Page:History of Corea, ancient and modern; with description of manners and customs, language and geography (1879).djvu/245

Rh members of the imperial house of Liao, and it is natural to look thereabouts for the burial place of the founder. Liaotung history states that when sacrificing to their founder; they always looked in the direction of Kwangning, which was south-east of Shangking. Shangking was also called Silow (west Tower), because Abaoji raised a great tower in the centre of the city. Another, called the Doonglow, he erected in Bohai land, 1,000 li to the east The north Tower was 300 li to the north; and the south Tower as many to the south, which south Tower was on Mooyeshan.

Tooyii was the eldest son of Abaoji, and Duagwang the second. The former was nominated his successor by the father; but the mother preferred the latter, who was a most filial son, and never ate, when his mother was out of sorts, till she had first eaten. The eldest son had been nominated "Man-imperial king," by the father, and sent to rule over East Dan, as Bohai was called. Thence his mother led him and the army to Silow, where his younger brother was stationed as general. On her arrival, she sent away her eldest son to prepare her tent, and after he was gone, she addressed the chiefs, saying, that she loved both her sons extremely, and found it very difficult whom to chose for the throne. The chiefs knew well and long what her desires were, and answering accordingly, said that "The General would make the better king." She at once responded, that she could not trifle with the unanimous consent and assent of the ministers, and therefore had the second son proclaimed king. Tooyü, believing his life endangered, fled by night with a few hundred horse towards China, to go to the court of Tang. But he was overtaken, brought back, and sent, but not banished, to east Dan. The new king received from his mother the title of "Heavenly-imperial" king, "Tienhwang Wang" in contradistinction to the more humble one conferred on her eldest son by the deceased king. The queen dowager was the real ruler, however. She released Kwun from his captivity, and sent Asumoo along with him to report the decease of the king to the imperial court

Lu Loongwun, the commandant of Looloong, had murdered his