西汉帝陵

   
　　李夫人为汉武帝宠妃，中山(今河北)人，体形窈窕，擅长音乐，能歌善舞，屈伸俯仰，姿态轻盈。
　　其兄李延年，也是一位超群的音乐家，善歌舞，侍候武帝，曾以歌唱方式推荐妹妹：“北方有佳人，绝世而独立，一顾倾人城，再顾倾人国，宁不知倾城与倾国，佳人难再得!”武帝的大姐阳信长公主在侧，度其意，说与武帝，遂受皇帝召见，李夫人从此得宠，生一子，封昌邑王。
　　《西京杂记》卷2“搔头用玉”条记载：“武帝过李夫人，就取玉簪搔头。自此后宫人搔头用玉，玉价倍贵焉。”武帝去看望李夫人时，无意间用李夫人头上的玉簪挠了一下头，竟然使后宫佳丽数千人看红了眼，她们纷纷都买来玉，做成玉簪，插在头上，希望武帝也能来用自己头上的玉簪来挠头。这数千人东施效颦的结果，造成了当时玉价的倍增。从这一个小小的侧面，可以反映出当年李夫人受宠时的情景。
　　在武帝的数千女人当中，大概李夫人是最受武帝疼爱的一位。翦伯赞说汉武帝“特别是他的李夫人的最好的丈夫”。可惜的是，李夫人很年轻时，就得病死了。
　　就在李夫人病危期间，武帝亲自前去探望。听说武帝来了，病了很久的李夫人连忙用被子蒙住了自己的头，很抱歉地对武帝说：“贱妾长久生病，面容早已毁坏，不能再见圣上面了。贱妾只希望死后，你能善待我们的儿子昌邑王和我的几个兄弟。”武帝说：“夫人病情如此严重，只怕要长病不起，这也许是你我相见的最后一面了。你让我看一眼你，你再嘱托昌邑王和你的兄弟，岂不是更好吗?”李夫人说：“妇人相貌不加修饰，不能见君父。贱妾已长时间没有梳妆打扮了，所以不敢以这副憔悴懒散的样子看皇帝。”武帝又说：“夫人只要见我一面，我将加赐千金，并荣升夫人的兄弟为高官。”李夫人回答说：“升不升高官，全在于陛下您，并不在于见不见我这最后一面。”听完这话之后，武帝没有办法了。他只好又接着说，我今天一定要见你一面，否则我誓不罢休。听到武帝态度如此强硬，李夫人再也不说话了，她转过身去，在被子中抽泣不已。武帝无法见到自己心爱的女人，很不高兴地离去了。此时，在李夫人身边的姊妹们埋怨起李夫人来：“贵人难道就不能先见皇帝最后一面，然后再托付您的兄弟吗?这也显得太绝情了。”李夫人回答说：“谁说我太绝情!谁说我不想见陛下!我今天之所以不见陛下最后一面，正是要更好地嘱托我的兄弟呀。我本来是因为容貌出众，才以微贱的下人而得到圣上的宠爱。说到以美色侍奉人，色衰就会失去爱，失去爱就恩情断绝了。圣上今天之所以恋恋不合地来看望我，就是因为我平时有出众的容貌。可是现在，我的美貌早已毁坏，颜色也无法与以往相比。如果他见到我现在的样子，必定会厌恶我、抛弃我。那么他怎么还可能因思念怜悯我而照顾好我的兄弟呢?”
　　李夫人死后，武帝十分伤心。他下令，以皇后的葬礼来埋葬李夫人，并且任用李夫人的哥哥李广利为贰师将军，后封他为海西侯，任用李延年为协律都尉。对这位到死也不愿见自己一面的夫人，武帝十分思念。他命人专门画了一张李夫人的画，悬挂在甘泉宫。武帝死后，大将军霍光遵照武帝的心意，追尊李夫人为孝武皇后。
　　据《汉书》卷97《外戚传》记载：李夫人死后，武帝思念不已，方士齐人少翁自称能招魂，能让武帝见到李夫人的魂魄。于是在一天晚上，少翁张灯燃烛，施帐列酒，让武帝远远地坐在另一座帷帐里。果然，武帝在另一个帷帐中远远地看到，有一个美女像是李夫人的模样，出现在帷帐中，并且来回走动。武帝不能近看，这种雾中看花、水中望月式的一幕，反而更勾起了武帝与李夫人往日的卿卿我我之情，他更加思念悲伤，于是赋诗一首：“是邪，非邪?立而望之，偏何姗姗其来迟。”让乐府中所有的歌伎以丝弦伴奏而演唱。武帝又亲自作了一篇赋，哀悼李夫人。
　　关于这段人鬼相见的动人情景，《汉武故事》、《拾遗记》都有记载。但是《史记》卷49《外戚世家》却没有记载，反而在卷12《孝武本纪》、卷28《封禅书》中这样记载：“齐人少翁以鬼神方见上。上有所幸王夫人，夫人卒，少翁以方盖夜致王夫人及灶鬼之貌云，天子自帷中望见焉。于是乃拜少翁为文成将军，赏赐甚多，以客礼礼之。”《通鉴考异》指出：武帝招魂的并不是李夫人，而是武帝另一位宠妃王夫人。由此看来，武帝的这两篇诗赋，也不是为李夫人而作，它实质上是写给王夫人的。
　　有人认为：既然武帝能招王夫人魂，也就能招李夫人魂，不可能招一次魂就洗手不干了。其实这也是站不住的，因为，招魂之事，不是任何人都能干得来的。齐人少翁有本事，其他人恐怕就没有这个能耐了。少翁比李夫人死得早，那么谁给她来招魂?可见这种说法是经不起推敲的。
　　那么为什么会出现将发生在王夫人身上的事移植到李夫人身上去呢?有学者认为，这反映了人们对这位出身虽低贱，但却美丽、聪明、到死也不愿面见君王最后一眼的短命的奇异女子的怀念之情。人们宁愿相信，她死后还会回来与武帝相见，了却武帝心中最后的心愿，于是便将王夫人的事移植到了李夫人身上去了。再到后来，有可能白居易又以这件事为蓝本，创作了《长恨歌》，其中有杨贵妃死后魂魄与唐明皇李隆基重逢的动人一幕。
　　李夫人墓，在兴平市南位镇张里村南部。东南500米处就是汉武帝茂陵。陵墓腰部有一环周两层台阶，当地人称其为“磨子陵”。尊称为“英陵”。该墓封土底部东长127米，西长127.7米，南宽108.3米，北宽102.5米，高23.99米。方形，上小底大，占地面积13495.6平方米，封土体积150000立方米。在距墓顶13米处人为收成台状，台东西两边各宽3.5米，南北两边各宽4.5米。在陪葬墓中李夫人陵墓最大，仅次于茂陵。
　　唐代大诗人李商隐游茂陵时有诗写到：
　　通灵夜醮达清晨，承露盘晞甲帐春。
　　王母不来方朔去，更须重见李夫人。
　　诗中描写汉武帝在茂陵地宫之下，一定更需要和李夫人在一起，因他身边再没有女人了。
　　按清毕沅撰《关中胜迹图志》引《水经注》：“茂陵西北一里即李夫人冢，冢形三成，世谓之英陵。”墓南竖石碑一通，包砖全部脱落，碑上铭文：中为“汉李夫人英陵”。上款“赐进士及第兵部侍郎陕西巡抚兼都察院右副都御史毕沅书”。下款“大清乾隆岁次丙申孟秋，知兴平县事顾声雷竖石”。
　　标志上题铭：中为茂陵陪葬墓“汉李夫人英陵”。时代：西汉。
　　D Tomb of Madame Li,Beauty beyond Description in Words
　　Madame Li,born at Zhongshan of Hebei,was the favorite concubine of Emperor Wudi of the Han.She was graceful in appearance.Knowing music at her finger ends,she was good at songs and dances.
　　Li Yannian,her elder brother was also a musician of superb ability,good at song and dances.He served to perform songs and dances for the emperor.Once,he recommended his sister to the emperor by singing a song,the words of which read as follows:
　　A lady of beauty in the north,
　　Stands out unrivalled solely.
　　Envious eyes at the first sight,
　　And more glances a second time.
　　Whatever the cost,city or country,
　　There is nowhere to find a peer.
　　Princess Yangxin,Senior,the eldest sister of Emperor Wudi,was present on the occasion.She understood what the song was meant and conveyed the meaning to the emperor.Thus,Madame Li was honorably called in by the emperor.From then on,she won favor from the emperor and gave birth to a son,who was conferred the title of Prince Changyi.
　　As is revealed in the recordings,Emperor Wudi,on his visit to Madame Li,unintentionally took a jade hairpin from the Madame and scratched his hair with it.The casual action was jealously grudged by other concubines of the emperor.They eagerly bought jade and got it made into hairpins,hoping for luck of a similar chance upon them.Their blind imitation gave rise to soaring price of jade consequently.
　　Madame Li was a most loved favorite among all concubines of the emperor.But,she died of illness young.In the days when her health got worsening,the emperor went in person to see her.He knew well that the serious illness might take away her life any time and it might be his last chance to see her.But his good wish was politely refused by the Madame,who covered her withered face with quilt and apologized that long time of illness had already disfigured her.What she expected of after death was to take good care of their only soil and her brothers.The emperor persisted in taking a last glance at her before leaving.She again turned down his request.She said that she had been lazy long to deck herself out.So,she dared not to face the emperor when she was in such wan appearance.The emperor felt very much disappointed at her words and left in regret.Unable to understand what the Madame had thought of at heart,her waitresses grumbled of her resolute refusal to repeated requests from the emperor.The Madame replied that she won the emperor's heart and became his favorite because she had exceptionally graceful appearance.“I lost grace.If the emperor saw my withered face,he would have abhorred me or even discarded me.But for my grace,he would not have come over here begging to see me.”
　　Her death distressed the emperor bitterly.He issued an edict degree that Madame Li was to be buried the way the Empress was buried.And in memory of her,her brother Li Yannian was promoted to take charge of musical rhythms and Li Guangli,her other brother,the general.Emperor Wudi thought of the dead Madame days and nights,even in dreams.He got someone to draw a portrait of Madame Li.The portrait was hung at the Ganquan Palace.After death of the emperor,Huo Guang,acting on the emperor's testament,conferred Madame Li the posthumous title of Empress Xiaowu.
　　The tomb of Madame Li lies 500m southeast to the Maoling Mausoleum where Emperor Wudi was buried.At the waist of the tomb is a two-layer step of an outer ring.The grave mound is of square shape,top small but base large.It stands 23.99m high.The rammed foundation extends length of 127m east and length of 127.70m west while width of 108.3m south and width of 102.5m north.The grave mound takes up 150000 cubic meters of rammed earth over an area of 13495.6㎡.A man-made platform takes shape at 13m from the tomb top.The platform extends width of 3.5m east and west respectively and width of 4.5m south and north separately.The tomb of Madame Li ranks the largest among the satellite tombs,next to the Maoling Mausoleum.
　　The tombstone erected to the south of the tomb bears an inscription written by Bi Yuan,Governor of Shaanxi in the Qing Dynasty.

茂陵文物/王志杰著．—西安：三秦出版社，2012