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.
Emperor Zhi
Di Zhì () or simply Zhì, was a mythological emperor of ancient China. Di was a title as in HuangDi "Yellow Emperor" and YanDi "Flame Emperor". Zhi was a son of DiKu "Emperor Ku". Di Zhi ruled for nine years (roughly 2366- 2358 BC) until he died and was succeeded by his younger half-brother Yao.
Sima Qian, in the ShiJi (the Records of the Grand Historian), says in its section on the "Annals of the Five Di", that Zhi reigned badly and died, and his brother FangXun, 'the highly meritorious one', then reigned under the title of Di Yao.
The Bamboo Annals says that when Emperor Zhuanxu died, a descendent of Shennong named ShuQe raised a disturbance, but was destroyed by the prince of Sin, who was Ku (GaoXin), a descendant of HuangDi, who then ascended to the throne. In the 45th year, Ku designated the prince of Tang (唐) (his son Yao) as his successor, however upon his death in the 63rd year, his elder son Zhi then took the throne instead, ruling nine years before being deposed and replaced by Yao.