Li Bai: His Life
Li Bai was born in Central Asia in 701 AD. Some evidence points to him and his family living in Sunye, in modern day Kyrgyzstan, and perhaps also in Tiaozhi in Afghanistan. His family’s genealogical records were lost, intentional or otherwise, so it is not known why his family had to move into the Central Asia area from China proper. Some accounts given by family relatives stated that the Li family was originally from southeastern Gansu province, and can be traced back to Li Gao who was the founder of the state of Western Liang. This possibility gives some support for Li Bai’s later assertion that he is a descendant of the noble Li family. Perhaps his family were merchants making a good living along the Silk Road.
While Li Bai’s mother was pregnant with him, she had a dream of a white star falling from heaven. This may explain his courtesy name of Tai Bai, or the bright celestial body of Venus. Around the age of five, Li’s father moved the family to Jiangyou, near the modern day city of Chengdu in Sichuan province. This is where Li spent his childhood. During this time he read extensively, including the Confucian Classics, as well as several astrological and metaphysical texts. He read the “Hundred Authors” and was able to compose poetry by the age of ten. Li also spent time riding, hunting, taming wild birds and learned the martial arts, including how to wield a sword. At the age of 15 an itinerant astrologer told his family that he was born under a good star. His father was told that Li was too smart for a provincial life, and that he would need to travel out into the world.
By the age of 17 Li Bai could read and write very well. By the age of 19, he had fought and killed several men for reasons of chivalry. In the year 720, Li was interviewed by Governor Su Ting, who thought highly of him and therefore recommended he become a government official. Li Bai never sat for the imperial examinations. The exact reason is not known, although the most logical explanation is that perhaps there was some friction between some of his ancestors and the imperial order. This may also explain why the family moved from Gansu in the north, to Central Asia early in Li’s life.
His father sent Li to the capital to seek his fame and fortune. He stayed with a relative who was a kitchen worker for the first two months. Looking for a job, Li met a mid-level retired government official. Realizing Li’s potential, he suggested Li a visit to the emperor’s sister, princess Yu Zhen, who was living in the mountains. Li waited three or four months to have an audience with her, but met with no success. So he returned to the capital, Chang’an, and studied high level Daoist books out of the princess’ library. Li then realized that the only path left to him was to work his way into the palace by becoming a palace guard. He then met a band of no-goods who gave him bad advice, and after a night of drinking one night, stole his horse and sword. However, an acquaintance of the thieves befriended Li and took him in. He introduced Li to a wealthy family, headed by a former Prime Minister, Xu Yushi, who had an eligible granddaughter.
After Li Bai’s father passed away, Li traveled for one or two years to reach his pledged wife-to-be. Around the year 725, on the way he met and stayed with the poet Meng Haoran in Xiangyang. Meng also recommended that Li marry this woman. Also along the way he gave away much of his money to friends in need. In the year 727 Li married her in the Hubei town of Yunmeng. His new wife was not only highly educated, but had a pleasant personality as well. After two or three years, Li decided to leave his new home to obtain a government position in the capital. During the next three years Li Bai only wrote home twice. When he returned, his father-in-law had died and a cousin had taken most of the property. His wife was left with only a hut and a few clothes. Li and his wife decided to sell what remained, except her jewelry, and leave to live in a small nearby village. About this time they had a daughter, named Mingyue. The following year they have a son, Boqing. The local villagers were upset with this choice of a name as it was also the name of a famous local ancestor.
Li Bai then went back to Chang’an for a third time to find work. His first wife died, leaving their children to live with their servants who had also recently married. Li remarried a widower, and they often fought over his lack of income. Then he finally received an imperial summons, calling him to the palace. It was his social connections over the years of traveling that was instrumental in him landing this job. An important person for Li at this time was the famous Daoist priest, Wu Yun. It was Yu’s praise that helped him come to the attention of Emperor Xuanzong.
Around this time, perhaps on his way to the capital, in the autumn of 744 he met the famous poet Du Fu. For a time they shared a room and did many activities together. They met again a year later. They remained friends through their exchange of each other’s poems.
Li Bai’s personality fascinated and interested the people within the palace. The Daoist poet, He Zhizhang nicknamed him “The Immortal Banished From Heaven”, which remained with Li throughout his life. In the court Li was a temporary favorite, writing many court poems quickly and spontaneously, yet oftentimes showed up at the court drunk. The emperor found him a position as a translator, as Li knew languages outside the empire from his childhood years. He also served in the Hanlin Academy, which provided scholarly expertise and poetry for the emperor. Li Bai wrote several poems for the emperor’s favorite consort, Yang Guifei. He accompanied the royals to the nearby hot springs. Li received gifts of fancy imperial clothes.
Then the palace elites turned against him. A popular story had Li asking a high-ranking palace eunuch to take off his boots in front of the emperor before writing a poem. Before finishing three cups of tea, Li Bai wrote a poem to honor a late battle victory. But unknown to Li, a famous general had already cautioned the emperor against sending out a large expeditionary force. These gifts, this poem, plus an insult to a palace eunuch got Li in trouble with the emperor. Li began to realize that palace politics can be corrupt and serious. The palace elites called upon him less and less. Li became increasingly bored and disillusioned. After three years, he was subsequently dismissed, but received large gifts of gold and silver upon his departure.
Now Li Bai’s poems were both famous and infamous. He took his time getting back home. He spent half of his new fortune building a wine tavern. He spent more money making Daoist immortality pills. His wife secured a divorce and some of the money that remained. Li then remarried for a third time, the daughter of a Daoist and general named Zhongsi. She suggested to Li that they go into rural seclusion with Wu Yun to await another imperial appointment. During this time Li got a letter from an old friend who was working for the rebel An Lushan asking him to join in the struggle. Against his wife’s advice, Li went outside to met the friend. He stayed outside for over one year. Upon realizing that this friend what really a part of the insurgency, Li made up an excuse to go home. Li and his wife fled with only their gold and jewelry.
Two or three years later he received another letter. This time Li became a staff advisor to Prince Yong, one of emperor Xuangzong‘s many sons. His only job was to write poetry. When the old emperor Xuanzong returned from exile in the west, Li Bai as caught up with the supporters of those opposing the emperor and was therefore thrown into jail in Jiujiang and sentenced to death. He stayed in jail for about one year. His wife sent food and medicine, but still Li was depressed and suicidal. A young prison guard helped him by asking Li to teach others history of the country and about poetry. This improved his outlook.
Then one day through the influence of general Guo Ziyi, whom Li had helped earlier, emperor Xuanzong gave him a pardon, with orders to go into exile in Yelang (modern day Guizhou). Upon Li’s release, crowds of people sent him off on his way. He stayed with friends he had helped earlier. Along the way Li received adoration and money from many well-wishers. After almost a year of travel, Li Bai was given an imperial pardon.
By the age of sixty, Li went with his wife to live in the mountains. She offered to sell her last gold hairpin to throw him his sixtieth birthday party. Li convinced her instead to sell an old jewelry box that was not a family heirloom. This was to be his last birthday. Legend and story has it that sometime in the following months, Li one day borrowed a boat, bought some wine, and went out on a lake with the boatman. During the night the boatman fell asleep. Upon waking up, he discovered Li gone, yet he found one poem rolled up and stuck into the wine bottle. No one knows for sure what happened to Li Bai.