Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/440

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A Chinese Biographical Dictionary
421

against the inyading tribes from the north and east, and in 1579 gained an hereditary peerage by his successes. In 1591 he was forced by impeachments to retire; but ten years later, as the army had rapidly degenerated when his firm hand was withdrawn, he was re-instated, and finally retired in 1608.

1101 Li Chi |g JK^. 7th cent. B.C. Daughter of a chief of the Q| ^ Western Jung tribes. She was captured by Doke Hsien of the Chin State, and became his favourite concubine; and through her influence the rightful heir was set aside and her own son , Hsi Ch4, placed upon the throne. See ShSn Shing.

1102 Li CU ^ K^ (T. ^ ^ ). A.D. 584-669. A native of H B{^ Li-hu in Shantung, whose original name was ^ "^ ffy UsQ. Shih-chi. From being a mere labourer he turned bandit, and became lieutenant to Li Mi whom he aided against Wang Shih- ch^ung. In 618 he entered into negotiations with the founder of the T'ang dynasty and adopted the name of Li, being known from that time down to 655 as Li Shih-chi. In 629 he conducted a successful campaign against the Turkic tribes and subsequently kept them in such good order that the Emperor T^ai Tsung said he was a far more efficient Great Wall than that built by the Emperor Yang Ti of the Sui dynasty. In 644 he was sent upon an expedition to Korea; and in 658 he captured the capital and completed the subjugation of the country, for which services he was ennobled as Duke. He was a clever strategist, and was noted for sharing the credit of success with his officers, while all booty was equally divided. He encouraged the Emperor T'ai Tsung to marry the lady afterwards known as Wu Hou, and he is therefore held indirectly to blame for her usurpation. On one occasion, when his sister was ill, he personally superintended the preparation of a bowl of gruel; the result being that he singed his beard badly. But he bore Uus with equanimity, saying that they were both old, and that he