Page:History of Corea, ancient and modern; with description of manners and customs, language and geography (1879).djvu/121

 CHIN ACTIVE. 97 by the death of Go and the weakness of Ping, he sent another anny under General Goong, who, however, was defeated by Duke Woo, the Yen General ; and a second division was defeated by Hing. Duke Woo pressed on after his victory, his van being led by Hing. Though the latter exposed himself several times, Gwang, who now commanded the Chin troops, declined taking advantage of the false moves, preferring to draw the Yen men after him away from the base of their supplies, and to wheel round upon them only when the failure of their provisions compelled them to retire. Twenty days' march exhausted Hingis provisions, and he was forced to retreat. Gwang now faced round and so warmly pressed this retreat that it became a rout, and King's army was completely broken up. Duke Woo, with the main army, was immediately attacked and defeated, losing 15,000 men. He abandoned the city of Anding;* and his flight to Shanggwei did not save him, for the city was taken and he slain. While Chin was thus pushing back the Yen power from its eastern frontier, Wang Mung, already mentioned, was fighting against the empire of Tsin in the soutL He was defeated by Duke Liw of Tsin, who eagerly pursued him. He watched his opportunity, wheeled round and utterly defeated Liw, pressing after him up to Pooban, which city he attacked and took, with Liw, whom he put to death. He sent Dung and a force from Pooban to Shenchung, which fell before him, and the revolted Wei Wang was at last seized and sent to Jien, who asked him why he had revolted. He pleaded necessity; for that his brothers were plotting in the city, and had he not revolted, the city would have become a battle field and a charnel house. The king wept at his sad fate, and gave him his own choice as to the mode of his death, promising to give his sons office. Wun had by this time climbed to the summit of his ambition, and was Dasuma, or Minister of War, to the Tsin Empire. He was now eager for a general rising of the people against Yen in its weakness, to break its power and seize its lands. His design
 * The modem Pingliang £00 of ShansL