had aided him during his life. She was also the author of the 女誡, a volume of moral advice to young women, and of many poems, essays, etc. She was admitted to be a lady-in-waiting to the Empress, under the title of 曹大家 (Ku) the Lady Ts'ao.
1598 Pan Ch'ao 班超 (T. 仲升). A.D. 31-101. Younger brother of Pan Ku, the historian. As a youth he was very ambitious and neglectful of small ceremonies, albeit filial and respectful to his parents. The family was poor; yet in spite of having to earn his living by daily labour, he managed to give himself a good education. At length, in 62, he obtained a small government post, and removed with his mother to the capital. There he was unable to keep a servant, and was forced to earn money as a copyist. One day, tired out, he flung down his pen and exclaimed, "A hero should have other aims than these. Like Fu Chieh-tzŭ and Chang Ch'ien he should win renown in foreign lands, and earn for himself the honour of an earldom. He should not waste his days over pen and ink." He then consulted a physiognomist, who told him that he had a swallow's beak and a tiger's neck; that he would fly and also eat meat, and be the Marquis of a myriad miles away. His brother Pan Ku managed to get him a better post, and later on he was attached to the expedition of Tou Ku against the Hsiung-nu. He so distinguished himself that in 73 he was dispatched by Tou Ku on a mission to the kingdom of 鄯善 Shan-shan in Turkestan. The Hsiung-nu sent an envoy at the same time; whereupon Pan Ch'ao and a number of his adherents set upon the Hsiung-nu envoy, and cutting off his head showed it to the king of Shan-shan. This so impressed the king that hostages were given, and Pan Ch'ao returned in triumph to Tou Ku. He was then sent at the suggestion of the Emperor to the kingdom of Khoten, whither he proceeded with a force of only some thirty armed men. But his previous exploit had so terrorised the various petty States of
