Page:History of Corea, ancient and modern; with description of manners and customs, language and geography (1879).djvu/46

 22 CHAOSIEN. at the head of 20,000 horse and foot at Doonggwan hien, the modem Tsangchow in the south-east of ChihlL 30,000 of the rebels were slain. They abandoned their heavy baggage, and fled across the river, eastwards, closely pursued by their conqueror, who took 70,000 (I) prisoners. Waggons and stores of all kinds were taken in immense quantities. There can be little doubt that the robbers were a rabble, and that Swun was at the head of an army ; but even then the story will appear strained, though something like it occurred in the defeat of the Taiping rabble, which was marching on Peking, a few years ago. China had become so thoroughly disorganised, that it was impossible to distinguish friend from foe, for all alike robbed and desolated the country. It was indeed only what happens usually in this country after a long series of famines, such as had then happened. Then riot ran loose, and for many years the country was under the Lord of Misrule. Every province and every city, nay every village, had its own battle to fight against its own people. Fighting men would, of course, still be imperial as long as it paid better ; but they became robbers as soon as it was more profitable. In A.D. 199, Nan Low, a chief or "excellency'' ("great man") ofShanggoo;* Soo Pooyen, an "excellency" ofLiaotung; and Woo Yen, an "excellency" of Yowbeiping, imited with Woohwun against Goong Swun, who, doubtless, gave them some trouble in preventing them from plundering as freely as they would like to do. From their title I would infer that these were petty chiefs of the aborigines of those places ; for it was no title of a Chinese official, though it is now used as a term of respect in addressing higher officials ; nor could it possibly be applied to an untitled Chinaman; besides, Woohwun had noUiing Chinese about it, and the north of Chihli and Liaotung were not then inhabited by Chinese, as we shall see further down. Those allies placed themselves under the leadership of Yuen Shao, who proclaimed himself emperor of all north of the Whang river. Sy this coalition Swun's army was crushed, and himself slain.
 * The modem Haenhwa, near Peking.