retentive memory that he could remember anything he had once read over. Being too poor to buy books, he borrowed the 三史 Three Histories from a friend; and within a hundred days, he had thoroughly mastered the contents of this voluminous work. Entering the public service, he rose by 1064 to be President of the Board of Rites. He strenuously opposed the advancement of Wang An-shih; and when the latter came into power, he openly denounced his "innovations," and then retired into private life. A prolific writer, he was never known to make a rough draft. Canonised as 文定.
51Chang Fei 張飛 (T.翼德 or 益德). Died A.D. 220. A native of 涿郡 Cho-chün in modern Chihli, who followed the trade of a butcher until A.D. 184, when he emerged from his obscurity to follow the fortunes of his friend and fellow-townsman, the famous Liu Pei (see also Kuan Yü). Of an impetuous nature and of undaunted courage, he performed many heroic exploits; and on one occasion, when Liu Pei had suffered a severe defeat at 當陽 Tang-yang, he took his stand upon a bridge and defied the whole of Ts'ao Ts'ao's army. As soon as Liu Pei became the ruler of Shu, and the new government was installed at Ch'êng-tu, he was raised to high rank in reward for his services. He was assassinated by two of his officers while engaged in a campaign against Sun Ch'üan, and was posthumously ennobled as Marquis.
52Chang Fu 張輔. (T. 文弼). A.D. 1375—1449. A general in the service of the third Emperor of the Ming dynasty, by whom, after conquering the west of China, he was employed in the subjugation of Tongking and Annam. In A.D. 1407 be defeated the Annamite troops in a great battle, — the first occasion on which the use of firearms for warfare is mentioned in Chinese history. In 1411 he further inflicted a crushing defeat on the forces of the Tongkingese. For these brilliant achievements he was ennobled,
