Zhang Anshi

Zhang Anshi (Chinese: 張安世; pinyin: Zhāng Ānshì; died 68 BCE), courtesy name Ziru (子孺), was a Chinese official of the Han Dynasty.

He was a precocious student who attracted attention in a famous incident. During an Imperial progress, to which he was attached in a subordinate capacity, three boxes of books were missing. He was able however to repeat the contents of each so accurately that on recovery of the books they were found to tally exactly with his description. Emperor Wu immediately appointed him to high office, and he subsequently rose under Emperor Xuan to be President of the Board of War, in succession to He Guang. Canonised as Marquis Jing (敬侯).

References

This article incorporates text from entry Chang An-shih in A Chinese Biographical Dictionary by Herbert A. Giles (1898), a publication now in the public domain.