Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/447

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A Chinese Biographical Dictionary

the same boy as son, each producing many witnesses. Ch'ang had the fathers and the boy confined separately for some days, after which he suddenly told the men that the boy was dead. On this, the real father burst into genuine tears, while the folse parent could only groan. Canonised as "^ j^.

1121 Li Fang 5pt) ^. A Buddhist priest, who is said to baye come with seventeen companions from India to China during the reign of the First Emperor, B.C. 220-209, in order to teach the religion of Buddha.

1122 Li Pang ^ gjj (T. 59 jg). A.D. 924-995. A natire of Jao- yang in Chihli, who graduated as chin ahih and accompanied the Emperor T^ai Tsung of the Sung dynasty on his Shansi campaign, and in 983 was appointed Minister of State. When his master asked the Court how he himself compared with the T'ai Tsung of the T^ang dynasty, the other Ministers loudly praised their Emperor. But Li simply murmured those lines of his favourite poet Po ChU-i, which tell how three thousand disappointed maidens were released from the palace and four hundred condemned men came back from the execution-ground alive; and the Emperor admitted his inferiority. In 988 he retired, but from 991 to 993 he was again Minister. Two years later he was invited to witness the Feast of Lanterns from the palace. On that occasion the Emperor T'ai Tsung placed Li beside him; and after pouring out for him a goblet of wine and supplying him with various delicacies, he turned to the courtiers and said, ^^Li Fang has twice served US as Miuister of State; yet has he never in any way injured a single fellow-creature. Truly this is to be a virtuous man.'* Canonised as

1123 Li Feng-pao ^^^. A.D. 1834-1887. A natiye of ^ 1^ Gh'ung-ming Island near Woosung, of low origin. Ting Jih-ch'ang took him up and put him on the surrey of Eiangsa, and he