A Chinese Biographical Dictionary/Fang Hsüan-ling
553 Fang Hsüan-ling 房玄齡 (T. 喬). A.D. 578-648. A native of 臨淄 Lin-tzŭ in Shantung, who exhibited great precocity of intellect and was called 國器, i.e. something that would be of service to the State. He joined the Emperor T'ai Tsung while the latter was still Prince of Ch'in, and was at once received into favour. In 628 he became Lord High Chamberlain, and in 630 he was appointed to supervise the compilation of the History of the Chin Dynasty. Five years later, on his retiring from Court in consequence of some slight rebuke, the Emperor went in person to fetch him back; in such high estimation was he held as a loyal and able adviser. During his last illness he was attended to in the palace, and his dying request was that the disastrous war with Korea might be abandoned. He was ennobled as Duke, and canonised as 文昭. See Tu Ju-hui.