Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/59

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
40
A Chinese Biographical Dictionary

Emperor Mi Ti from Liu Yao; but he declined to recognise the Eastern Chin dynasty. While the rest of the west was in a state of anarchy, his people alone enjoyed peace and prosperity. He was assassinated by some of his courtiers. Canonised as 元.

103 Chang Shih-ch'êng 張士誠 (T. 九四). Died A.D. 1367. A salt-trader of T'ai-chou in Kiangsu, who with his brothers raised the standard of revolt in 1353, and after capturing T'ai-chou proclaimed himself Prince 誠 Ch'êng of Chou. In the following year he made an unsuccessful attack on Yang-chou, but in 1356 he got possession of Soochow and Hangchow. In 1357 fear of Chu Yüan-chang (see Hung Wu) drove him back to his allegiance; but he still remained practically independent, and in 1363, after the capture of 安豐 An-fêng in Anhui and death of 劉福通 Liu Fu-t'ung, he took the title of Prince of Wu, and refused to forward the tribute rice. Four years later, being attacked by Chu Yüan-chang, he fled to Nanking, where he committed suicide.

104 Chang Shih-chieh 張世傑. Died A.D. 1279. A faithful adherent of the Sung dynasty in its final struggle with the conquering Mongols. He had held several posts of importance; and when the great disruption came, he accompanied the young Emperor on his flight southwards. He advised Yai-shan in Kuangtung as a last refuge; and on the approach of Chang Hung-fan's troops, he constructed a kind of floating fort of some thousand vessels lashed together. Chang Hung-fan, however, cut off their supplies, and they were reduced to such straits that they were obliged to drink sea-water, which caused violent vomiting and purging. After the great battle which ensued, he made his escape with ten ships, and under some other representative of the Sung dynasty would have still prolonged the struggle, but he was caught in a typhoon and drowned. See Lu Hsiu-fu.

105

Chang Shih-chih 張釋之 (T. 季). A native of Nan-yang,