Zhang Xiaoxiang was born in Wujiang County (current Pukou District) of Song Dynasty. He's one of the famous historic folks in the history of Pukou. As legend goes, Zhang Xiaoxiang was born in an official aristocratic family. However, as his father was an incorrupt official, he had no deposit; what is more, they suffered persecution from Qin Hui, the evil party in the court. So his family was as poor as normal people. Zhang Xiaoxiang was very clever when he was a child; he went to the capital city to take part in the imperial examination at the age of twenty four. In order to borrow some money, he made his way to Liuhe. When he reached Huangyue Mountain (current Huangshan Mountain), the day became darker, so he had to lodge in a residence nearby. In the midnight, a beautiful young lady knocked on the door of his room and showed her left hand to him with words saying, "Seek for breeding in the human world". Zhang Xiaoxiang was not only literately talented, but also ethical. In order to not baffle the lady, he wrote something on her right hand, "It's impossible to cheat on the god". Later in the imperial examination, Zhang Xiaoxiang called a draw with Qin Xun, the grandson of Qin Hui. At last, Zhao Gou, the king known as Song Gaozong, made the decision for the winner, surprisingly he made a couplet for them to give answer, and the first half was just "Seek for breeding in the human world". So Zhang Xiaoxiang won the title of Number One Scholar.

Source: Pukou District Bureau of Cultural Affairs