Her father saw to her education, teaching her both literature and the martial arts, though at the time, society's attitude toward women was "Lacking skill is a woman's greatest virtue."
沈至緒將雲英自小當男孩般教養，既教她讀書、識字，也讓她操練武術。因此雲英以女兒之身，在傳統「女子無才便是德」的時代，竟能工書法、通經史，也練就一身好武藝。