1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, the world has always known tough chicks, but this 2 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:06,280 Speaker 1: one might just take the cake. Imagine starting off your 3 00:00:06,320 --> 00:00:10,479 Speaker 1: life in poverty in eighteenth century China and winding up 4 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: running the largest pirate fleet in history as the pirate 5 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:18,600 Speaker 1: Queen of the South China Sea. I'm Patty Steele Xiangxi. 6 00:00:19,079 --> 00:00:23,959 Speaker 1: From flower boat girl to prostitute to powerful and murderous pirate. 7 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:32,479 Speaker 1: What a woman That's next on the backstory? The backstory 8 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:36,159 Speaker 1: is back. Hard to imagine how difficult life was for 9 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:39,879 Speaker 1: a woman born into poverty in eighteenth century China. Not 10 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:42,880 Speaker 1: a lot of prospects, right, But no matter who we are, 11 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:46,280 Speaker 1: when and where we live, we all want the same thing. 12 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:50,240 Speaker 1: We want to see our dreams blossom into a better reality. 13 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 1: Hiangshi was born in seventeen seventy five in Canton, China, 14 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:58,880 Speaker 1: on the South China Sea. Her parents were peasants and 15 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 1: she needed to find work to survive. As a teenager, 16 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: she took a job on a floating barge. As a 17 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:08,960 Speaker 1: flower boat girl. She was basically entertaining men on a 18 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:14,040 Speaker 1: floating brothel, but she was wildly intelligent and extremely ambitious. 19 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 1: Plus she knew how to read people and charm them. 20 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 1: Xang understood men, their motives, their secrets, and most importantly, 21 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:26,200 Speaker 1: their weaknesses. In her mid twenties, she meets a guy 22 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 1: who would change her life. He's the notorious pirate Change. 23 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 1: He commanded a large fleet of ships. He was ruthless, ambitious, 24 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 1: and one of the most feared men in the South 25 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 1: China Sea. So when he sees Xiangshi, he sees more 26 00:01:41,959 --> 00:01:45,400 Speaker 1: than just a gorgeous woman. He sees her endless ambition 27 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 1: coupled with a mind as sharp as his own. He 28 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 1: actually proposes almost immediately for her part. Xiang sees this 29 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 1: as her ticket out. The marriage becomes a powerful partnership. 30 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: Jang doesn't just become Chang's wife, she's as equal, helping 31 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:06,920 Speaker 1: him expand their empire. Together they build the Red Flag Fleet, 32 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 1: which soon becomes the largest and one of the most 33 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:14,800 Speaker 1: powerful pirate fleets in history. Under their leadership, the fleet 34 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:18,079 Speaker 1: grows from a few dozen ships to almost two thousand, 35 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: with as many as seventy thousand pirates under their command. 36 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 1: Xang is a natural leader. She knows how to inspire loyalty, 37 00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:29,760 Speaker 1: but also how to control her crew. She has a 38 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 1: strict code of conduct Rule number one. Any pirate who 39 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:37,959 Speaker 1: disobeys orders is executed, plain and simple, no second chances. 40 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:41,640 Speaker 1: Rule number two, all plunder has to be accounted for 41 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 1: and shared. Her pirates are entitled to their share, but 42 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 1: nobody skims off the top. And rule number three reflects 43 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:54,000 Speaker 1: where Jang came from. Any pirate caught harming a female 44 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:58,240 Speaker 1: captive without permission will be put to death. That was 45 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:02,240 Speaker 1: not only progressive for its time, but made Xiangxi a 46 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:07,639 Speaker 1: feared but respected leader. Xiangxi transforms a red flag fleet 47 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: into a well oiled machine, and she doesn't just control 48 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:14,320 Speaker 1: her crew with an iron fist. Her ships patrol the 49 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:18,960 Speaker 1: coastlines and demand tribute or protection pay from merchant ships, 50 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 1: fishing boats, and even villages along the shore. There's no 51 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 1: refusing to pay. You just do it, or you face 52 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 1: the wrath of the pirate queen. After six years of marriage, 53 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:35,320 Speaker 1: Jiang's husband Change dies suddenly in eighteen oh seven. It's 54 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 1: a scary time for her, since she lives in a 55 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:42,440 Speaker 1: society that views women as inferior, something she'll step aside. 56 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 1: But this tough chick, now thirty two years old, has 57 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 1: a different idea. This fleet is hers and hers alone, 58 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:52,720 Speaker 1: and no one is going to take it from her. 59 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 1: Her fleet continues to grow, and in eighteen oh nine, 60 00:03:56,640 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 1: she's at the peak of her power. She decides to 61 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:03,840 Speaker 1: attack the Portuguese colonial base of Macau. No small feet. 62 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 1: It's heavily fortified, protected by both the Portuguese military and 63 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 1: private militias who had long defended the colony from pirates 64 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 1: and foreign threats. But Jangshi she sees these defenses as 65 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:21,040 Speaker 1: mere obstacles. She orders her fleet to set sail toward 66 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:24,640 Speaker 1: the colony, her ships forming a menacing line. As they 67 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 1: approach the coast, the Portuguese see her ships on the horizon, 68 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:33,040 Speaker 1: each one flying her signature red flag. They think they 69 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:36,160 Speaker 1: can hold their ground with their cannons along the coast, 70 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 1: plenty of weapons and tons of experience dealing with pirates, 71 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:46,599 Speaker 1: but they are wrong. Jangshi's determination, her tactics, and her 72 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:49,919 Speaker 1: sheer will rule the day. As they engage in a 73 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:54,479 Speaker 1: brutal battle. The Red Flag fleet swarms the harbor, using 74 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:58,600 Speaker 1: fire ships and sheer numbers to overwhelm the Portuguese forces. 75 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:01,840 Speaker 1: Her men are rel relentless and hand to hand combat 76 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:05,839 Speaker 1: as they board the Portuguese ships and overpower their enemies. 77 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:11,360 Speaker 1: Her strategy is brilliant and ruthlessly efficient. The Red Flag 78 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 1: Fleet moves like a well trained army rather than just 79 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:18,600 Speaker 1: a ragtag band of outlaws. Every ship has a role, 80 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:22,839 Speaker 1: every pirate a purpose, and together they are both brilliant 81 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:27,640 Speaker 1: and brutal. The Portuguese can't withstand the onslaught, and after 82 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:32,840 Speaker 1: hours of battle their defenses buckle. Jangshi's forces sweep through 83 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:37,840 Speaker 1: the harbor, taking everything and crippling the Portuguese navy. By 84 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:41,440 Speaker 1: the time it's over, Jiangshi has not only rated one 85 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:44,240 Speaker 1: of the most fortified places in the South China Sea, 86 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:48,480 Speaker 1: but given herself a reputation that no one would challenge. 87 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:53,320 Speaker 1: The Red Flag Fleet was not to be underestimated. Soon 88 00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:56,720 Speaker 1: she forms an alliance with her dead husband's adopted son, 89 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:00,800 Speaker 1: and they are even more unbeatable. At the height of 90 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:04,800 Speaker 1: her power, Jiangxi rules the South China Sea. Her fleet 91 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:08,800 Speaker 1: is so large it's like a floating city. They raid villages, 92 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:13,080 Speaker 1: capture coastal towns, and defeat Chinese naval forces sent to 93 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:16,960 Speaker 1: bring her down. The local government is powerless to stop her, 94 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:21,080 Speaker 1: and she knows it. With every victory, her legend grows. 95 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:25,720 Speaker 1: She becomes a terror to anyone on the water. Enforcing 96 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:30,920 Speaker 1: her rule with absolute authority. Psychological warfare was her strength. 97 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:35,360 Speaker 1: Jiangshi left survivors of her attacks behind so they could 98 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:39,159 Speaker 1: spread stories of her brutality. Soon, the mere sight of 99 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:42,480 Speaker 1: her sales was enough to make towns surrender without even 100 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 1: a fight. Folks claimed she ruled her fleet with a 101 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:50,640 Speaker 1: sense of ruthlessness that no man could rival. But nothing 102 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:55,279 Speaker 1: lasts forever. By eighteen ten, after years of terrorizing the coast, 103 00:06:55,880 --> 00:06:59,440 Speaker 1: she's too powerful for her own good. The Chinese government 104 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:02,599 Speaker 1: is desperate and they realize they'll never defeat her through 105 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 1: force alone, so they offer her a deal, an amazing 106 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 1: offer of amnesty for her and her entire fleet. She 107 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:14,400 Speaker 1: could walk away with no punishment if she just disbanded 108 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:17,440 Speaker 1: her pirates and ended her reign. Now you would think 109 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 1: that she'd turn it down and want to keep going, 110 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:25,520 Speaker 1: but Jangshi continues to strategize brilliantly. The deal is on 111 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 1: her terms, a full part, not just for herself, but 112 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:32,120 Speaker 1: for all of her pirates, and she even secured the 113 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 1: right to keep her wealth, which was huge after years 114 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 1: of plundering. So she steps away from piracy and opens 115 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:44,200 Speaker 1: a gambling house, giving herself a life of comfort and wealth. 116 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:49,360 Speaker 1: And peace. Imagine that a pirate queen who once commanded 117 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:54,480 Speaker 1: an empire on the high seas retiring peacefully, No gallows 118 00:07:54,600 --> 00:07:58,440 Speaker 1: or sword fights, just a brilliant game of chess where 119 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:01,720 Speaker 1: she winds up living in relatives peace, her wealth and 120 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:06,040 Speaker 1: power intact, Jangshi became one of the very few pirates 121 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:10,440 Speaker 1: to retire comfortably, never punished for her crimes. She died 122 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:13,520 Speaker 1: at the age of sixty nine, surrounded by wealth and 123 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:17,520 Speaker 1: totally satisfied with her life. She didn't just survive as 124 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 1: a pirate. She conquered, broke every rule, and built an 125 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:24,760 Speaker 1: empire in an age when women were expected to stay 126 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:28,840 Speaker 1: silent and in the shadows. Her life inspired novels, movies, 127 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:33,600 Speaker 1: and endless fascination. Jangshi is remembered as one of the 128 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 1: greatest pirates to ever live, a queen of the high 129 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:40,600 Speaker 1: Seas who ended her life on her own terms through 130 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 1: strategy and intelligence. Hope you like the backstory with Patty Steele. 131 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:52,840 Speaker 1: I would love it if you would subscribe or follow 132 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 1: for free to get new episodes delivered automatically, and feel 133 00:08:57,000 --> 00:08:59,000 Speaker 1: free to DM me if you have a story you'd 134 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:01,800 Speaker 1: like me to cover On Facebook, It's Patty Steele and 135 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:08,240 Speaker 1: on Instagram Real Patty Steele. I'm Patty Steele. The Backstories 136 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:12,400 Speaker 1: a production of iHeartMedia, Premiere Networks, the Elvis Durand Group, 137 00:09:12,480 --> 00:09:16,240 Speaker 1: and Steel Trap Productions. Our producer is Doug Fraser. Our 138 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:20,400 Speaker 1: writer Jake Kushner. We have new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. 139 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 1: Feel free to reach out to me with comments and 140 00:09:23,080 --> 00:09:27,000 Speaker 1: even story suggestions on Instagram at Real Patty Steele and 141 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:30,080 Speaker 1: on Facebook at Patty Steele. Thanks for listening to the 142 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:33,840 Speaker 1: Backstory with Patty Steele, the pieces of history you didn't 143 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 1: know you needed to know.