82 YBN WANG. the capital, Ye,* which was so closely and long invested, that the besieged ate human flesL The new Wei emperor was here along with Jiang Gan, one of the Wei ministers, who had chief command. After they had eaten up every soul taken in Hianggwo, the capital of Jao, Gan sent out men to make overtures of peace ; but chiefly to see whether no help could be found. Ping had an additional 20,000 men sent him to make sure the fall of Ye ; and as the Tsin Emperor failed to forward a relieving army, Gan made a sally at the head of 5000 men. Desperate was his condition, and he fought desperately, but in vain ; for he escaped within the city almost alone, leaving 4000 of his men dead or prisoners. The axmy, which was at length sent to aid the gallant city, was defeated, and Jwun went to Joongshan to be near his expected prey. After sufferings within more cruel, and sights more terrible than the battle-field in August, — ^when the garrison had been three months living on human flesh, Ma Yuen, an inferior officer, opened the gates to Yen men. Gan let himself down the wall by a rope. Ping got pos- session of the heir apparent — ^not yet enthroned — of the empress, the chief officials, the imperial carriage, raiment, and aU the official paraphernalia ; all of which he sent to Ki. Some of the officials, however, carried out the Chinese idea of faithftdness, and committed suicide rather than live after their empire. Go had, meantime, gone to Changshan and directed his attention to Wang Woo, who, since he heard of Wei's destruction, had assumed the title of Angwo Wang. Go pressed hard upon him. But he was murdered by one of his own commanders, who was, in his turn, slain by the officer of Woo's body guard ; and this latter took the reins of power. Go defeated and slew Ji Lin of Joongshan, another aspirant to imperial honours, at Woochi hien, having marched from Lookow against him. The following incident gives an accurate representation of
- Ye or Nie, the present Linchang hien of Changte f oo in Honan. It had been
the capital of Jao (Ghao) in 335. In 362, Wei annexed Hianggwo and oocnpied Te. In the autonm of the aame year Go cruflhed Wei, ended his dynasty, and, in 357, Ye was the Capital of the Yen ** Empire.*' So rapid was the march of suooeasive armies, and the rise and fall of rival kingdoma.
