New Biography of Li Qingzhao

Author: Deng Hongmei
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-10-01
Features: This book tells the story of Li Qingzhao, a renowned poetess, who is one of the most outstanding daughters nurtured by the land of Qi and Lu. She not only holds a prominent literary position among the numerous female writers in ancient China but also stands as a stable and significant highlight in the predominantly male-dominated literary history. The book will take you through the brilliant life of this famous female poet. Li Qingzhao, the great poetess of Ci, is one of the most outstanding daughters nurtured by the land of Qi and Lu. She not only holds a prominent literary position among the numerous female writers in ancient China but also stands as a stable and significant highlight in the predominantly male-dominated literary history. Since the Song Dynasty, countless readers have admired her works! "Those who fall in love with passion are intoxicated by her fragrance, and those who soar with imagination admire her divine elegance." The evaluation of her literary achievements is truly high! It is said that her Ci "not only surpasses women but also rivals men"; it is said that "the Ci genre has two main styles— and , with being represented by Yian'an"; some scholars even argue that she and Li Yu of the Five Dynasties were the "male and female emperors" of the realm of Ci. To this day, her works are not promoted by literary trends but are celebrated for their artistic quality and emotional appeal, translated into multiple languages such as English, Russian, French, and German, and have garnered global attention and admiration. Even a crater on Mars is named after her, "Li Qingzhao." This undoubtedly occupies the throne of ancient Chinese female literature, sharing equal footing with male poets, and is a rare treasure nurtured by the profound traditions of Qi and Lu culture! Before showcasing the life that shaped her literary achievements, let us first sketch a profile of her: Li Qingzhao (1081–1155) was the daughter of Li Gefei, a renowned scholar during the Northern Song Dynasty. Her mother, Wang Shi, was the eldest daughter of Wang Qiu, the Prime Minister and Duke of Qi, and passed away at a young age. Her stepmother was Xue Shi, the eldest granddaughter of Wang Gongchen, the second wife of a, and was known for her literary talent, as recorded in the History of the Song Dynasty. At the age of nineteen, Li Qingzhao married Zhao Mingcheng, a student of the imperial examinations. At the age of twenty-six, starting from the second year of the Great View era of Emperor Huizong (1108), she and her husband, along with his entire family, retreated to Qingzhou, Shandong. Twelve years later, in the autumn of the second year of the Xuanhe era of Emperor Huizong (1120), Zhao Mingcheng was appointed as the governor of Laizhou. In the autumn of the third year of the Xuanhe era, Li Qingzhao followed her husband to his post in Laizhou. Later, she accompanied him to his post in Zibo. Although her early life was affected by political struggles and ups and downs, her marital life was often harmonious. After the Jingkang Incident, in the spring of the second year of the Jingkang era (1127), Zhao Mingcheng carried with them the fifteen carriages of collected and organized cultural relics, calligraphy, and paintings they had gathered in their early years, crossing the Huai River and Yangtze River to head south to Jiangning for her mother's funeral. In July, Zhao Mingcheng was reinstated as the governor of Jiankang Prefecture. In December, when the Jin invaders attacked Qingzhou, Li Qingzhao traveled alone, cradling the exquisite calligraphy "Zhao Shi Shenmiao Tie" by Cai Xiang, southward. Passing through Zhenjiang, she encountered the chaos left by bandits from Shandong who had captured the city and managed to safely bring the "Zhao Shi Shenmiao Tie" to Jiankang. In August of the third year of the Jianyan era (1129), Zhao Mingcheng passed away in Jiankang (now Nanjing). From then on, Li Qingzhao lived alone, enduring immense emotional pressure and physical suffering, drifting southward and wandering between Jiangsu and Zhejiang. With deep nostalgia for the past and her homeland, endless longing for her late husband, and a profound dream of northern campaigns, she ended her tragic and wandering later life after experiencing great misfortunes such as the loss of her cultural relics and being forced into a second marriage with a bandit.