▁Hu ▁Z ong x ian ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁the ▁year ▁ 1 5 1 2 , ▁in ▁the ▁Hu ▁ancest ral ▁village ▁of ▁Long ch uan ▁( 龍 川 ) ▁in ▁J ix i ▁County , ▁part ▁of ▁Hu iz hou ▁pre fect ure ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁Today ▁Long ch uan ▁is ▁called ▁K eng kou ▁village ▁( <0xE5> <0x9D> <0x91> 口 村 ); ▁J ix i ▁is ▁now ▁part ▁of ▁An hui ▁province . ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 2 3 , ▁he ▁passed ▁the ▁provincial ▁imperial ▁exam ination ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁j uren ▁( <0xE8> <0x88> <0x89> 人 ). ▁This ▁was ▁followed ▁him ▁passing ▁the ▁palace ▁exam ination ▁in ▁ 1 5 3 8 , ▁becoming ▁a ▁j in sh i ▁( 進 士 ) ▁and ▁p aving ▁the ▁road ▁to ▁official dom . ▁ ▁Hu ▁was ▁first ▁assigned ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁magistr ate ▁of ▁Y id u ▁in ▁Sh and ong ▁province , ▁where ▁his ▁administration ▁of ▁justice ▁won ▁him ▁the ▁love ▁of ▁the ▁people , ▁who ▁claimed ▁that ▁he ▁brought ▁ra ins ▁during ▁a ▁dr ought ▁and ▁mag p ies ▁to ▁eat ▁the ▁loc ust s ▁destroy ing ▁the ▁cro ps . ▁He ▁raised ▁a ▁thousand ▁volunte er ▁troops ▁from ▁min ers ▁out ▁of ▁work ▁and ▁sent ▁them ▁to ▁the ▁northern ▁front iers ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁Sh and ong ▁grand ▁coordin ator ▁Z eng ▁X ian . ▁For ▁this ▁Hu ▁Z ong x ian ▁was ▁ear mark ed ▁for ▁promotion , ▁but ▁he ▁had ▁to ▁ret