生平

李煜「为人仁孝，善属文，工书画，而广颡丰额骈齿，一目重瞳子」，是南唐元宗（中主）李璟的第六子。由于李璟的第二子到第五子均早死，故李煜长兄李弘冀为皇太子时，其为事实上的第二子。李弘冀「为人猜忌严刻」，时为安定公的李煜因而惶恐，不敢参与政事，每天只醉心研究典籍，以读书为乐。

959年李弘冀在毒死李景遂后不久亦死。李璟欲立李煜为太子，钟谟说「从嘉德轻志懦，又酷信释氏，非人主才。从善果敢凝重，宜为嗣。」李璟怒，将钟谟贬为国子监司，流放到饶州。封李煜为吴王、尚书令、知政事，令其住在东宫，就近学习处理政事。

宋建隆二年（961年），李璟迁都南昌并立李煜为太子、监国，令其留在金陵。六月李璟死后，李煜在金陵登基即位。李煜「性骄侈，好声色，又喜浮图，为高谈，不恤政事。」笃信佛教，「酷好浮屠，崇塔庙，度僧尼不可胜算。罢朝，辄造佛屋，易服膜拜，颇废政事。」

971年宋军灭南汉后，李煜为了表示他不敢对抗宋朝，对宋称臣，改用宋朝年号，不再称帝，改称为江南国主，去鸱吻，诸王降为公爵。

973年，宋太祖令李煜至汴京，李煜托病不往。974年，宋太祖遂派曹彬领军攻南唐。十二月，李煜因此弃用北宋年号，改用干支纪年。吴越王钱俶奉命出兵助宋，李煜写信劝他与自己合作，说今日没有江南，明日就没有吴越，宋朝兼并吴越后钱俶也只是宋朝都城汴梁的一介布衣。钱俶却把信交给宋朝。在宋灭南唐之战中，南唐屡败于宋朝和吴越联军。

975年12月，曹彬攻克金陵，南唐灭亡。李煜在位十五年，后世称李后主或南唐后主。

李煜被俘后，在汴京被封为违命侯，拜左千牛卫将军。

976年，宋太祖逝世，弟赵光义继位为宋太宗，改封陇国公。尝与金陵旧宫人书写：「此中日夕，以泪珠洗面」。宋人笔记上说赵光义多次逼迫小周后侍寝。李煜在痛苦郁闷中，写下《望江南》、《子夜歌》、《虞美人》等名曲。

978年，徐铉奉宋太宗之命探视李煜，李煜对徐铉叹息：「当初我错杀潘佑、李平，悔之不已！」徐铉退而告之，宋太宗闻之大怒。史载三年七月初七（978年8月13日），农历七夕，当李煜在其42岁生日那天与后妃们聚会，两天后李煜卒，年四十二（但《宋史·太祖本纪》曾记载「（建隆三年三月）乙亥，遣使赐南唐主生辰礼物」，李煜似当生于三月乙亥日前后）。一说李煜因写「故国不堪回首月明中」、「恰似一江春水向东流」之词，宋太宗再也不能容忍，用牵机毒杀之。牵机药或说是中药马钱子，其主要成分番木鳖硷有剧毒，服后会破坏中枢神经系统，全身抽搐，脚往腹部缩，头亦弯至腹部，状极痛苦。李煜死后，葬洛阳北邙山，小周后悲痛欲绝，不久也随之死去。

李煜「生于深宫之中，长于妇人之手」，虽无力治国，然「性宽恕，威令不素著」，好生戒杀，性格出了名的善良，故在他死后，江南人民闻之，「皆巷哭、为斋」。

文学、艺术成就

李煜在艺术方面具有很高的成就。刘毓盘说李后主「于富贵时能作富贵语，愁苦时能作愁苦语，无一字不真。」

词

李煜词本有集，已失传。现存词四十四首。其中几首前期作品或为他人所作，可以确定者仅三十八首。李煜的词的风格可以以975年亡国被俘而分为两个时期，前期描写宫廷生活，词风绮丽，后期写亡国的悲痛，拓宽了词的风格与内容：

前后李煜亡国前的词，透插富丽奢华的宫廷生活，言词多温软绮丽，卿卿我我，呈现「花间词」气息。根据内容可大致分为两类：一类是描写富丽堂皇的宫廷生活，一类是风花雪月的男女情事，如《菩萨蛮》：

又如《一斛珠》：

李煜亡国后，晚年的词写家国之恨，拓展了词的题材，感慨既深，词益悲壮。李煜词最大特色，是自然真率，醇厚率真，情感真挚。喜用白描手法，通俗生动，语言精鍊而明净洗炼，接近口语，与「花间词」缕金刻翠，堆砌华丽词藻的作风迥然不同。李煜后期的词由于生活的巨变，以一首首泣尽以血的绝唱，使亡国之君成为千古词坛的「南面王」（清沈雄《古今词话》语），正是「国家不幸诗家幸，话到沧桑语始工」。这些后期词作，凄凉悲壮，意境深远，为词史上承前启后的大宗师。至于其语句的清丽，音韵的和谐，更是空前绝后。如

《破阵子》：

《虞美人》：

《浪淘沙令》：

书画

他能书善画，对其书法：陶谷《清异录》曾云：「后主善书，作颤笔樛曲之状，遒劲如寒松霜竹，谓之『金错刀』。作大字不事笔，卷帛书之，皆能如意，世谓『撮襟书』。」对其的画，宋代郭若虚的《图书见闻志》曰：「江南后主李煜，才识清赡，书画兼精。尝观所画林石、飞鸟，远过常流，高出意外。」

评价

文学

欧阳修在《新五代史》中描述李煜：「煜字重光，初名从嘉，景第六子也。煜为人仁孝，善属文，工书画，而丰额骈齿，一目重瞳子。」

《渔隐丛话前集·西清诗话》提到宋太祖征服南唐统一中国后感叹：「李煜若以作诗词工夫治国家，岂为吾所俘也！」

近代学者王国维认为：「温飞卿之词，句秀也；韦端己之词，骨秀也；李重光之词，神秀也。」「词至李后主而眼界始大，感慨遂深，遂变伶工之词而为士大夫之词。周介存置诸温、韦之下，可谓颠倒黑白矣。」。此最后一句乃是针对周济在《介存斋论词杂著》中所道：「毛嫱、西施，天下美妇人也，严妆佳，淡妆亦佳，粗服乱头不掩国色。飞卿，严妆也；端己，淡妆也；后主，则粗服乱头矣。」王氏认为此评乃扬温、韦，抑后主。而学术界亦有观点认为，周济的本意是指李煜在词句的工整对仗等修饰方面不如温庭筠、韦庄，然而在词作的生动和流畅度方面，则前者显然更为生机勃发，浑然天成，「粗服乱头不掩国色」。

李煜词摆脱了《花间集》的浮靡，他的词不假雕饰，语言明快，形象生动，性格鲜明，用情真挚，亡国后作更是题材广阔，含意深沉，超过晚唐五代的词，不但成为宋初婉约派词的开山，也为豪放派打下基础，后世尊称他为「词圣」。

后代念及李煜的诗词中以清朝袁枚引《南唐杂咏》最有名：「作个才人真绝代，可怜薄命作君王。」

为政

《宋史·潘慎修传》记载：南唐灭亡后，一些南唐旧臣开始批评李煜为人愚昧懦弱，添油加醋地成份越来越多。宋真宗问潘慎修李煜是不是真的如此，潘慎修回答：「如果李煜真的这么愚昧懦弱的话，他怎么能治国十馀年？」

另一位南唐旧臣徐铉在《大宋左千牛卫上将军追封吴王陇西公墓志铭》中评价李煜：「以厌兵之俗当用武之世，孔明罕应变之略，不成近功；偃王，躬仁义之行，终于亡国，道有所在，复何愧欤？」

其它

• 徐铉：「王以世嫡嗣服，以古道驭民，钦若彝伦，率循先志。奉蒸尝、恭色养，必以孝；事耇老、宾大臣，必以礼。居处服御必以节，言动施舍必以时。至于荷全济之恩，谨藩国之度，勤修九贡，府无虚月，祗奉百役，知无不为。十五年间，天眷弥渥。」「精究六经，旁综百氏。常以周孔之道不可暂离，经国化民，发号施令，造次于是，始终不渝。」「酷好文辞，多所述作。一游一豫，必以颂宣。载笑载言，不忘经义。洞晓音律，精别雅郑；穷先王制作之意，审风俗淳薄之原，为文论之，以续《乐记》。所著文集三十卷，杂说百篇，味其文、知其道矣。至于弧矢之善，笔札之工，天纵多能，必造精绝。」「本以恻隐之性，仍好竺干之教。草木不杀，禽鱼咸遂。赏人之善，常若不及；掩人之过，惟恐其闻。以至法不胜奸，威不克爱。以厌兵之俗当用武之世，孔明罕应变之略，不成近功；偃王躬仁义之行，终于亡国。道有所在，复何愧欤！」

• 郑文宝：「后主奉竺乾之教，多不茹晕，常买禽鱼为放生。」「后主天性纯孝，孜孜儒学，虚怀接下，宾对大臣，倾奉中国，惟恐不及。但以著述勤于政事，至于书画皆尽精妙。然颇耽竺乾之教，果于自信，所以奸邪得计。排斥忠谠，土地曰削，贡举不充。越人肆谋，遂为敌国。又求援于北虏行人设谋，兵遂不解矣。」（《江表志》）

• 陆游：「后主天资纯孝……专以爱民为急，蠲赋息役，以裕民力。尊事中原，不惮卑屈，境内赖以少安者十有五年。」「然酷好浮屠，崇塔庙，度僧尼不可胜算。罢朝辄造佛屋，易服膜拜，以故颇废政事。兵兴之际，降御札移易将帅，大臣无知者。虽仁爱足以感其遗民，而卒不能保社稷。」（《南唐书·卷三·后主本纪第三》）

• 龙衮：「后主自少俊迈，喜肄儒学，工诗，能属文，晓悟音律。姿仪风雅，举止儒措，宛若士人。」（《江南野史·卷三后主、宜春王》）

• 陈彭年：「（后主煜）幼而好古，为文有汉魏风。」（《江南别录》）

• 欧阳修：「煜性骄侈，好声色，又喜浮图，为高谈，不恤政事。」

• 王世贞：「花间犹伤促碎，至南唐李王父子而妙矣。」（《弇州山人词评》）

• 胡应麟：「后主目重瞳子，乐府为宋人一代开山。盖温韦虽藻丽，而气颇伤促，意不胜辞。至此君方为当行作家，清便宛转，词家王、孟。」（《诗薮·杂篇》）

• 纳兰性德：「花间之词，如古玉器，贵重而不适用；宋词适用而少质重，李后主兼有其美，更饶烟水迷离之致。」（《渌水亭杂识·卷四》）

• 王夫之：「（李璟父子）无殃兆民，绝彝伦淫虐之巨惹。」「生聚完，文教兴，犹然彼都人士之馀风也。」（《读通鉴论》）

• 余怀：「李重光风流才子，误作人主，至有入宋牵机之恨。其所作之词，一字一珠，非他家所能及也。」（《玉琴斋词·序》）

• 沈谦：「男中李后主，女中李易安，极是当行本色。」（徐釚《词苑丛谈》引语）「后主疏于治国，在词中犹不失南面王。」（沈雄《古今词话·词话》卷上引语）

• 郭麐：「作个才子真绝代，可怜薄命作君王。」（清代袁枚《随园诗话补遗》引郭麐《南唐杂咏》）

• 周济：「李后主词如生马驹，不受控捉。」「毛嫱西施，天下美妇人也。严妆佳，淡妆亦佳，粗服乱头，不掩国色。飞卿，严妆也；端己，淡妆也；后主则粗服乱头矣。」（《介存斋论词杂著》）

• 周之琦：「予谓重光天籁也，恐非人力所及。」

• 陈廷焯：「后主词思路凄惋，词场本色，不及飞卿之厚，自胜牛松卿辈。」「余尝谓后主之视飞卿，合而离者也；端己之视飞卿，离而合者也。」「李后主、晏叔原，皆非词中正声，而其词无人不爱，以其情胜也。」（《白雨斋词话·卷一》）

• 王鹏运：「莲峰居士（李煜）词，超逸绝伦，虚灵在骨。芝兰空谷，未足比其芳华；笙鹤瑶天，讵能方兹清怨？后起之秀，格调气韵之间，或月日至，得十一于千首。若小晏、若徽庙，其殆庶几。断代南流，嗣音阒然，盖间气所钟，以谓词中之大成者，当之无愧色矣。」（《半塘老人遣稿》）

• 冯煦：「词至南唐，二主作于上，正中和于下，诣微造极，得未曾有。宋初诸家，靡不祖述二主。」（《宋六十一家词选·例言》）

• 王国维：「温飞卿之词，句秀也；韦端己之词，骨秀也；李重光之词，神秀也。」「词至李后主而眼界始大，感慨遂深，遂变伶工之词而为士大夫之词。」「词人者，不失其赤子之心者也。故生于深宫之中，长于妇人之手，是后主为人君所短处，亦即为词人所长处。」「主观之诗人，不必多阅世，阅世愈浅，则性情愈真，李后主是也。」「尼采谓一切文字，余爱以血书者，后主之词，真所谓以血书者也。宋道君皇帝《燕山亭》词，亦略似之。然道君不过自道身世之感，后主则俨有释迦、基督担荷人类罪恶之意，其大小固不同矣。」「唐五代之词，有句而无篇；南宋名家之词，有篇而无句。有篇有句，唯李后主之作及永叔、少游、美成、稼轩数人而已。」（《人间词话》）

• 毛泽东：「南唐李后主虽多才多艺，但不抓政治，终于亡国。」（毛泽东评价历史人物）

• 郑超麟：「无言独对如钩月，争解离肠结？泪珠日夕洗年华，应恨托身偏在帝王家。 江南忆昔危城坠，故国原无罪。仓皇辞庙最凄然，只为妨他一统碍他眠。」（《虞美人·哀李重光》）

• 柏杨：「南唐皇帝李煜先生词学的造诣，空前绝后，用在填词上的精力，远超过用在治国上。」（《浊世人间》）

• 叶嘉莹：「李后主的词是他对生活的敏锐而真切的体验，无论是享乐的欢愉，还是悲哀的痛苦，他都全身心的投入其间。我们有的人活过一生，既没有好好的体会过快乐，也没有好好的体验过悲哀，因为他从来没有以全部的心灵感情投注入某一件事，这是人生的遗憾。」（《唐宋名家词赏析》）

家庭

皇后

• 大周后（小字娥皇）

• 小周后

妃嫔

• 保仪黄氏 （记载于马令《南唐书》）

• 嫔御流珠

• 宫人乔氏

• 宫人秋水

• 宫人窅娘

• 宫人臧氏

子女

子

• 清源郡公 李仲寓

• 岐怀献王 李仲宣

相关戏剧

电影

粤剧

歌仔戏

电视剧

Early life

In the same Chinese year Li Congjia was born, his grandfather Xu Zhigao, also known as Xu Gao (Li Bian) founded the state Qi, renaming it Tang (known as the Southern Tang) 2 years later. When Li Congjia was 6, his father Li Jing became the next Southern Tang emperor. With Li Jing naming his younger brother Li Jingsui his heir apparent, his sixth eldest son Li Congjia seemed unlikely to ever succeed the throne. However, many of Li Congjia's brothers died very young, and after the death of the second eldest brother Li Hongmao (李弘茂) in 951, Li Congjia all of a sudden found himself right behind Li Hongji — the eldest brother — and uncle Li Jingsui in the succession line.

Li Hongji, a withdrawn and troubled young man, resented his crown prince uncle, whom he saw as a political enemy standing in his way. He also disliked his younger brother Li Congjia, even though they shared the same biological mother, Empress Zhong. Fearing the possible results of this family enmity, Li Congjia tried hard to be inconspicuous and focused on the arts, including poetry, painting and music. He loved reading, a passion encouraged by his father, also an acclaimed poet. At the age of 17, Li Congjia married Zhou Ehuang, chancellor Zhou Zong's daughter and a year his senior. Lady Zhou was not only highly educated but also multi-talented in music and the arts and the young couple enjoyed a very intimate relationship.

Accession to the throne

In 955, a year after Li Congjia's marriage, Southern Tang was invaded by Later Zhou. The resistance war did not end until spring 958, after Li Jing ceded all prefectures north of the Yangtze River to his powerful northern neighbor. Li Jing also relinquished all imperial trappings, degrading his own title from emperor to king. The national humiliation was soon followed by familial tragedy: later that year Li Hongji poisoned uncle Li Jingsui to death, which was followed by his own death a few months later, allegedly hastened by many encounters with Li Jingsui's vengeful ghost.

Not long after Li Hongji's death in 959, Li Congjia was given the post of royal secretary (尚书令) so that he could familiarize himself of governmental affairs. However, despite being the king's eldest surviving son, a few ministers considered him too dissolute and weak for the crown prince position, including Zhong Mo, who pleaded to have Li Congjia's younger brother Li Congshan chosen instead. Li Jing found Zhong's suggestion offensive and demoted him.

Suffering from poor health, Li Jing decided to transfer all responsibilities to his successor. He named Li Congjia the crown prince in spring 961 to take over in the capital Jinling (金陵; modern Nanjing, Jiangsu) while he retired to the southern city of Hongzhou (洪州; modern Nanchang, Jiangxi). A few months later he died, and Li Congjia officially succeeded the throne, not without a last-second effort by Li Congshan to challenge him. By then Zhong Mo had also died, so Li Congshan asked chancellor Xu You to bring Li Jing's last will to him. Xu refused and confided in Li Congjia of Li Congshan's intentions. Li Congjia — changing his name to Li Yu — did not punish his younger brother other than a slight demotion.

As Southern Tang ruler

Appeasing the Song Dynasty

A year before Li Yu ascended the throne, Southern Tang's nominal overlord Later Zhou had been replaced by the Song dynasty established by former Later Zhou general Zhao Kuangyin, who had earlier participated in several campaigns against Southern Tang. Knowing the limit of Southern Tang's military strength and trying hard to be subservient to the northern court, Li Yu immediately sent a high official Feng Yanlu with a letter — whose language was of extreme humility — to inform Song of his succession. Things got to a rocky start: during his accession to the throne Li Yu built a golden rooster, a symbol of imperial power, the news of which infuriated Zhao Kuangyin. In the end, the Southern Tang ambassador in the Song capital of Bianliang (汴梁; modern Kaifeng, Henan) had to give the explanation that the golden rooster was actually a "weird bird" to satisfy the Song emperor.

Such an embarrassing relationship would define Li's entire reign, as tribute payments, both regular and irregular, drained the Southern Tang treasury. Essentially Li was ready to fulfill Emperor Taizu of Song's every demand except go to Bianliang himself. In 963, Li Congshan who accompanied a tributary mission was held hostage in Bianliang and had to write letters on behalf of the Song emperor asking his elder brother also join him at the Song court. Li Yu, naturally, did not heed the request.

Successive deaths in the family

Li Yu remained close to his musically gifted wife Zhou Ehuang — now Queen Zhou — so close that he sometimes canceled government meetings to enjoy her performances. The absences continued until a censor (监察御史) spoke out against it.

In around 964, the second of the couple's 2 sons, a 3-year-old still called by his milk name Ruibao (瑞保), died unexpectedly. Li would mourn his son by himself so as not to sadden his wife more than necessary, but Queen Zhou was completely devastated and quickly deteriorated in health. During her illness, Li attended her so devotedly that he did not disrobe for days. When the queen finally succumbed to illness, Li mourned so bitterly until "his bones stuck out and he could stand up only with the aid of a staff." In addition to several grieving poems, he chiseled the roughly 2000 characters of his "Dirge for the Zhaohui Queen Zhou" (昭惠周后诔) — "Zhaohui" being her posthumous name — to her headstone himself. Part of the dirge read (as translated by Daniel Bryant):

While Li Yu was almost certainly sincere in his love for his wife, during her last days he also engaged in a secret sexual relationship with Queen Zhou the Younger, the queen's younger sister, who was only around 14 at that time. Worst of all, the queen discovered the "affair" which probably hastened her demise and multiplied Li Yu's regret. A few months later, in late 965, disaster stroke again: Queen Dowager Zhong died after several months of attentive care-taking by Li. The subsequent mourning period delayed Li's marriage to the younger Lady Zhou until 968.

Deaths of Lin Renzhao and Pan You

After conquering Jingnan, the Hunan region and Later Shu, the Song Dynasty army set off to invade Southern Han in 971, Southern Tang's southwestern neighbor. Lin Renzhao, the Southern Tang military governor of Zhenhai Command centering in Wuchang (in modern Hubei), believed the opportunity golden to attack the Song cities around Yangzhou (in modern Jiangsu) as the main Song army would be a long distance away and already severely fatigued. Li Yu immediately rejected Lin's request: "Stop the nonsense talks, (stop) destroying (our) country!"

What Li was perhaps unaware was a year before, the Song military had gotten hold of an important chart with detailed measurements of Yangtze River crossing points, provided by a Southern Tang defector named Fan Ruoshui. After the conquest of Southern Han, their next step was to eliminate Lin Renzhao. In 974, Emperor Taizu of Song got hold of a Lin portrait through agents working in Southern Tang, and Li Congshan, the hostage kept in Bianliang, was then made to believe that Lin's loyalty was with Song. When Li Yu was told of this, he without a thorough investigation secretly poisoned Lin to death. Chancellor Chen Qiao angrily reacted to Lin's death: "Seeing loyal ministers killed, I don't know where I will die!".

Fall of Southern Tang

Not known for his governing skill, Houzhu was nevertheless a highly accomplished scholar, he allowed himself indulgence with artistic and literature pursuits, with little regard to the strong Song Kingdom that was eying its weaker neighbor. In 971, Houzhu dropped the name of Tang from its Kingdom's name, in a desperate move to please the mighty Emperor Taizu of Song.

Of the many other kingdoms surrounding the Southern Tang, only Wuyue to the east had yet to fall. The Southern Tang's turn came in 974, when, after several refusals to summons to the Song court, on the excuse of illness, Song dynasty armies invaded. After a year long siege of the Southern Tang capital, modern Nanjing, Li Houzhu surrendered, in 975; and, he and his family were taken as captives to the Song capital at present-day Kaifeng. In a later poem, Li wrote about the shame and regret he had on the day he was taken away from Jinling (as translated by Hsiung Ting):

Devotion to the arts

Although, Li Yu indeed was a great exponent and developer of the Ci poetry form, which form sometimes or often seems to characterize poetry of the Song Dynasty, there is also some difficulty in categorizing him as a Song poet: the Southern Tang state is more of a continuation of Tang than a precursor on the Song side of the divide of the history of the Tang-Song transition, also known as the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Li Yu represents both a continuation of the Tang poetry tradition, as well as representing the Ci poetic style which is so especially associated with the poetry of Song.

Li Houzhu devoted much of his time to pleasure-making and literature, and this is reflected in his early poems. A second phase of Li's ci poems seems to have been the development of an even sadder style after the death of his wife, in 964. His best-known, and saddest, poems were composed during the years of his captivity, after he formally abdicated his reign to the Song, in 975. He was created the Marquess of Wei Ming (Chinese: 违命侯; literally, the Marquess of Disobeyed Edicts), a token title only: actually, he was a prisoner, though with the outward accoutrements of a prince. Li's works from this period dwell on his regret for the lost kingdom and the pleasures it had brought him.

He developed the ci by broadening its scope from love to history and philosophy, particularly in his later works. He also introduced the two stanza form, and made great use of contrasts between longer lines of nine characters and shorter ones of three and five. Only 45 of his ci poems survive, thirty of which have been verified to be his authentic works, the other of which are possibly composed by other writers: also, seventeen shi style poems remain to his credit. His story remains very popular in many Cantonese operas.

Death

He was poisoned by the Song emperor Taizong in 978, after he had written a poem that, in a veiled manner, lamented the destruction of his empire and the rape of his second wife Empress Zhou the Younger by the Song emperor. After his death, he was posthumously created the Prince of Wu.

Writing

Ci poetry

The roughly 40 (some of which incomplete owing to damaged manuscripts) ci poems possibly written by Li Yu are summarized in the table below. The ci as a poetic form follows set patterns or tunes (词牌).

A few poems have been set to music in modern times, most notably the 3 songs in superstar Teresa Teng's 1983 album Light Exquisite Feelings. Some of the songs are mentioned below.

Poetry Examples

Poems like these are often invoked in later periods of strife and confusion by literary figures.

"Western Tower" (独上西楼)

One of Li Yu's most famous poems, popularly known as "Alone Up the Western Tower" (独上西楼), was written after his capture. As translated by Chan Hong-mo: This was also rendered into a song by Teresa Teng, one of the most popular Asian singers ever. Teresa Teng 1983: 独上西楼

<<望江南>> "Jiangnan Remembrance" (second stanza)

多少恨，Such hatred,

昨夜梦魂中。Last night I departed in my dream.

还似旧时游上苑，To enjoy the park as of yore,

车如流水马如龙。The carriages flow like water and the horses like dragon.

花月正春风。 Blossoms and the moon in the spring breeze

Shi poetry

Li Yu's poems in the form of shi include:

• "Bìng Qǐ Tí Shān Shě Bì" (病起题山舍壁; "Getting up while Ill: Written Upon the Wall of My Mountain Lodge")

• "Bìng Zhōng Gǎn Huái" (病中感怀; "Feelings while Ill")

• "Bìng Zhōng Shū Shì" (病中书事; "Written while Ill")

• "Dào Shī" (悼诗; "Poem of Mourning")

• "Dù Zhōng Jiāng Wàng Shí Chéng Qì Xià" (渡中江望石城泣下; "Gazing at Stone City from Mid-river and Weeping")

• "Gǎn Huái" (感怀; "My Feelings") — 2 poems

• "Jiǔ Yuè Shí Rì Ǒu Shū" (九月十日偶书; "Jotted Down on the Tenth Day of the Ninth Month")

• "Méi Huā" (梅花; "Plum Blossoms") — 2 poems

• "Qiū Yīng" (秋莺; "Autumn Warbler")

• "Shū Líng Yán Shǒu Jīn" (书灵筵手巾; "Written on the Napkin for a Sacrificial Banquet")

• "Shū Pí Pá Bèi" (书琵琶背; "Written on the Back of a Pipa")

• "Sòng Dèng Wáng Èr Shí Dì Cóng Yì Mù Xuān Chéng" (送邓王二十弟从益牧宣城; "On Saying Farewell to My Younger Brother Chongyi, the Prince of Deng, Who is Going Away to Govern Xuancheng") — including a long letter

• "Tí jīn lóu zi hòu" (题金楼子后; "Written at the end of the Jinlouzi") — including a preface

• "Wǎn Chí"(挽辞; "Poem of Mourning") — 2 poems

"To the Tune of Liǔ Zhī" mentioned in the ci section may also be classified as a shi.

Prose writing

Though miscellaneous in character, Li Yu's surviving prose writings also demonstrated his poetic genius. For example, "Dirge for the Zhaohui Queen Zhou" is rhymed and almost entirely in regular four-character metre, resembling the dominant fu form a millennium before.

Calligraphy

Li Yu's calligraphy style has been dubbed "golden inlaid dagger" (金错刀) for its perceived force and clarity. As one Song Dynasty writer noted: "The large characters are like split bamboo, the small ones like clusters of needles; altogether unlike anything done with a brush!"

Television series

Three independent television series focused on the complex relationships between Li Yu (Li Houzhu), Emperor Taizu of Song (Zhao Kuangyin) and the various women in their lives. They are:

• The Sword and the Song (绝代双雄), a 1986 Singaporean series starring Li Wenhai as Li Yu.

• Love, Sword, Mountain & River, a 1996 Taiwanese series starring Chin Feng as Li Yu.

• Li Houzhu and Zhao Kuangyin, a 2006 Chinese series starring Nicky Wu as Li Yu.