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Kong Sizhen (孔四貞; 1641 – after 1681), [1] was a Chinese military commander and princess. [2]
Kong Sizhen was the daughter of Kong Youde (died 1652), a Chinese military commander awarded with the title of prince for his service to the Qing dynasty. [2] [1]
At age 11, she was one of the only survivors of an attack by Southern Ming general Li Dingguo, in which the rest of her family was killed. [1] [3] To honour her father, who had died (possibly committing suicide), she was given honours, including being appointed princess. [1] Additionally, as she was her father's only surviving heir, she was given nominal command over her father's remaining troops in Guangxi. [4]
In 1660 she married Sun Yanling, who was subsequently appointed (filling her nominal role) as military governor in Guangxi. [4] [1] His father had been one of her father Kong Youde's lieutenants. Due to her high status, her husband's status was also raised. His position as military governor was actually a case of him filling a position that belonged to her. Though he was a military commander, he seemed to not be very skilled, or to have a tendency to overextend his own authority, resulting in several imperial reprimands. [4] [1]
Her spouse joined the rebellion of Wu Sangui, which caused him to be deposed of by his army. [1][ citation needed] Kong Sizhen, who remained loyal to the crown, became her husband's successor by 1677, which was confirmed by the Emperor in 1676, a very unusual position for a woman in Qing dynasty China. [2] She kept her position until the end of the rebellion.