Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/101

This page has been validated.
82
A Chinese Biographical Dictionary

sighed he, "a hero should fly like a cock and not brood like a hen." Accordingly, he resigned his post and retired into private life. Soon afterwards there was a severe famine, and he spent the whole of his private fortune in relieving the sufferers. This coming to the ears of the Emperor Hsien Ti, he was at once summoned by his Majesty who took him to Ch'ang-an and made him Minister of State, at the same time ennobling him as Marquis. In 208 he incurred the displeasure of Ts'ao Ts'ao, and was obliged to throw up his post.

193 Chao Yeh 趙曄 (T. 長君). 1st cent. A.D. A native of Chehkiang, who after serving for a while in a subordinate official capacity, studied for twenty years under Tu Fu. Author of the 吳越春秋, a history of the States of Wu and Yüeh between the 12th and 5th centuries B.C., in which there is a mixture of fact, unauthentic anecdote, and romance. He also wrote the 詩細 on the Odes.

194 Chao Yüan 趙元 (T. 貞固). A scholar and official of the 7th cent. A.D., known chiefly from his intimate friendship with the poet Ch'ên Tzŭ-ang. He was at Lo-yang during the reign of the Empress Wu Hou, when he found it more consistent with safety to lead a quiet and retired life. He died at the age of 49, and was canonised by his friends as 昭夷先生.

195 Chao Yüan-hao 趙元昊. A.D. 1003—1048. The founder of the Hsia State. He was the son of 趙德明 Chao Tê-ming, who had been Governor of Hsia-chou in Kansuh, and had been posthumously ennobled as King of Hsia. The family was descended from the Tobas. Under the T'ang dynasty the surname 李 Li had been bestowed upon them for services rendered; and this again had been similarly changed under the Sung dynasty to Chao. Chao Yüan-hao succeeded his father in 1032 as Governor of Hsia-chou. He was of a fierce and suspicious nature, a student of Buddhism,