all-powerful eunuch Huang Hao. He brought himself into notice by collecting the public papers of Chu-ko Liang, and was employed under the Chin dynasty to edit the History of the Three Kingdoms, which was much admired. His biographies of Chin men, however, are marked by personal bias. He became a Censor, but retired at the death of his mother, chiefly on account of the opposition of his rival Hsün Hsü; and later he refused to take up a post of Instructor to the Heir Apparent. He also wrote the 故國志 History of Ancient States and a biographical work on Ssŭch'uan worthies, entitled 益都耆舊傳.
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Ch'ên Shu-pao 陳叔寶 (T. 元秀). A.D. 553-604. Eldest son of Ch'ên Hsü, whom he succeeded in 582, and fifth and last sovereign of the Ch'ên dynasty. He gave himself up to a life of debauchery, employing unworthy minions to oppress the people, until the Sui armies took his capital without any opposition in 589. When the victorious invaders burst into the palace, the wretched poltroon caused himself and his favourite concubines, Chang Li-hua and others, to be lowered into a well, from which they were ignominiously dragged up by the conquerors. His life was spared, and he was sent as Duke of Ch'ang-ch'êng, his family home, to Ch'ang-an. Known in history as 後主.
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