Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/865

846

him, saying, "Now you are provided for;" but Wang replied, "My ambition is not limited to food and dothing." When the great Yang I saw his poetry he said, "This man will be of some use." By the accession of the Emperor Jen Tsung in 1023 he had risen to be President of the Board of Bites; and he used his influence to prevent the Empress Dowager, known as ^H ^p, from interfering in the government, urging her to yield the direction of affairs to her son. She became at once his bitter enemy; and when the costly palace built by the late Emperor was burnt to the ground and all its treasures destroyed, she took advantage of this calamity to get him dismissed to the provinces. By 1034 be was once more restored to high favour, and in 1035 was appointed Lord Chamberlain and ennobled as Duke. In the winter of 1038 a meteor fell into his bedchamber. His tei^ified servants rushed to tell him. "A month hence," said he, "you will understand." It was a presage of death. Canonised as ^ Jj^. 2238 Wang Tun ^ ^ (T. ^ # ). Died A.D- 324. A cousin of Wang Tao, and son-in-law of the Emperor Wu Ti of the Chin dynasty. He was for a time Governor. of ^ Ch'ing-chou in Shantung; and later on, as Governor of Yang-chou in Eiangsu, he crushed ^ ^ Hua Chih and other rebels. In 317 he became Commander-in-chief and Governor of Chiang-chou in Hupeh, after which he aspired to be sole Minister. The Emperor Ydan Ti, fearing his ambition I sought the help of ^ ^ Liu Wei; whereupon Wang Tun, after vainly attempting to compass his rival's assassin- ation, threw off his allegiance and began to pillage far and wide,- holding his own with ease against the Imperial armies. On the accession of Ming Ti in 823 he was recalled to Court, loaded with honours, and again appointed Governor of Yang-chou. This only made him still more haughty and overbearing. He built a splendid palace and increased his revenues by the illegal seizure of land.