Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/535

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516 A Chinese Biographical Dictionary


1337 Liu Pao MM C^* "f^^)- ^^th cent. A.D. A scholar of the Sung dynasty, who could compose at 10 years of age. He graduated as chin a/Uh in 1178, and entered upon an o£Scial career. His brilliant talents however made him an object of enry, and he soon retired. He gave himself the sobriquet of ^ ^| ^ ^ , and is the author of some beautiful poetry.

1338 Liu Pei ^^| (T. ^ ^). A.D. 162-223. A native of the jj|^ Cho District in the north of Chihli, and a descendant of the Emperor Ching Ti. On the death of his father, Liu Pei and his mother were reduced to making straw shoes and mats for a livelihood. At fifteen years of age he was sent, together with a kinsman whose family defrayed his expenses, to study under Lu Chih. But he was no lover of books, and preferred amusing himself with horses and dogs. As in the case of most other heroes of antiquity, his personal appearance is said to have been extra- ordinary. He was seven feet five inches in height; he could see behind his back; his ears reached to his shoulders, and his hands to his knees. He possessed the invaluable power of creating a good first impression, and was able to keep his countenance under the most trying circumstances. In A.D. 185 the rebellion of the Yellow- Turbans broke out, and he at once set to work to raise a corps of volunteers. For this service he received an appointment to a petty magistracy, in which capacity he is said to have gained universal esteem. There he remained until the behaviour of a corrupt Inspector so irritated him that he gave the man a severe beating and left him tied to a post, with the magisterial seal hung round his neck. He himself took refuge with Ho Chin, and on the death of the latter, joiued in an expedition against Y^an Shao. He next became Magistrate of P4ng-yiian in Shantung, and on one occasion narrowly escaped death at the hands of a hired assassin. He was opposed to the encroachments of Ts'ao Ts'ao,