Cheng Shih-liang, also known as Pi-chen, was born in 1863 in Huiyang, Kwangtung Province. Because of his fine character and moral integrity he had many friends. While attending Po-chi-hsueh-tang, a school in Canton, he became a follower of Dr. Sun Yat-sen and an advocate of national revolution.Cheng joined the Hsing Chung Hui, a predecessor of the Kuomintang.He was among the first revolutionaries to collaborate with Dr Sun in executing revolutionary plans. Cheng participated in the first attack on Canton. After the Boxer Uprising, he led the Huichow attack, fighting all along the eastern coast of Kwangtung Province. Later in the course of the revolution he was forced to flee to Hong Kong. There after a year he died under rather mysterious circumstances which were rumored to be of poisoning arranged by the Manchu Court.