Page:History of Corea, ancient and modern; with description of manners and customs, language and geography (1879).djvu/124

 ^t^ai0^ 100 IMPERIAL YEN. advantage. Hearing that Chin was in league with Yen, he burnt his stores and vessels, and returned. In his retreat, he had to dig wells for water, the supply of which had failed. This delayed and occupied him ; and the Yen men hung by his rear and on his flank, giving him no rest Most of the Yen generals urged a closer engagement ; but Woo Wang objected, preferring to harass the retreat, giving the enemy no breathing space, himself risking nothing. He kept a body of 8,000 capital horse always on Wun's rear, thus pursuing him for seven hundred li ; but at length, when, by incessant marching, Wun^s army was thoroughly worn out, he ordered up the main army to close quarters for a general assault Wun was then at Hiangyi hien. Dua laid an ambush of 4,000 excellent horse east of Hiangyi. In the succeeding battle Wim was frightfully defeated, losing 30,000 men. The Chin men now came up, gave chase, and cut down 10,000 more. Wun got to Shanyang in November with the scattered remains of his army. He ascribed his disaster to the lack of provisions, laying the blame on Jun, the Commandant of Shumun * (Stone-Gate). Jun was well aware of the fate in store for him, in being made the scapegoat of the failure, and fled to Yen, sending friendly messages at the same time to Chin, thus securing a double retreat This conduct would not, just then, be displeasing to Yen, which was on the best of terms with Chin, messengers of peace and good will constantly coming and going. Chin's friendship, as is understood, was by-play, — ^all the while serious preparations were being made for a crushing assault on Yen. As the men at the Court of Yen were unfit for their post, the women assumed the guidance of affairs ; and, as is common in such circumstances, they were actuated by private feelings rather than by the common weal. The " Empress " hated Woo and loved Ping. Therefore, all the glory of the victory over Wun belonged to Ping. She was eager, also, to have Woo removed by murder, — ^whether or not instigated thereto by Ping is left to conjecture. As Woo was still out in the cold,
 * The ancient name of Sansbwi hien.