Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/232

Rh at length, touched by her determination, he gave up hunting altogether.

  Fan Chih 范質 (T. 文素). Died A.D. 954. A native of 宗城 Tsung-ch'êng in Chihli, who graduated as chin shih in 933. At his final examination he was placed thirteenth on the list, "in order," as 和凝 Ho Ning the Grand Examiner told him, "that you may hand down my robe and bowl (q.d. follow in my footsteps), though you really ought to have been higher." Ho Ning himself had been thirteenth, and rose to be a Minister of State, a dignity which was subsequently attained by Fan Chih.

  Fan Chü 范雎 (T. 叔). 3rd cent. B.C. A native of the Wei State, who began life in a subordinate capacity to an official named 須賈 Hsü Ku. He accompanied his master on a mission to the Ch'i State, and fell under suspicion of receiving bribes to divulge State secrets. Hsü Ku reported this to the Minister, 魏齊 Wei Ch'i, with the result that Fan Chü was severely beaten. He pretended to be dead, and his body was cast into a privy; but he was rescued by a night-watchman, and lived for some time in concealment under the assumed name of 張祿 Chang Lu. Attracting the attention of 王稽 Wang Chi, who had come on a mission to the Wei State, he was taken by the latter to the Ch'in State. As they neared the frontier, they met the great Wei Jan coming out; whereupon Fan Chü hid himself in the carriage, for itinerant politicians were not admitted within the State. "Ah!" cried Fan, when the Minister's cortège had passed, "Wei Jan is a clever man, but he will regret not having examined this carriage more carefully." On arriving at Ch'in, he received no employment for some time; but at length he managed to obtain an interview with King Chao Hsiang and was appointed Foreign Minister. Then he set to work to undermine Wei Jan, urging that no one ever heard of the King of Ch'in, but only of the 