#307 - Zheng Yi Sao, Pt. 1: Murders & Acquisitions, Mostly

天高皇帝远 "Heaven Is High & the Emperor Is Far Away" On the far side of the realm from the celestial halls of shining Beijing, an outcast girl born on the fringes of society will scrabble to survive amid the coastal chaos of the closing years of the 18th century. With little more than her looks, her wits, and a shark's instinct for a good deal, she'll claw her way up from a floating brothel in Guangzhou harbor to co-found and ultimately command a criminal conglomerate the likes of which the world had never seen — outmaneuvering freebooter, bandit, and official alike, one hostile takeover at a time. Time Period Covered: ca. 1775-1807 CE Major Historical Figures: Zheng Yi Sao/Ching Shih (née Shi Yang), Pirate Queen of the Red Flag Fleet [1775-1844] Captain Zheng Yi, Fleet Commander of the Red Flag Fleet [1765-1807] Zhang Baozai (Cheung Po Tsai), "The Kid" [1783-1822] Major Sources Cited: Andrade, Tonio. The Gunpowder Age: China, Military Innovation, and the Rise of the West in World History. Antony, Robert J. Like Froth Floating on the Sea: The World of Pirates and Seafarers in Late Imperial South China. Mann Jones, Susan and Philip A. Kuhn. "The Ch'ing Government and Its Problems, 1800–1812" in The Cambridge History of China, Volume 10, Part 1: Late Ch'ing, 1800–1911. Murray, Dian. Pirates of the South China Coast. Rawski, Evelyn. Education and Popular Literacy in Ch'ing China. (re-released: 08/17/2026)