girls, who gave them hemp-seed to eat; and after a stay of what appeared to them aboat six months, they returned home, to find that seTen generations had passed away.
1279
Liu Cheng ^^ (T. ^ ^). 2nd and 3rd cent. A.D. A
native of Tung-p^ng in Shantung, who flourished as a poet and
military commander at the close of the Han dynasty. He rose to
high office under the great Ts^ao Ts^ao, but was put to death for
daring to cast his eye upon one of his master's concubines. Hence
the phrase 7^ ^ ^ ^ |^ = to be amorously inclined. Is
ranked as one of the Seven Scholars of the Chien-an period (see
Hsu Kan),
1280
Liu Ch'eng-Ohtill ^jfc^. Died A.D. 968. Second son of
Liu Min , whom he succeeded in 955 as second ruler of the Northern
Han State. He paid the penalty of his father's league with the
Eitan Tartars. The latter practically controlled the administration
all through his reign , and no steps could be taken without their
sanction.
1281
Idu Chi ^ ^. 11th cent. A.D. A scholar of the Sung dynasty,
fond of using strange phraseology, which was much reprobated by
the great Ou-yang Hsiu. When the latter was Grand Examiner,
one of the candidates sent in a doggerel triplet, as follows: —
- The universe is in labour,
- All things are produced,
- And among them the Sage.
^'This must be Liu Chi," cried Ou-yang, and ran a red-ink pen through the composition, adding these two lines:
- The undergraduate jokes,
- The examiner ploughs.
Later on, about the year 1060, Ou-yang was very much struck
by the essay of a certain candidate, and placed him first on the
