io penal seryitude. His poetry attracted the notice of Yang Wei- ch£ng, and is considered to be of the highest order. He himself was ranked with ^ jgj^ Eao Ch'i, §g ^ Chang Yd, and ^ ^ Hsfl P£n, as one of the Four Heroes of Eiangsn. Author of the
in ^*
Yang Chi-sheng ^ ijg ^ (T. # ^). A*D. 1516-1556. A 2866
native of Jnng-ch^Sng in Chihli, who was set by his mother to herd cattle, and only at the age of 13 began to attend school. He graduated as chin shih in 1547 and was attached to a Board at Nanking. For his bold opposition to the dangerous if not treacherous policy of Ch'ou Luan, who wished to establish a horse-market at the frontier, by which China was to be supplied with a fine breed of Tartar horses, he was degraded to be Gaol Warden at ^ ^ Ti-tao in Eansuh. On the fall of Ch^ou Luan he was again promoted; but his denunciation of Yen Sung brought him to prison , and after three years to execution. His wife addressed to the Throne a powerful memorial, asking for his pardon, which was withheld from the Emperor by Yen Sung. '^But if,** she added, "my husband's crime is of too deep a dye, I humbly beg that my head may pay the penalty, and that I may be permitted to die for him. Then, from the far-off land of spirits, myself brandishing spear and shield, I will lead forth an army of fierce hobgoblins to do battle in your Majesty's behalf, and thus make some return for this act of Imperial grace." Canonised as j^ ^. Yang Chien ^ ^ (T. ||S^ ^). A.D. 540-605. A descendant 3367
of the famous Yang Ch§n. His father, Yang j^ Chung, who
died in 568, rose under the Wei and Chou dynasties to be
Duke of Sui. In 576 Yang Chien began to be an object of
suspicion to the Emperor Wu Ti, and lay for a while in hiding.
The next Emperor, Hs^an Ti, a mere debauchee, appointed him
Minister; and on his death in 580, Yang styled himself Chancellor
57
