Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/471

452 the services of his faithfal eunuch Eao Li-shih. Canonised as ^ ^ 19 M ^ ' and frequently spoken of as Ming Haang.

Li Mao-ch§n ^ ~^ ^. Died A.D. 924. A native of f|l ^ Po-yeh in Chihli, who was originally named y^ ^ |^ Sung Wdn-t'ung. The Emperor Hsi Tsung rewarded his services with the Imperial surname and a new personal name, and his successor ennobled him as Prince. When the T^ang dynasty was overthrown in 907, as Governor of F^ng-hsiang he refused allegiance to the usurper Chu WSn, ^nd defended himself bravely against the Liang and Shu States until the establishment of the Later T'ang dynasty, which he recognised and under which he was made Prince of Ch'in. Among other expedients for raising revenue he put a tax upon lamps and oil, and refused to allow pine-splints to be brought into the city, lest they should be used to give light. For this he was caricatured by an actor, who suggested that the use of moonlight should also be declared illegal.

Li Mi ^mf (T. ^ i^). Bom A.D. 222. A native of Chien- wei in Sstich'uan, also named ^ ^ Li Ch*ien of Wu-yang, Wu- yang being another name for Chien-^wei. He lost his father at an early age and his mother married again, leaving him to the care of his grandmother. After studying with Ch4ao Chou he held office under the Minor Han dynasty, and as envoy more than once to the rival State of Wu he gained considerable reputation. In A. D. 265 the Emperor Wu Ti of the Chin dynasty wished to appoint him equerry to the Heir Apparent; but in a very pathetic memorial he declined on the plea of duty to his aged grandmother. day. Without me, she will be unable to complete her allotted span of years." The Emperor thereupon gave orders that the old lady's necessities should be attended to, and at her death appointed Li Mi to a post in Shensi. He lost oflSce however through publishing
 * But for her," he said, "I should not have seen the light of this