<p>An article from “Mental Floss” posted on CNN’s site.</p>
<p>"When a Chinese pirate captain named Cheng married a beautiful prostitute in 1801, he wasn’t just getting the girl of his dreams; he was making the best financial investment of his career. His new bride, known to history as Cheng I Sao, or “Wife of Cheng,” agreed to the marriage on one condition – that she would share equally in his power and would be given the opportunity to help him secure more wealth…</p>
<p>In fact, Cheng I Sao was eventually responsible for nearly all the piracy in the region and her fleet exceeded the size of many countries’ navies. She also expanded the scope of the business, branching out from simple attack-and-pillage jobs to protection schemes, blackmail, and extortion. …</p>
<p>If Cheng I Sao’s business practices were exemplary, then her system of pirate law was nothing short of revolutionary. The code of conduct she wrote for her men prescribed much harsher punishments than previous pirate laws had. A disobeyed order was cause for beheading (as was stealing from the common plunder), and deserters stood to lose their ears. </p>
<p>Ironically, Cheng I Sao’s most famous laws applied to the taking of female prisoners. Ugly women were returned to shore, free of charge. Attractive captives were auctioned off to the crew, unless a pirate personally purchased the captive, in which case they were considered married. Of course, if that pirate cheated on his new bride, Cheng I Sao had him killed…"</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/worklife/08/27/woman.pirate/index.html[/url]”>http://www.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/worklife/08/27/woman.pirate/index.html</a></p>