Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/519

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.
500
A Chinese Biographical Dictionary

retirement in 858, as President of the Board of Punishments, he demoted himself to copying oat the Classics and dynastic histories, a task which he accomplished without a single iU-written character.


1297 Liu Fu-Ung ^%^. B.C. 94-73. Youngest son of Liu Ch'e, whom he succeeded in B.C. 86 as scTenth soToreign of the Han dynasty. He was the son of the Lady Eou I, who instigated the murder of the Heir Apparent and afterwards suffered death for her crime, and he was left by his father under the guardianship of Ho Eiiang aud Chin Mi-ti. The wise statesmanship of the former relieyed the people from burdensome taxation and other grievances; peace was made with the Hsiung-nu, and the country in general was prosperous. Canonised as ^1 ^ ^ ^ .


1298 Liu Hdng ^ j|[. Died B.C. 157. Son of Liu Pang by a concubine, and younger brother of Liu Ying. He succeeded in B.C. 180 as fourth sovereign of the Han dynasty. He had been made Prince of Tai by his father, and during the reign of Lii Hon he lived quietly in retirement. At the death of the latter, her family attempted a coup (VAat; but the Liu family were too strong for them, and Liu HSng was placed upon the throne. He ruled well and wisely for over twenty years; and although his reign was much troubled by the growing power of the Hsiung-nu, he left the country in a fair state of prosperity. He built no palaces and laid out no parks, in order that his subjects might not be oppressed by taxation. With his dying breath he asked that the people might not be forced to observe the inconvenient ceremonies of national mourning, but be allowed to marry and give in marriage as usual, not wasting too much energy on such an unworthy creature as himself. He is one of the 24 examples of filial piety, haring waited on his sick mother for three years with exemplary patience and without either leaving her room or changing his clothes. Canonised

as ^ J^ ^ ^ , with the temple name of "Jj^ ^ .