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joined the usurper Ttt-wAn Hua-chi, and foQght under Li Hi until they were compelled to yield to the saccessfiil arms of U Shih-min.

1791 Sn Wei-tao H ^ ^ • 7th cent A.D. A natiye of ||| Loan- chou in Ghihli, who composed well at nine years of age. Gradoidiig as chin shih, he was taken as secretary by P^ei Qsing-chien on his campaign against the Turkic tribes, and after his return wm appointed to high office. In 698 he got into trouble and was thrown into prison; and soon after re-appointment to office he was again impeached for having encroached upon a neighbour's grayeyard ai his native place, and banished to a distant post. From this data his career was a chequered one until his death, which probaUy took place about 705. He was famous for his purposelj yacillating policy. ^'If you definitely take one side,'* he said, "jou may repent it; by taking neither you may always take either." Hence he was

^^^^^ il^ ^ ^ VaciUator Su.

1792 Su Wu ^^ (T. -7* ^). iBt and 2nd cent. B.C. A native of Tu-ling in Shensi, who was an official under the Emperor Wa Ti of the Han dynasty. He lived at a time when the Hsiung-nn were a source of great trouble to the empire. Several Chinese envoys had been imprisoned and not allowed to return; and by way of reprisal, Hsiung-nu envoys had been imprisoned in China. But a new Khan had recently sent back all the imprisoned envoys, and in A.D. 100 Su Wu was dispatched upon a mission of peace to return the Hsiung-nu envoys who had been detained by the Chinese. Whilst at the Court of the Ehan his fellow-en voys revolted, and on the strength of this an attempt was made by Wei LCL to persuade him to throw off his allegiance and enter the service of the Hsiung-nu; upon which he tried to commit suicide, and wounded himself so severely that he lay unconscious for some hours. He subsequently slew j^ ^ Ytl Ch'ang, a Chinese renegade, with