Wang Hsi ^^(T. ^ Bg).A.D. 499-534. Brother to Wang 2172 Ch'Qan. His mother was a princess, and at seven or eight years of age he accompanied her to the palace, where he attracted the notice of the Emperor Wn Ti by his precocity, having already injured his right eye by over-stady. Later on he was placed upon the establishment of the Heir Apparent, and by the time he was 24 he had risen to the highest offices of State. He then declared that trae happiness was not to be found in the gratification of ambition, and that his honours had rather been thrust upon him than sought by himself. He accordingly retired into private life. Canonised as ^ .
Wang Hsi ^ ER (J. ^ % and -^ ^. H. lt|?)- A..D. 2178 1628— 1703. Graduated as chin ahih in 1647, and from his knowledge of Manchu rose rapidly until in 1660 both he and his father were Presidents of the Board of Rites. He drafted the will of the Emperor Shun Ghih, and was consulted on all questions by the four Regents (see So-ni). In 1666 he became President of the Gensorate, and protested against the growing independence of the three Feudatories, Wu San-kuei, E6ng Ching-chung and Shang E*o-hsi. As President of the Board of War in 1673, he instigated the execution of the son of Wu San-kuei, a step which drove the father to despair. He was the first Chinese to be admitted in 1676 to what became the Grand Council. Canonised as ^ j|| , and admitted into the Temple of Worthies.
2174 Wang Hsi-chih 王羲之 (T. 逸少). A.D. 321-379. A nephew of Wang Tao (see Ch'i Ch'ien), whose cleverness attracted the notice of Chou I. In his youth he was a diligent student of the Classics and of history, and rose to be a Brigade General; hence he is often mentioned as 王右軍. But it is for his marvellous skill with the pen that he is now remembered, his writing in the li script being "light as floating clouds, vigorous as a startled
