Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/901

This page needs to be proofread.
882
A Chinese Biographical Dictionary


his opposition to Buddhism and all heterodox dociriaes. EEe declared that the people at large should not be allowed to poMess, or booksellers to sell, any works other than those in the Gonfbeian Gauon. His own writings were published under the title of |^

2330 Wu Han ^ g| (T. ^ |i ). Died A.D. 44. A natiye of Nan- yang in Honan , who began life as a village beadle and subsequently became a horse-dealer. He attached himself to the fortunes of Liu Hsiu; and when the latter mounted the tiirone as first Emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty, he received a high appointmenL At the head of well- organised armies he aided the Emperor in putting down rebellion on all sides. He was employed against Wei Hsiao; and in 37, together with J^ ]^ Ts'fin P6ng, who was assassinated, he brought about the downfidl of tiie White. Emperor (see Kun^ $un Shti), Operations i^^nst the Hsiung-nu and against rebels in Sstich'uan kept him busy almost to tiie yery close of his life. Canonised as j^.

3331 Wu Hon ^ J^. A.D. 625—705. The Empress Wo. Her name ^^^^ ^ S (^^ ffi ) ^^ Chao, and she sprang from humble parents, but at the age of twelve she was tatsn into the harem of Li Shih-miu, second Emperor of the T'ang dynasty. Upon hit Majesty *s death in 649 she retired to a Buddhist nunnery and iock the TOWS. Thence she was brought back to the palace by the Empi>d$3 Consort of Li Chih, son of li Shih-min, who had henelf been supplanted in her husband*s affections by a concubine named ^ j^ Hsiao Shu. Wu Chao was to nndennine the &TOuriie*i influence: and this she easily succeeded in doing, being a very clever as well as a very beautiful woman. Bsised in 654 to the rank of ^^ €1 ^^^^ I- •^ ^^^ ^ ^ ^^^^vk to get rid of the Empre«£^ By strangling her own baby girl and laying the blame on the Kmpn!ss« she so worked upon the Empevor thai in 655