set up ^ Yu , Prince of Tai , (known in histoiy as ^ i^ f|f ) a grandson of Yang Chien, in Shansi, and carried all before him. Hsiao Hsien became undisputed master from the East BiTer to the western borders of Euangtung, and of Hupeh, and the Yellow River defile, and from Han-yang in Hupeh to Cochin China. In 618 Yang Kuang was assassinated by YS-w4n Hua-chi, and was succeeded by his grandson ^ T*ung, Prince of Yfleh (known in history as ^ 1^ j^ )« a mere puppet in the hands of Wang Shih- ch'ung, by whom he was poisoned in the following year. The Prince of Tai abdicated at the same time in &Y0ur of Li Yfian, and died soon after. In spite of his otherwise disreputable character, Yang Kaang prided himself upon his literary attainments. He set one hundred scholars to work editing a collection of classical, medical, and other treatises; and it was under his reign, in A.D. 606, that the examination for chin shih was instituted. Canonised as )^ ^ . 2394 Tang Kuei-fei ^^M- ^i^^ ^D. 756. The daughter of an official named ^ '^f§i ^&ug HsQan-yen (T. jj^), who had been President of the Board of War under the Emperor Jni Tsung, and had been ennobled as Duke. Her personal name was 3& ^^ Yfl- hnan. In 735 she became concubine to Prince ^ Shoa, eighteenth son of the Emperor Ming Huang; and three years later, upon the death of the reigning favourite, she passed into the harem of the father. She was surpassingly lovely, and specially noted as being the only fat lady among China's historical beauties. Her influence soon became paramount. She herself received the title of "JjC^i whence she is often spoken of as ^ ^ ^ or ^ fH^; her second cousin, Yang Kuo-chung, a drunken gambler, was raised to high office and ennobled with the title of his father; and her three sisters, who were also taken into the Imperial harem, received the titles of the Ladies ^ ^ Han Kuo, ^ Euo Kuo, and ^ Ch'in Kuo, respectively. In 745 she was raised to the rank of
