Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/861

842

came back in the eyeDing, I used to watch for yon at the house- door; and if you went out in the evening and did not return, I used to watch for you aj; the village gate. But now that you do not know where the Prince is, why do you come back?" Wang forthwith set off in pursuit of Nao Ch4h, slew him, and set Prince Min's son on his father's throne.

2230 Wang Tan ^ H. (T. ^ Vj^). A.D. 957-1017. Son of Wang Hu. He graduated as chin shih in 980 and rose to be a Minister of State, though not actually a model of probity. On 9ne occasion, wchen Wang Ch4n-jo was urging the Emperor to perform the great sacrifices to heaven and earth, it was very important to secure Wang's acquiescence. Accordingly, as soon as he had signified a conditional approval, the Emperor invited him to a feast, and on his departure presented him with several bottles, saying, ^^This is a very fine kind of wine; take it and divide it amongst your family." On opening the bottles, he found them full of pearls. He kept the pearls, and made no opposition to the sacrifices. He was ennobled as Duke, and canonised as ^ jE*

2231 Wang T^an-shih ^ Jg ;$! (T- [^ J5l )• ^^^ <^»t- ^D. An

ofiBcial who rose to high office under the Emperor Chien W£n of the Chin dynasty. He served under Huan W6n; and upon the death of the Emperor in A.D. 373 he became joint guardian, together with Hsieh An, of the young Emperor Hsiao Wu. He had once occasion to reprove Hsieh An for tolerating sounds of music and singing during the period of mourning, contrary to Confucian principles. He himself was very fond of toei cAS', and is said to have originated the phrase -^ ^ **talking with the hand," as applied to that game. Late in life he took up with a Buddhist priest, and had long conversations upon a future life, its rewards and panishments. It was finally agreed between them that whoever should die first was to return to the world and enlighten the