Page:History of Corea, ancient and modern; with description of manners and customs, language and geography (1879).djvu/141

 FUGITIVE KING. 117 but a serious engagement with Yowyan prevented him. He garrisoned Holoong in 437. When Hoong, the fugitive Yen Wang, was yet on his way, the Gaoli King, Lien, sent messengers to Liaotung to welcome him. The fugitive was bitterly offended, however, at the taunting mockery of the words addressed to him by the messengers: They probably were unable to suppress their satisfaction at the thought that Gaoli was now revenged for the sufferings inflicted upon their country by the forefathers of Hoong. His first location was in Pinggwo. He was moved afterwards to Beifiing, where he made himself most disagreeable, by the contemptible manner in which he spoke of the government and laws of Gaoli, — exhorting them to adopt those of his country. The Hienbi were themselves "barbarians'' till they came in contact with the Chinese, a few generations before Hoong's time ; yet here we find him with all a Chinaman's pride of superiority. W^e can also see that Gaoli had not then attained to fiill Chinese civilization; but the people were imbued with the pride of conquerers, and were not pleased at the airs of superiority assumed by one who was a fugitive among them They therefore punished him by decreasing the number of his attendants, and by retaining his son and heir as a hostage for his good behaviour. It was more easy to widen the breach than to heal it ; and hot blood became hotter, till his voluntary exile was hateful to Hoong. He sent messengers south to the Sung Court to plead for an asylum there. The emperor was pleased, and sent men to welcome the fugitive king. But King lien was anything but gratified at this new insult to his hospitality, and ordered a company of soldiers to remove Hoong further south. Whether he had given them orders to have Hoong quietly put out of the way, or whether the officers, Swun and Gao, commanding the soldiers, did, on their own responsibility, what they believed would be welcome news to their master, it is difficult to determine ; but Hoong was killed by these men on the way, and before they got beyond the jurisdiction of Beifimg. His sons and grandsons were slain along with him ; and thus