[1]Identity and namesLi Shen lived from 772 to 846 and was a Tang poet, official, and calligrapher. His courtesy name was Gongchui, his posthumous name Wensu, his home was Wuxi with ancestral roots in Qiaoxian, and he was known as Li Ershi and Short Li because of his build.
CBDBLi Shen (92982)These biographical fields supply Li Shen’s name, dates, Tang identity, courtesy name, posthumous name, birth-order name, sobriquet, places, and poet and calligrapher statuses.
Souyun李紳 (16981)The biographical entries confirm the dates, Gongchui, Wensu, Wuxi and Qiaoxian, the twentieth birth order, the Short Li sobriquet, and Li Shen’s reputation as a poet.
WikidataLi Shen (Q6539062)The English label and description identify Li Shen as a Tang official and poet, while the English aliases provide Duanli, Gongchui, Li Ershi, and Wensu.
[2]Family and educationThe sources differ over whether Li Jingxuan was Li Shen’s grandfather or great-grandfather. They identify his father as Li Wu, who died in 771, while the biographical account says Li Shen lost his father at six and was taught the classics by his mother Lu.
CBDBLi Shen (92982)The kinship entries call Li Jingxuan a grandfather and identify Li Wu as Li Shen’s father, with a death year of 771.
Souyun李紳 (16981)The biographical entries call Li Jingxuan a great-grandfather and state that Li Shen lost his father at six and was taught the classics by Lady Lu, preserving the genealogical discrepancy.
[3]RelativesLi Shen’s recorded relatives include his father-in-law Pei Da, younger brother Li Ji, three sons, clan nephew Li Yu, grandson Li Hao, and Cui, the daughter of Cui Wei, as a brother’s wife.
CBDBLi Shen (92982)The kinship entries identify Pei Da, Li Ji, Li Jun, Li Kai, Li Qianyou, Li Yu, Li Hao, and Cui, daughter of Cui Wei, together with their relationships to Li Shen.
[4]Early careerLi Shen passed the 806 jinshi examination, entered office through the Directorate of Education, joined Li Qi’s staff, refused to draft a rebel proclamation, survived imprisonment, and later held a sequence of central and regional posts.
CBDBLi Shen (92982)The appointments list the secretaryship, library and educational offices, Shannan West staff judgeship, court posts, Jiangnan East circuit post, and vice-ministerial office; the association entry identifies Li Qi.
Souyun李紳 (16981)The biographical accounts give the 806 examination, the initial educational appointment, Li Qi’s recruitment and rebellion, the imprisonment and release, Li Yuansu’s staff, and the subsequent offices.
[5]Middle careerLi Shen was demoted to Duanzhou and later moved to Jiangzhou, then served as prefect, eastern-capital Palace Attendant, and Zhejiang East observer; the prefectural place names and dates also appear as Yongyang, Shouchun, and Kuaiji.
CBDBLi Shen (92982)The appointments list the Duanzhou and Jiangzhou posts, the Chuzhou and Shouzhou prefectures, the Yongyang–Shouchun–Kuaiji sequence with dates, and the eastern-capital and Zhejiang East appointments.
Souyun李紳 (16981)The biographical accounts give the demotion to Duanzhou, transfer to Jiangzhou, the Dahe second-, fourth-, seventh-, and ninth-year sequence, Chuzhou and Shouzhou, Zhejiang East, and the eastern-capital appointments.
[6]Late career and aftermathLi Shen served in Henan, Xuanwu, and Huainan, entered the court in 842 for high central offices, was ennobled under two recorded forms of the title, died in 846, and was posthumously honored and later punished through the Wu Xiang case.
CBDBLi Shen (92982)The appointment entries confirm the Henan, Xuanwu, Huainan, Zhongshu Shilang, and Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi appointments and their dated sequence.
Souyun李紳 (16981)The biographical passages give the 836–846 career, court offices, taxation assignment, Shangshu You Pushe and Menxia Shilang, the two forms of the title, death, posthumous honors, and the Wu Xiang aftermath.
[7]Associations and political alignmentLi Shen was associated with Yuan Zhen and Bai Juyi through poetry and prose, was grouped with Li Deyu and Yuan Zhen as the Three Eminent Men, and later shared Li Deyu’s political fortunes.
CBDBLi Shen (92982)The associations identify Yuan Zhen as a friend, Bai Juyi as a colleague, and Li Deyu in literary exchanges with Li Shen.
Souyun李紳 (16981)The biographical passages describe Li Shen’s early friendship with Yuan Zhen and Bai Juyi, the Three Eminent Men grouping with Li Deyu and Yuan Zhen, and the later political alignment with Li Deyu.
[8]New YuefuLi Shen’s early realistic poetry and his Twenty New Yuefu Poems, together with the imitations by Yuan Zhen and Bai Juyi, are presented as opening and helping initiate the mid-Tang New Yuefu movement.
CBDBLi Shen (92982)The status fields identify Li Shen as a poet and as skilled in literary composition.
Souyun李紳 (16981)The biographical and commentary passages describe his poetry and song verse, early realistic writing, the lost Twenty New Yuefu Poems, the Yuan Zhen and Bai Juyi imitations, and the work’s initiating role in New Yuefu poetry.
[9]Circulation and collectionsThe Gufeng and Min Nong poems circulated widely. The three-volume Zhui Xi You, also titled Zhui Xi You Shi, was compiled during Kaicheng from Li Shen’s travels and survives, alongside a miscellaneous-poems volume, four volumes of verse, seven additional poems, and six fragments.
CBDBLi Shen (92982)The works list includes the title Zhui Xi You Shi.
Souyun李紳 (16981)The literary passages describe the wide circulation of Gufeng and Min Nong, the three-volume Zhui Xi You and its travel subject, the miscellaneous-poems volume, and the surviving poem and fragment counts.
[10]Form and critical receptionZhui Xi You uses varied poetic forms to express travel, office, changing times, and the vicissitudes of life; critical comments characterize its cadence and style and assess its major forms and poems.
Souyun李紳 (16981)The critical passages specify the forms, travel and emotional subjects of Zhui Xi You, then assess its cadence, tranquil style, formal antecedents, and the long song, short song, folk ballads, and ancient poems.
CBDB
Souyun李紳 (16981)The biographical entries confirm the dates, Gongchui, Wensu, Wuxi and Qiaoxian, the twentieth birth order, the Short Li sobriquet, and Li Shen’s reputation as a poet.
WikidataLi Shen (Q6539062)The English label and description identify Li Shen as a Tang official and poet, while the English aliases provide Duanli, Gongchui, Li Ershi, and Wensu.