Li Bai was a great romantic poet of the Tang Dynasty, hailed as the “Immortal Poet” by later generations. His poetry had a profound impact on future generations. But little is known about his marital status. Next, the History Encyclopedia editor will bring you relevant introductions, hoping to be helpful to everyone.
In Wei Hao’s “Preface to the Collection of Li Hanlin”, Li Bai’s marital status is recorded: “Bai first married Xu… and then married Liu and Liu Jue. He then married a woman from Lu and had a son named Po Li. He eventually married Song.” He married four times in his lifetime.
The first time was in the fifteenth year of the Kaiyuan era, when Li Bai, who had left his family for a long journey, passed through Anlu (now Anlu County, Hubei Province) at the age of 27. Just in time for floods in 63 states and frost and drought in 17 states across the country. Li Bai, who had a difficult life, temporarily resided in Shoushan, Anlu. He was recruited by the family of Prime Minister Xu Guishi as his son-in-law, and the impoverished Li Bai gladly jumped in and married their granddaughter.
The original spouse, Lady Xu, was gentle and virtuous, from a prestigious family with good upbringing and considerable talent. Li Bai once wrote a poem, the last two lines of which are: “If you don’t believe me, I’ll break my intestines. When I come back, I’ll see the mirror.” After Li Bai finished writing it, he felt very good about himself and happily presented it to his wife for appreciation. After reading it, Xu did not give a direct evaluation, but instead recited a similar line from Wu Zetian’s poem: “If you don’t believe me, I will shed tears. Open the box and inspect the pomegranate skirt.” The comparison between the two is immediately apparent. Li Bai felt a sense of detachment. Xu’s talent is evident from this.
The two have been married for 11 years, and Li Bai did not accompany her for long. He often traveled away from home, and his time at home was limited. Li Bai used his old identity in the Xu family and his talent for poetry to constantly make friends with the powerful, hoping to be requisitioned by the court and showcase his skills. But it never fulfilled my wish. He was once impoverished and abandoned himself in Chang’an; He once traveled to Mount Song with the intention of seclusion. He completely disregarded his wife Xu, who had a son and a daughter. During these eleven years of marriage, Xu gave Li Bai a worry free rear, while Li Bai only gave her repeated farewells and disappointments. In 738 of the 26th year of the Kaiyuan era, Xu passed away due to illness. I don’t know if she regrets hiring such a doorstep son-in-law in the future?
Less than a year after his death, Li Bai married his second wife, Liu Shi. Apart from his surname, no information about Liu Shi was passed down, and he only gained a reputation of being afraid of marrying someone else and leaving soon. That is to say, Li Bai did not give her any status at all. There is a legend that Liu looked down on Li Bai, had no achievements, and even brought two oil bottles, often mocking him, which led to their breakup. What the truth is, it’s impossible to verify. Perhaps Liu doesn’t have any background.
Later, probably feeling embarrassed to stay in Anlu anymore, Li Bai moved his family with his son and daughter to Donglu. Here, Li Bai married a local woman. This woman still had good fortune as a husband. In the same year, due to the mutual praise of Princess Yuzhen and He Zhizhang, Li Bai finally fulfilled his dream of serving in the officialdom! Emperor Xuanzong of Tang lowered his carriage and stepped forward to greet him, offering food on the Seven Treasures Bed and personally scooping soup. Let Li Bai worship the Hanlin. In fact, it’s about writing poetry and entertaining for the emperor, accompanying him around. Whenever Emperor Xuanzong had banquets or outings, he would appoint Li Bai as his attendant, using his agile poetic talent to write poetry and record events. Although it is not a record of merit, its words have been passed down to future generations and praised to them with grandeur. Li Bai was so favored and trusted by Emperor Xuanzong that his colleagues were envious, but this also aroused jealousy from others.
Li Bai originally wanted to become an official and do some great deeds for the country and the people. However, he never expected that he would linger in the daily life of the emperor, either admiring flowers and people, or singing praises. This is far from his ambition. As he grew increasingly tired of the life of the imperial literati, he began to indulge in alcohol to drown himself in filth. Often neglecting the emperor, some petty people take this opportunity to spread slanderous words, and after three years in the capital. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang bestowed gold upon him to return. Li Bai returned home with abundant silver, and according to legend, the two lived a relatively harmonious life. I acquired farmland and saved a considerable amount of money. But later, someone said the two got divorced. Another person, this anonymous person, passed away after five years of marriage, meaning that Li Bai returned home less than two years ago and passed away. This woman didn’t even leave her surname, but she gave birth to a son named Tianran for Li Bai.
According to Li Bai’s poem “Sending to the Two Children of Donglu”, the mulberry leaves in Wu are green, and the silkworms in Wu have slept three times. My home sends to Donglu, who grows turtle shade fields. Spring is too late, and Jiang Xingfu is at a loss. The south wind blows back to the heart, flying in front of the restaurant. A peach tree stands on the east side of the building, its branches and leaves brushing against the green smoke. I planted this tree, don’t go for three years. Peach is now at the same level as the building, and our bank has not yet rotated. The character ‘Jiaonv’ is Pingyang, with folded flowers leaning against peach blossoms. Broken flowers don’t see me, tears flow like a spring. The child’s name is Boqin, and he is also shoulder to shoulder with his sister. Under the double row peach trees, caress your back and seek pity from anyone. First and foremost, liver and intestine daily worry decoction. The meaning of ‘splitting Su’ is far away, hence the Wenyang River
In the poem, ‘Jiaonu’s character Pingyang’ refers to the eldest daughter Li Pingyang, and ‘Xiao’er Mingbo Qin’ refers to the eldest son Li Bo Qin. This poem was written between 748 and 750 AD, by which time he had already married his fourth wife, Zong Shi, the granddaughter of Zong Chuke and another daughter of Xiangmen.
In this poem, only one son and one daughter of the original wife Xu are mentioned, and there is no mention of the son Li Tianran born to him by an unknown person. It is speculated that Li Tianran may have gone with his mother, and this anonymous woman did not die, but was divorced.
The reason for divorce is not difficult to guess. We can tell from the time Li Bai got married. In the fourth or fifth year of Yuanbao’s reign, the two broke up, and Li Bai married Zong in the third year of Yuanbao’s reign. That is to say, when Li Bai married Zong, he had not completely separated from his third wife! A definite extramarital affair! Although later scholars believed that the second and third marriages were not formal marriages, but rather concubines, and that the first and fourth marriages were arranged with a clear matchmaker, the twists and turns involved forced us to speculate.
Li Bai wrote many love poems, most of which were also written for two ladies from the same family. It cannot be ruled out that the two ladies also came from prestigious families, possessed considerable talents, and were deeply loved by Li Bai. But we couldn’t help but sigh for the other two women, a marriage and even a son, who didn’t even have an identity! Due to the lack of historical evidence, we do not know the true situation. But the backgrounds of the Xu and Zong families have to add a touch of imagination to our imagination.
