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 Li Po — A Biography by Sung Chi

but Po was then dead. His years were sixty and a little more.

In his old age Po was fond of Taoism. He crossed the Bull Rock Shoal and reached Ku-shu, 4 where the Green Hill of the House of Hsieh pleased him, and he wished to make it the place of his last rest. But when he died, he was buried at the East Base.

In the beginning of the Yuan-ho era 5 Fan Chuan- cheng, Inspector of Hsuan-she, performed rites at his grave, and forbade woodcutting at the place. He sought for descendants of his. There were only two granddaughters, who were married and were wives of peasants, but who carried with them an air of refinement. They wept and said, '"Our grandfather wanted the Green Hill; but is buried at the East Base, that is not his true wish." Whereupon Chuan-cheng made a reburial and erected two monuments. He told the two women that he would marry them into the official class. They declined, saying, "It is our destiny to end in poverty and isolation. We desire not to re-marry." Chuan- cheng approved them, and relieved their husbands from the conscript labor for the state.

In the reign of the emperor Wen Tsung 6 by imperial edict Po in songs and odes, Pei-min in sword dance, and Chang Hsu in cursive calligraphy, were declared "the Three Paragons."

4 Ku-shu, is not far from Tang-tu, which is an old name for Taiping, Anhwei.

5 Yuan-ho era. 806-820.

6 Wen Tsung reigned during 827-841.

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