lady of great courage, who when her betrothed husband and his father were slain by robbers, disguised herself as a man and took service in the robber-chief's household. She assassinated the latter, and managed to effect the break-up of the whole gang, after which she cut off her hair and retired to a nunnery. See Li Kung-Tso.
734 Hsieh Hsü. Died A.D. 1276. A native of Ch'ien-t'ang in Chehkiang, and nephew of the Empress, who refused to take office and lived as a recluse upon a mountain in his native province. In 1274 the collapse of the ^ § T'ien-mu Hill seemed to him to presage the downfall of the Sung dynasty; and when two years later Hangehow was deserted by the Court and his aunt was taken to Peking by the Mongol invaders, he committed suicide by drowning himself. His body would not sink, but floated up stream. He was canonised by the founder of the Ming dynasty as ^ j|| pt| -^ ^ , and is now known as |[|| ^ the Dragon King.
735 Hsieh Hsüan (T. ^ ^. H. |ft ff and ^?^ and 3^ f^). A.D. 1389-1464. A native of 3S gg Yü-t'ien in Chihli, at which place his father was head of a college. When born, it is said that his flesh was transparent, and that his bones and organs were plainly visible. In his youth he was an eager student of philosophy, but it was not until 1420 that in compliance with his father's wish he went up for his chü jen degree. He passed first on the list, and in the following year graduated as chin shih and entered upon an official career. Rising to be sub-Director of the Grand Court of Revision, he incurred the displeasure of Wang Chên, who was then very influential with the Emperor Ying Tsung. He was implicated in a bribery case, and sentenced to death. In prison he continued his study of the Canon of Changes, and even when led out to execution he betrayed no fear. He was however reprieved, and went into retirement. In 1450 he was
recalled, and in 1457 he became Vice President of the Board of
