Page:History of Corea, ancient and modern; with description of manners and customs, language and geography (1879).djvu/227

 THE TUBES ATTACKED. 203 Yowchow. He himself was spared by the emperor^ but stripped of all his titles; the only responsible officer found blameless being the sub-prefect, who recommended delay. Hiie Na immediately after redeemed his character by defeating the Toofan, as the inhabitants of the modern Tibet were then called. The Eitan were now established beyond dispute in their new tenitories^ including the best of Liaosi^ as the Tang could not afford to make a third attempt at ousting them, for the dynasty had already passed its meridian. Communications were there- fore opened, which resulted in the appearance of Li Shuho, chief of Soongmo Kitan, at the Imperial Chinese Court, to be invested with the vassal kingship of his former territories and recent conquests. He was created a Kunun Wang and Doodoo ot Soongmo, to rule over the eight* clans formerly under his sway, now converted into so many sub-prefectures ; their eight chiefs being nominated tsushus or sub-prefects. Li Dafoo of (west) Eitan was also invested with the vassal kingship, and created a Kv/awa/ng and Doodoo. But before Shuho was king a year, he left his new dignity to Sogoo, his younger brother; and the young great grand-daughter of the second Tang emperor, given him in marriage, became a widow. As the Tookue had for many years been the scourge of the north and noth-west of China, they being conterminous with the Eitan, Wang Jwun, the commander in the northern districts of China, promised to attempt to crush them by a combined attack by the Basimi from the north and the Eitan from the east^ threatening to drown the Yajang Pijia, Emperor or Eokban of the Tookue, in the Jilo river. Pijia was in great fear when he heard of the combination ; but an old counsellor said that there was no reason for fear, for that Basimi "f* was in the northern regions far ''^ These eight were supposed to be the representatives of the "eight sons" mentioned at the beginning of this chapter; thongh the legend of the eight sons is more likely to have arisen from this division of the kingdom into eight dans or departments. t Basimi is therefore the original Mongols, or immediately to their east about Hingan ling. It is difficult to decide between the two; though if they were from