Hung
Ko
Hung Ko
did not enter the Civil Service until he was 52 years old. His family
consists of wealthy merchants in the southern seacoast prefecture
of Chiung-chou. As merchants, they were not of high enough
rank to procure a recommendation for him. However, their wealth
made it possible to support Hung in many years of study and three
attempts to pass the forwarding examination. At the age of 45, Hung
passed. He traveled to Hangzhou to take the departmental exam. Only
one in every fifteen men passed that year. Hung was not among them.
However, he
continued his studies while leading a blameless and moral life.
Recognizing Hungs service to his country and devotion to his
family, the administrator of Chiung-chou recommended Hung
be allowed to take the easier facilitating examination, and Hung
passed. He is now assistant instructor in a subprefectural government
school.
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