劉向 Liu Xiang (77-6 BCE), a descendant of a younger brother of Liu Bang, founder of the Han dynasty, was in and out of office during his official career. At one time he was almost executed, but he later rose to high rank within the imperial palace.

Liu Xiang is known mainly as a bibliographer and anecdotal historian, but he was also a poet and writer of prose lamentations. The following works from his opus are mentioned elsewhere on this site:

1. 琴頌七篇 Qin Song (Qin Praise, 7 Volumes; not available)
   Qinshu Cunmu, #7

2. 琴錄 Qin Lu (Qin Records; not available)
   Qinshu Cunmu, #8

3. 列女傳 Lienü Zhuan (Biographies of Exemplary Women; compiled 16 BCE)
   An illustrated Chinese edition is available online. (1921.16 列女傳 also mentions a Ming dynasty 古今列女傳 Gujin Lienü Zhuan.) Relevant biographies³ include:

   	- Xiang Fei	(Scroll 1, #1; see the melody Xiang Fei Yuan)
   	- Fan Ji	(Scroll 2, #5; see the melody Lienü Yin)
   	- Ban Jieyu	(Scroll 8, #14; see the melody Han Gong Qiu).
   	- Queen Jiang	(Scroll 2, #1; no surviving melody; Qin Shi Bu said her daily qin play made King Xuan of Zhou a better ruler.)
   	- Governess of Boji	(Boji is Scroll 4, #2; Boji Yin [Prelude #2], attributed to the governess, does not survive)
   	- Wife of Qi Liang	(Scroll 4, #8; Lament of the Wife of Qi Liang does not survive)
   	- Maiden of Agu	(Scroll 6, #6; illustration shows Zigong with a qin, but no surviving melody)
   	- Zhao Feiyan	(Scroll 8, #15; her two melodies do not survive)
   	- Wuling Ji	(Scroll 2, #15; wife of Wuling Zi [see Guanyuan Cao, not surviving]; she had "qin to her left, books to her right")
   	- Zangsun Mu	(Scroll 3, #9; mother of Zangsun Chen [see Xing Tan, no apparent connection]; the biography says "琴之合，甚思之")
   	- Liang Hong Fu	(Scroll 8, #18; 誦書詩彈琴 chanted verse and played qin with her husband, Liang Hong; no melody mentioned)

4. 列仙傳 Lie Xian Zhuan (Biographies of Exemplary Immortals)
   1921.25 says it includes 71 people but most sources say 70. ICTCL, p.566, says it had "seventy brief hagiographies of Daoist adepts", adding that the attribution to Liu Xiang is probably erroneous since it must date at least in part from several centuries later. ICTCL also mentions later collections with more people and longer entries, including the 列仙全傳 Lie Xian Quanzhuan by Wang Shizhen (王世貞 21295.294; 1526 - 90), with 640 entries. This website has a number of illustrations from the 1961 中國古代版畫叢刊 Zhongguo Gudai Banhua Congkan's facsimile edition of 李攀龍 Li Panlong's illustrated Lie Xian Quanzhuan with 581 entries, first published by 汪雲鵬 Wang Yunpeng (? 17593.xxx) in 1600 (many are also in 中國的神仙 Immortals in Ancient China, 岳麓書社 Yuelu Publishing House, 2003). In addition to images of most of the people listed from the Han edition below, Lie Xian Quan Zhuan also has many images of people to be found only in the later editions, including Chen Tuan, Guangchengzi, Liu An, Mozi, Sima Chengzhen, Sun Deng, Taizhenwang Furen, Xi Kang, Xiang Fei Er Nü, Yin Xi, Zhang Liang and Zhang Zhihe and Zhuangzi.

   This website has Liexian Zhuan references in the commentary on a number of qin melodies, in particular: You Lan, Yi Ye Zhi Qiu, Yao Tian Sheng He, Yuan You, and Gu Guan Yu Shen.

   People mentioned on this site who have biographies in the original Liexian Zhuan include:

   Dongfang Shuo
   Fan Li
   Guan Xian
   

   Huang Di (the Yellow Emperor)
   Jiezhi Tui
   Jiqiu Jun
   Juanzi
   Laozi
   Lü Shang
   Mao Nü
   Qin Gao
   Wangzi Qiao

   However, the Liexian Zhuan biographies generally do not mention the qin.

5. 琴傳 Qin Chuan (Qin Traditions)
   ???

6. 世本 Shi Ben (Basics of Hereditary Lines; mostly lost)
   Qinshu Daquan, Folio 16, #20; YFSJ, Preface

7. 新序 Xin Xu (New Preface; ICTCL: "moral tales and political persuasions")
   Qinshu Daquan, Folio 16, #33 (QQJC V, p. 352); YFSJ, Yang Chun

8. 說苑 Shuo Yuan (Garden of Sayings; ICTCL: "moral tales and political persuasions")
   Qinshu Daquan, Folio 16, #34 (QQJC V, pp 358-9) quotes four passages

9. 別錄 Bie Lu (Detached Accounts; later comments on early classics)
   One mentions a large number of qin players in Pi, over a century after Shi Zhong (Xu Jian Chapter 2.A., p.12).

In addition, Xu Jian, Chapter 2.A. (p.13) quotes him from Qin Shi (original source unmentioned) making a comment about the qin player Long De.

The original essay in Qin Shi says begins as follows.

Further details in preparation.

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. ICTCL, p.583; Xu Jian, Chapter 2.A. (p.13). (Return)

2. 3 lines (Return)

3. Lienü Zhuan biographies of women mentioned on this site, but apparently with only an indirect qin connection, include:

	- Wei Ji	(Scroll 2, #2; she was the wife of Duke Huan of Qi)
	- Mu Ji	(Scroll 2, #4; she was the wife of Duke Mu of Qin)
	(Return)

4. (Return)

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