was one of uninterrupted good fortune, in which sense his name
is now quoted.
749 Hsien Yüan . 9th cent. A.D. A magician under the reign of the Emperor Ming Huang of the T^ang dynasty. He possessed the gift of eternal youth, and was unharmed by wild beasts. When one of the Court ladies laughed at him, he caused her to become an old and wrinkled hag, and only restored her beauty when she had humbly asked his pardon.
750 Hsin Ch'i-chi (T. ifj ^). Died A.D. 1198. A native of Lii-ch^£ng in Shantung, who rose to distinction as a statesman under the Emperors Eao Tsung and Ning Tsung of the Sung dynasty. He called himself 5^ ^ JS i » ^^^ under this title a collection of his writings was published. In one of his poems he declared that there were only three things worth doing in life, viz. to get drunk; to trayel; and to sleep. Canonised as J@» ^Ic .
Hsin Huang Ti. See Wang Mang.
751
Hsing Ping (T. ;fei^). A.D. 932-1010. A native
of Ts^ao-chou Fu in Shantung, who graduated as chin akih in 976
after trying no less than nine times. He rose to be President
of the Boards of Works and Rites, and was the author of a
work on weather-lore, entitled ^ ^ ^ ^ ? which he had
compiled during his early provincial career. The Emperor, to
whom he used to expound the Classics with reference to current
events, visited him in his last illness.
752
Hsing Shao (T. -T-Tf). Died A.D.? 560. A native
of Chihli, endowed with a marvellous memory, who early became
famous in Wei. In 525 he was called to o£Bce in the capital,
and gained great fisime as a writer of memorials for high oflScials;
but fearing the jealousy of lus rivals, he retired for three years
to a provincial post. After this his promotion was rapid, and he
