Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/730

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A Chinese Biographical Dictionary
711


himself by driving the Japanese entirely away from the coast of Fuhkien and patting a final stop to their incursions. He was then sent to Sstich^uan to deal with a rebellion, and finally became President of the Board of War. Canonised as ^ ^ .

T'an-t<ai Mieh-ming tif S M ^ (B- It M)- Bom B.C. 1872

513. A native of Wu-ch'6ng in Shantung, and a disciple of Confucius. His extreme ugliness, coupled with his great mental endowments, elicited from the Master an utterance upon the fallibility of outward appearances. He had a successful career as an official, being as lenient towards others as he was exacting towards himself; and he was said to exhibit no joy when honoured, and no anger when slighted. On one occasion he was crossing the Yellow River, carrying with him his valuable gold badge of office. The river-god being anxious to become possessed of this valuable, sent two dragons which held fast the ferry-boat. **You might get it from me by fair means," cried Tan-t*ai, ^'but not by foul;" and grasping the badge in his left hand and his sword in his right, he attacked the dragons and slew them both. Then he contemptuously flung the badge into the river. Thrice he threw it in, and thrice it rose to the surface; finally, he broke it up and went on his way. When his son was drowned in the Yang-tsze, his disciples wished to recover the body for burial. "No," said T'an-t'ai; "why should you spite the fishes and turtles in order to befriend mole-crickets and ants?" In 739 his tablet was placed in the Confucian Temple.

T'an Tao-Ohi ^ ^ ^ . Died A.D. 435. A native of ^ ^ Chin- 1873 hsiang in Shantung, who distinguished himself as a military com- mander and statesman under the Chin and Liu Sung dynasties. On one occasion he led an army against the Northern Weis, but had to retreat for want of provisions, a fact which he concealed from the enemy by preparing bags of sand with a little rice on the top. For these services he was loaded with honours; he was ennobled