Zheng Yuxiu: modern China’s ‘xia nu’ assassin and first female PhD who fought for justice

A revolutionary who once declared she was “no bird in a cage” became both an assassin and China’s first female doctor of law. Born in 1891, Zheng Yuxiu grew up in an influential household. Her father served the Qing (1644–1912) government, her grandfather was a Hong Kong merchant, and her well-educated mother came from a military family. From childhood, Zheng showed a defiant independence rare for her time. After moving to Guangzhou in southern China, she attended a local school and successfully