Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/315

296 was one of uninterrupted good fortune, in which sense his name is now quoted.

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.

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.

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.

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 even held three offices at once. In 559 he drew up the ceremonial