Page:History of Corea, ancient and modern; with description of manners and customs, language and geography (1879).djvu/150

 1 26 OAOGOWLI. over 2000 men. He then, in conjunction with Hienbi, harried the lands of Liaotung, again putting to flight its army with great slaughter, having defeated it before the city of Sinchung, the site of which remains among the hills in the vicinity of Kaichow. All the Liaotung commanders died fighting bravely, but vainly, in the van of their army. This rapid progress is accountable only when we reflect that great numbers of Chaosien people would have fled from the destroying forces of Han ; some north, some east These would either at once put themselves under the protection of Gaogowli, or cultivate the mountain gullies in the north of tilie modem Corea^ and submit to Oaogowli as soon as that power crossed the river to the east Their descendants would become wholly amalgamated into Gaogowli, and would forget the weakness of the old Chaosien in the hopeful vigour of the young state. These would have no hesitation in demanding vengeance for the destruction of their old country, especially when that vengeance •could enrich themselves. The Gaogowli king, Goong, had not only greatly enlaiged his own kingdom, but gained an overwhelming influence over some of his neighbours. For the army was chiefly composed of Hwi and Mahan men, with which he had all but swallowed up Huentoo ; which he failed to annex only because of the interference of the king of Fooyii, his northern cousin, and probably jealous neighbour. The Fooyii army, which thus stopped his progress, numbered 20,000 men. Goong died soon after that unsuccessful fight ; and Gwang, the governor of H'dentoo, in mentioning the circumstance to his liege lord, his imperial majesty of China, prayed to be permitted to take advantage of the fact, and break up the kingdom. This request was not granted, on the ground that " propriety " forbade his fighting against a man when dead, whom he had not dared to face when living. Whether the real reason was the belief that he would not succeed, or because it was believed to be not altogether undesirable to have a power to the east> which might balance Hienbi, we cannot say ; but neither then nor since would any doctrine of propriety prevent the