Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/446

Rh Li Chu. A.D. 892-908. Ninth son of Li Chieh, whom he sncceeded in 904 as twentieth and last Emperor of the T^ang dynasty. He was placed upon the throne by Chn W6n, who became Prime Minister and in 906 forced his puppet sovereign to abdicate with the title of Prince of Chi-yin. Two years later he was put to death by the usurper. Canonised as ^ '^, and also as ^ j|^ ^.

Li Chüan ]^ j^. 2nd cent. B.C. A favourite concubine of the Emperor Wu Ti of the Han dynasty. Her breath was fragrant as the epidendrum, and her complexion was so delicate that the Emperor feared lest the contact even of nlk might cause it to be injured.

Li Ch'ung 李充 (T. 宏度). 4th cent A.D. A native of Chiang-hsia in Hupeh, who used to attack with a sword any one he found injuring the cypresses about his father's grave. In 338 he became secretary in the Prime Minister's office under Wang Tao, and later on was secretary to Ch'u P'ou. From the latter he accepted a magistracy, declaring that a monkey in difficulties cannot stop to choose his favourite tree. He ultimately rose to be a Privy Councillor. Noted as a calligraphist, he was also author of a treatise on Buddhism and Taoism, entitled 釋莊論; of the 學箴, a work directed against scholars who are mere bookworms; and of many miscellaneous writings.

Li Ch'ong ^ ^ (T. $^^). Died A.D. 525. A distinguished official under the Northern Wei dynasty, who held the important frontier post of ^ ^ Shou-ch^un in Anhui for ten years against the rival Southern State, in spite of attempts to sap his loyalty and to excite his sovereign's suspicion. He was known to both sides as ^ ^ the Sleeping Tiger. He remonstrated in vain against the building of expensive Buddhist temples. As Governor of Eiangsi in 512, he proved himself an able administrator, one instance of his judicial acumen being famous. Two men claimed