Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/145

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
126
A Chinese Biographical Dictionary

317 Chia Chih-yen 賈直言. Died A.D. 835. His father having been sentenced to drink poison, he seized the cup and drained it, recovering by a miracle, with no other result than a chronic lameness. Touched by this act of devotion, the Emperor Tai Tsung commuted the father's punishment to banishment to Kuangtung, whither he was accompanied by his son (see Tung Shih).


318 Chia Ch'ing 嘉慶. Died A.D. 1820. The title of the reign of 顒 (or 永) 琰 Yung-yen, the fifteenth son of the Emperor Ch'ien Lung. He succeeded in 1796, and proved a worthless and dissolute ruler. His reign was constantly disturbed by family feuds, secret society risings, and plots, which cost vast sums to put down; while from 1805 to 1809 the coast from Shantung to Tongking was infested with pirates, who fought pitched battles with the Imperial navy and almost stopped trade. In 1808 the Emperor was attacked in the streets of Peking; and ten years later a band of conspirators penetrated into the palace, and the Emperor owed his life to his second son, whom he at once made Heir Apparent, and to a nephew. He gave up the annual hunting excursions, which had been associated with Manchu energy. By insisting on the "kotow," he repelled Lord Amherst's mission in 1816. He was strongly opposed to missionaries, and expelled the famous Père Amyot. Canonised as 仁宗睿皇帝.


319 Chia Ch'ung 賈充 (T. 公閭). A.D. 217-282. A native of Hsiang-ling, whose father, Chia K'uei, predicted that he would some day 充 fill 閭 the village with congratulations. He inherited the title of Marquis, and held civil and military appointments. He attached himself to 司馬師 Ssŭ-ma Shih, who engrossed all power in Wei, and afterwards to his brother Ssŭ-ma Chao; and in A.D. 260 he fought the last Emperor of the Wei dynasty when he tried to leave the palace to slay Chia's patron, and urged one of his followers to kill him. In 264 he pressed the