A Chinese Biographical Dictionary/Chang Jung
75Chang Jung 張融 (T. 思光). A.D. 443–497. A native of Kiangsu, who entered upon official life as secretary to the Prince of Hsin-an. When the Emperor Hsiao Wu was building a shrine to the memory of his favourite concubine, the Prince's mother, Chang would only subscribe a hundred cash. This caused the Emperor to say sarcastically that he must be provided with some well-paid post, and to send him to 封溪 Feng-ch'i in Annam. Chang declared at starting that he had no fear as to returning; his only fear was that he might be sent back again. On the road, he fell into the hands of bandits; but when they were about to cut his head off, they found him quietly inditing a poem, at which they were so astonished that they let him go. He managed to reach Hué after a long passage, during which he composed a famous poem, called 海賦 Song of the Sea, admitted by 徐凱之 Hsü K'ai-chih to be superior to his own work under the same title. On his return, he was raised to high office, and was subsequently a great favourite with the Emperor Kao Ti of the Southern Ch'i dynasty, who said that he could not do without one such man, nor with two. In spite of his exalted rank he dressed so poorly that on one occasion his Majesty sent him an old suit of clothes, with a message that a tailor had been instructed to take his measure for a new one. The Taoist priest 陸修靜 Lu Hsiu-ching also gave him a fan made of white egret feathers, saying that strange things should be given to strange people.