A Biography of Li He

Synopsis: During the Zhenyuan era, Li He, a descendant of the imperial clan from Changgu in Henan, was gifted from a young age. He could compose poetry at seven and was already famous locally as a prodigy by ten. His father, Li Jinsu, carefully taught him the art of poetry, and when the magistrate of Fuchang County came to test him, Li He impressed him with a poem. At thirteen, with his father gravely ill and the family fallen on hard times, the imperial court announced the civil service examinations. Determined to walk to the capital and sit for the exams, Li He hoped to restore his family’s reputation and comfort his mother. Thus began his journey to Chang'an.