Liu Xiang (approximately 77 BC-6 BC), originally named Gengsheng and styled Zizheng, was born in Pengcheng, Chu State during the Western Han Dynasty. His ancestral home was Feng County, Sishui Commandery, Qin Dynasty, and he was a member of the Han Dynasty royal family. His ancestors were Liu Bang’s half brother Liu Jiao from Feng County. Liu Xiang was a Confucian scholar, cataloger, writer, and historian of the Western Han Dynasty. His prose mainly consisted of Qin Shu and annotations of ancient books. The complete collection of poems and verses by Liu Xiang: “Zheng Tongbei Meets King Zhao”, “People Sell Steed Horses”, “King Wu Intends to Conquer Jing”, “Southern and Northern Routes”, “Jingke Assassins King Qin”, “A Thousand Women Seeking Horses”, “Ye Gong Loves Dragons”, “Duke Huan of Qi Visits His Door”
刘向（约公元前77年-公元前6年），原名更生，字子政，西汉楚国彭城人，祖籍秦泗水郡丰县，汉朝宗室，先祖为丰县刘邦异母弟刘交。刘向是西汉经学家、目录学家、文学家、史学家，其散文主要是秦疏和校雠古书的叙录。刘向的诗词全集： 《郑同北见赵王》 《人有卖骏马者》 《吴王欲伐荆》 《南辕北辙》 《荆轲刺秦王》 《千金求马》 《叶公好龙》 《齐桓公登门访士》
《古代寓言·千里马》
古之君人，有以千金求千里马者，三年不能得。
涓人言于君曰：“请求之。”
君遣之，三月得千里马，马已死，买其首五百金，反以报君。
君大怒曰：“所求者生马，安事死马，而捐五百金。”
涓人对曰：“死马且买之五百金，况生马乎？天下必以王为能市马，马今至矣。”
于是不能期年，千里之马至者三。
——《战国策》
Buying a Good Horse
There was a king who was willing to pay a thousand pieces of gold for a horse that could run a thousand li without stopping. For three years he tried in vain to find such a steed.
Then someone offered: “let me look for a horse for your Majesty.”
Then king agreed to this.
After three months this man came back, having spent five hundred pieces of gold on a horse’s skull.
The king was most enraged.
“I want a live horse!” he roared. “What use is a dead horse to me? Why spend fiver hundred pieces of gold on nothing?”
But the man replied: “If you will spend five hundred pieces of gold on a dead horse, won’t you give much more for a live one? When people hear of this, they will know you are really willing to pay for a good horse, and will quickly send you their best.”
Sure enough, in less than a year the king succeeded in buying three excellent horses.
–Warring States Anecdotes
