Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/383

This page needs to be proofread.

364 A Chinese Biographical Dictionary

be was soon sent in di^race to Ssttch^nan, where he abolished the evil practice of neglecting to nnrse the sick^ improYed irrigatioo, and promoted education. Recalled in 631 as head of the Civil Office, be proved a most snccessfhl Minister. In 642 he and Wei ChSng compiled the ^ J^ -|^ ^ Encyclopaedia, a work for which his wide reading especially fitted him. Three years later he aided the Heir Apparent to govern during ihe Emperor's absence on an expedition against Korea. The Emperor T^ai Tsung visited him in his last illness, and canonised him as ^ J||^.

952 Kao Hsien-Chih . Died A.D. 755. A Korean in the service of the Emperor Hsiian Tsang of the T^ang dynasty. After several expeditions against the Turfans, he penetrated in 747 as far as Ush, returning only because the eunuch Inspector was afraid to go on. Three years later he made a successful expedition against the ^ ^ Stone Nation (?). He was then appointed Prefect of ^ l£ Wu-wei, and subsequently ennobled as Duke. In 755 he assisted the ^ Jung Prince against An Lu-shan, and succeeded in holding the )l^ T^ung Pass. He was accused of robbery by a eunuch Inspector, because when he found that he could not hold T'ai-ytlan Fn, he distributed the grain in the granaries among his men and burnt what they could not carry away. In spite of the murmurs of his army, he was forthwith put to death.

953 Kao Hsing (T. ^ ^). A.D. 1245-1313. A native of Ts'ai-chou, who was a powerful youth and used a "two-picul" bow. One day he was hunting, when suddenly a tiger sprang out of the jungle with a terrific roar. His companions fled, but he stood still; and fitting an arrow to his bow, he shot the beast dead. In 1274 he took service under the great Mongol commander, Bayan, and ultimately rose to the highest ofiSces of State. In 1292 be was appointed second in command under Shih Pi, and proceeded on the ill-fated expedition to Java. Canonised as |^ ^ .