Page:History of Corea, ancient and modern; with description of manners and customs, language and geography (1879).djvu/239

looshan's mother. 215 received the honours due to the emperor, Looshan at once made his obeisance, and the emperor was delighted at the docility of his favourite soldier. Looshan always seated himself above the ministers ; a fact that was the more noteworthy and significant, because in China, the civil has, at all times and in all reigns, taken unquestioning precedence over the military official Another notable feature of Looshan's conduct^ was his relations to the imperial private apartments. In the harem were several concubines related in some way to Looshan, through whom he had free access to the " Forbidden " apartments ; and to one of whom he stood in the relation of son, — ^a relationship which, like that of a pope or cardinal's " nephew," implies more than is apparent To this "mother," if in presence of the emperor, he invariably made his obeisance before doing so to the emperor ; and gave as his reason that, "we Hoo men pay our respects first to our mother, then to our father." When, therefore, another emperor began to reign, probably the heir to whom he had found it so hard to make obeisance, Looshan found no difficulty in casting off his allegiance and setting up for himself, first as Wang, then as emperor ; but his glory was short-lived, and his end a miserable one ; for he was murdered for his crown by his own son. We find Brilliant- Thought occupying the high place formerly held by Looshan, and the new Tang emperor again changing his name, — this time raising him to be the " Equal-of-Heaven." In 761, when he received this name, he marched against the son of Looshan, overcame and slew him, — and then, true to himself, assumed the title taken from Looshan and his family. He marched south- wards, and compelled the emperor to abandon Loyang and flee for the west, leaving Loyang the capital of Brilliant-Thought ; who did not long enjoy the fruits of his rebellion, for he was murdered before the close of the year ; and his son, whom he had proclaimed heir, was also put to death in Loyang with his empress-mother. Such was the strange career of those two men, — and such the lamentable results of the glorious war against GaolL Just then the West Kitan, with an overwhelming force.