Li Furen

Li Furen (Chinese: 李夫人) was a concubine of Emperor Wu of the han dynasty.

Her brother, Li Yannian was a musician for Princess Pingyang and composed the song Jiarenqu (literally, The Beauty Song) as an ode to her beauty. After hearing this song, Emperor Wu wanted to meet the woman who could inspire such a song. Enamored of her, she became one of Emperor Wu's concubines and bore him a son named Po (髆). The date of her death is unrecorded, but Emperor Wu's profound sadness is recorded in the Han-Shu. Likewise a famous poem has been recorded as being written by the grief-stricken Emperor. However, although composed in the persona of Han Wudi, there is doubt as to the actual authorship of this and similar poems.

Due to her popularity with the Emperor, her male relatives enjoyed favor with the Emperor, but in the civil unrest between the Li family and Empress Wei's family, several of her relatives were killed or executed.

Last update 03-06-2012

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