Li Yu (1611–1680)

Born in Rugao, in present-day Jiangsu province, he lived in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.

[1] Li is the presumed author of The Carnal Prayer Mat, a comedy of Chinese erotic literature.

He addresses the topic of same-sex love in the tale "House of Gathered Refinements" (萃雅樓; Cuìyǎ lóu).

This is a theme he revisits in the collection Silent Operas (i.e. "novels"; 無聲戲; Wúshēng Xì) and his play The Fragrant Companion.

[4] Li was critical of gambling, describing dice as innocent objects transformed into devils in the hands of gamblers.