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and promised the Emperor that in three days he wonld make them ^'laugh the other side of their month ," a promise which he succeeded in keeping. He was however defeated by the first Emperor of the Later T^ang dynasty, and being impeached by his second in command for making light of the enemy, again went into retirement. From this he was once more summoned to oppose the Twangs: and after a desperate conflict, he was a second time defeated. He was severely wounded with a lance by the T'ang general ^ ^ "^ Hsia Lu- ch4; his horse fell under him, and he was taken prisoner. The Emperor, admiring his bravery, sent Li Ssti-yflan, his successor on the throne, to conciliate the fallen hero; but Wang received him with curses and revilings, calling him by his Turkic name, whereupon he was put to death.

Wang Yen-Cheng £ ^ jg^. Brother to Wang Yen-hsi, whom 2248 he succeeded in 944 as sixth and last ruler of the Min Principality. Shortly after the accession of the latter in 939, when Governor of Chien-chou, he had occasion to write to him and reproach him for his cruelty and licentiousness. This caused a breach between the two, and Wang Yen-hsi sent an army to chastise him. This army was however put to the roat, and Wang Yen-chSng shook off his allegiance and proclaimed himself king of j|^ Yin. In 945 he surrendered to Li Ching of the Southern T'aug State, and was sent to Nanking with the title of ^ ^ ^.

Wang Ten-han i ^ ^ (T. -^ jlfe). Died A.D. 927. Eldest 2249

son of Wang Shin-chih, whom he succeeded in 925 as second ruler of the Min Principality, subsequently proclaiming himself an independent king. He was a tall young fellow, with a skin '^as white as jade," and he had a very ugly wife. Accordingly he selected a number of beautiful concubines, but of these no less than 87 died in one year, evidently the victims of his jealous wife. At length she fell ill, and was so frightened by the ghosts of the