Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/770

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A Chinese Biographical Dictionary
751


^ ^ Wdn Hsiao, and being very poor she managed to earn money by making copies of a dictionary of rhymes, which she sold. At the expiration of ten years, she and her husband went up to heaven on a pair of white tigers.

Ts^aiLun ^j^ (T. ?R#). Died A.D. 114. A native of 1977 Enei*yang in Eueichou, who in A.D. 75 entered the Imperial • palace and in 89 became chief eunuch under the Emperor Ho Ti. He was a clever fellow and anxious to study, and whenever he was off duty he would shut himself up for that purpose. It was he who first substituted silk and ink for the bamboo tablet and stylus; and he subsequently invented paper, which he made from bark, tow, old linen, fish-nets, etc. For his long years of service the Empress Dowager caused him to be ennobled in 114 as Marquis, and he was also appointed Lord High Chamberlain. He was no favourite however with the Empress; and when his patroness, the Empress Dowager, died, the former began to intrigue .against him. Thereupon he formally bathed, and after solemnly adjusting his hat and robes of State he swallowed a dose of poison. Ts*aiPien ^^ (T. JCiS)- ^D, 1054-1112. Graduated 1978 with his elder brother Ts^ai Ohing, and as son-in-law to Wang An-shih, was rapidly promoted. In 1086 he went on a mission to the Eitan Tartars, and rose by 1094 to be a Minister of State. His mild humble manner concealed a vindictive haitred of all who disagreed with him, and on the accession of the Emperor Hui Tsung he was repeatedly denounced and degraded, but ere long he was again in high confidential ofiSce. In 1105 he objected to the employment of the eunuch Tung Euan on the frontier, and this caused him to be sent for a time to Honan; but after a few years he was placed in command at ^^ Ch£n-tung, where he died. Canonised as ^ j£ .

Ts'ai Shih-yttan ^ ift Jt (T. ^Z- H. ^#:5fc^). 1979