Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/193

174 frontiers were constantly raided and Peking itself was in a state of siege more than once, while the Japanese, angry at the stoppage of trade, harried Kiangnan, Chehkiang and Fuhkien, and local and aboriginal risings were frequent. Audiences to officials were rare; large sums were spent on palaces and temples; while the Emperor, especially in his latter years, wasted much valuable time in seeking after the elixir of life. The growing weakness of the Court was shown by an attempt in 1542 to murder the Emperor while in a concubine's apartments. Canonised as 世宗肅皇帝.

  Chu Hsi 朱熹 (T. 元晦 and 仲晦. H. 晦菴 and 沈郞 and 季廷 and 晦翁 and 遯翁 and 雲谷老人). A.D. 1130—1200. The famous commentator, known as Chu Tzŭ or Chu Fu Tzŭ. Born at 尤溪 Yu-ch'i in Fuhkien, where his father, Chu Sung, was an official, he soon displayed signs of unusual ability and graduated as chin shih at the early age of nineteen. His father had already died, but had left his education to the care of three trusty friends. In 1151 he was sent as assistant Magistrate to T'ung-an in Fuhkien, where he remained for three years, reforming the administration, and improving the condition of the people. He had previously been suspected of a strong leaning towards Buddhism – some say that he actually became a Buddhist priest; but by the year 1154, under the guidance of the philosopher Li T'ung, he had seen the error of his ways and had given himself up completely to the study of orthodox doctrine. His next appointment was a sinecure in Hunan, which left him an abundance of leisure for literary work until 1163, when he was summoned to the capital by the Emperor Hsiao Tsung. He soon returned to his old life and remained in comparative retirement until 1178, when he was forced to become Governor of 南康 Nan-k'ang in Kiangsi, 