Zhu Xi
Zhu Xi, whose family originated in Wuyuan County, Huizhou (in modern Jiangxi province), was born in Fujian, where his father worked as the subprefectural sheriff. After his father was forced from office due to his opposition to the government appeasement policy towards the Jurchen in 1140, Zhu Xi received instruction from his father at home.Many anecdotes attest that he was a highly precocious child. It was recorded that at age five he ventured to ask what lay beyond Heaven, and by eight he understood the significance of the Classic of Filiality (Xiaojing). As a youth, he was inspired by Mencius’ proposition that all people could become a sage. Upon his father's death in 1143, he studied with his father's friends Hu Xian, Liu Zihui, and Liu Mianzhi. In 1148, at the age of 19, Zhu Xi passed the Imperial Examination and became a presented scholar. Zhu Xi's first official dispatch position was as Subprefectural Registrar of Tong'an (同安縣主簿), which he served from 1153 - 1156. From 1153 he began to study under Li Tong, who followed the Neo-Confucian tradition of Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi, and formally became his student in 1160.
Zhang Xiu (Eastern Wu)
In the 240s, a power struggle broke out between two of Sun Quan's sons — Sun He, the Crown Prince; Sun Ba, the Prince of Lu. Zhang Xiu was a supporter of Sun He. In 241, after Zhang Xiu returned from a battle against Wu's rival state, Cao Wei, at Quebei (芍陂; south of present-day Shou County, Anhui), the Wu general Quan Cong and his son Quan Ji (全寄) accused Zhang Xiu, Gu Tan and Gu Cheng of conspiring with an officer Chen Xun (陳恂) to make a false report about their achievements in the battle. In 245, Zhang Xiu and the Gus were exiled to Jiao Province. As Zhang Xiu previously had a feud with Sun Hong (孫弘), the Director of the Imperial Secretariat, the latter used the opportunity to make further complaints against Zhang Xiu, which resulted in Zhang Xiu being ordered to commit suicide by Sun Quan. Zhang Xiu was 40 years old when he died.