Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/863

844

I-wa of the Left Bank, u e. of the Yang-tsze. On one occasion, about the same date, the treasury was all bat exhausted. There was nothing in it but several thousand pieces of a very coarse cloth. Wang Tao and a few other leading men took to wearing clothes made of this stuff, the result being that it became very fiEishionable and the treasury store was disposed of at a large profit. Canonised as j^.

2333 Wang Td-yimg ^ ^ jfl. A.D. 979-1058. The son of a frontier official, who served under his father and distinguished himself upon the battle-field at the early age of seventeen. He subsequently rose to high military rank, and was employed against the Eitan Tartars who stood in the greatest dread of his prowess. On one occasion, instead of killing a Eitan spy, he held a grand review, and after having exhibited the perfect discipline of his troops, sent the spy back to report to the enemy who immediately sued for peace. Later in life he became a Minister of State and senior tutor to the Heir Apparent. He was remarkable for his black face, especially since from his ueck downwards his skin was quite fair; hence he came to be known as Black Wang the Minister. In 1264, on the occasion of the Emperor's birthday, a certain ^ 7C ^jf Ch*ien Yiian-chieh was among the officials present. The Eitan envoy pointed towards him and said to the interpreter, ^*Ha9 Black Wang the Minister come to life again?" (see Vin Chi-lun). He was ennobled as Duke, and canonised as ]^ ^.

2334 Wang T^ing-chen }£ ^ ^ (T. MM)- Died A.D. 1828. A

native of Shan-yang iu Eiangsu, who graduated as second chin shih in 1789 and soon earned a wide reputation for uprightness. He was one of the tutors of the Emperor Tao Euang; and in 1822 his Majesty publicly acknowledged the vast benefit he had derived from his teaching, appointed him an Assistant Grand Secretary, and

ft

at his death paid his family a personal visit of condolence. Author