massacred, and then Zhang Suzhen led a group of bandits to sweep through the Eastern Wasteland with overwhelming force. Of course, Zhang Suzhen was not a true murderer. Although she indulged in banditry and massacred gentry and landlords, which became a local public nuisance, she took a clear stance and only dealt with gentry and landlords, and explicitly prohibited harassment of ordinary people. Therefore, she had a good reputation among the people.

▲ Zhang Zuolin stills

But it is really difficult for a group of bandits to make waves. Soon they were repelled by the regular army, and Zhang Zuolin's subordinate Li Du led an army to encircle and suppress Zhang Suzhen. In order to hide her identity from others, Zhang Suzhen took up her old profession - a prostitute. Unfortunately, one of Li Du's company commanders who liked to visit brothels saw the clues. In the end, Zhang Suzhen was arrested by Li Du for massacring the gentry and landlords. After learning the news, both Zhang Xueliang and Wu Junsheng called and requested that Zhang Suzhen be sent over. Li Du, who was in a dilemma, had to sentence him to death and execute Zhang Suzhen on the spot.

During the parade on the street, merchants gave away food and clothing. The people did not hate her because she was a bandit. Instead, they rushed to see her off because she had never harmed ordinary people. They proudly praised her for her bravery and how she could use a gun with both hands. Zhang Suzhen shouted "I am not afraid of death" before execution, and ended her life amidst the regrets of the people. She was 24 years old.

Conclusion

Although many of Zhang Suzhen's acting styles are well received by the people, she leads a group of bandits after all. They are not saints. It is natural to question whether they rob the rich and help the poor. In the final analysis, this is a group of people with no culture and no faith. No matter how heroic they are in the eyes of the people, they cannot be tolerated in society and their destruction is doomed.