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976
A Chinese Biographical Dictionary

Ts'o caused him to be much hated by the latter; and when the Emperor Ching Ti came to the throne, and Ch'ao Ts'o was appointed Censor, he caused Yüan Yang to be accused of receiving bribes from the Prince of Wu. Yüan Yang was cashiered; but upon the revolt of the feudal States, which took place in 155, he obtained an audience of the Emperor and declared that the whole blame rested with Ch'ao Ts'o and that if he was beheaded the soldiers of Wu would lay down their arms. As soon as Ch'ao Ts'o had been put to death he returned to Wu, but declining to accede to the wishes of the Prince he found his own life in danger and fled. Later on he incurred the enmity of the Prince of Liang, who wished to be nominated heir to the throne, and perished by the hand of an assassin.

2572 Yüan Yü 阮瑀 (T. 元瑜). Died A.D. 212. A native of Ch'ênliu in Honan, who studied under Ts'ai Yung and subsequently filled high office under Ts'ao Ts'ao, most of whose public documents were drafted by him. He was also widely known as a poet, and is classed among the seven scholars of the Chien-an period (see Hsü Kan).

2573 Yüan Yüan 阮元 (T. 伯元. H. 雲臺). A.D. 1764-1849. An official of high distinction, and a generous and enlightened patron of literature. He graduated as chin shih in 1789, and took a high place in the Han-lin competition. The Emperor Ch'ien Lung was so struck with his talents that he exclaimed, "Who would have thought that after passing my 80th year I should find another such man as this one?" He then held many high offices in succession, including the post of Governor of Chehkiang, in which he operated vigorously against the Annamese pirates and Ts'ai Ch'ien, established the tithing system, colleges, schools, soup-kitchens, etc., besides devoting himself to the preservation of ancient monuments. In 1807, after a period of mourning, he returned to Chehkiang and by great