东方朔
Employing the traditional "liezhuan" ("arrayed lives") biographical arrangement, the "Liexian Zhuan" arranges its Daoist hagiographies in roughly chronological order, starting with the mythological figure Chisongzi who was Rain Master for the culture hero Shennong (mythically dated to the 28th century BCE), and ending with the Western Han herbalist and "fangshi" Xuan Su . They include individuals "of every rank and station, ranging from purely mythical beings to hermits, heroes, and men and women of the common people". The collection includes mythic personages (e.g., Yellow Emperor and Pengzu who allegedly lived over 800 years), famous Daoists (Laozi and Yinxi the Guardian of the Pass), and historical figures (Anqi Sheng who instructed Qin Shi Huang (r. 247-220 BCE) and Dongfang Shuo the court jester for Emperor Wu of Han (r. 141–87 BCE)).