Page:History of Corea, ancient and modern; with description of manners and customs, language and geography (1879).djvu/88

 64 YEN WANG. • Wang's army, and pleaded to be allowed to withdraw, for the odds were so enormously against them. Whatever he felt, Owan became very angry at this demand, saying, ''Who does not Inow that, in holding a city, one man is equal to a hundred assaUanta^' And he threatened instant beheading as the fate of the man first to mova Under this bold speech the garrison rallied ; and, to encourage his men, Gwan himself stood in the thickest of the arrows and ballista stones which came showering in. A vigorous defence of ten days compelled Jao Wang to raise the siege; and, as he might now fear an aggressive movement on the part of Whang, he had the men of Liaosi moved to the south of Yichow to prevent them falling under the power of Ten Wang. For the title of Ten Wang, Whang had not yet received imperial sanction ; and he believed his victory over Jao Wang would be a good opportunity for pressing his claim to the title ; for the Tsin Emperor could dispense titles and names, if he could not wield authority. As proofs of his right to the title. Whang recited at length, by his ambassador, all he had ever done in support of the majesty of the empire ! But he was unsuccessful, whether because the Emperor believed all that he had done was rather for the majesty and grandeur of Whang, or for some other reason, does not appear. But after other victories, he sent another embassy in 341. The Emperor, in consultation with his ministers, again declined to bestow the title, for the characteristically Chinese reason, that no such title had been bestowed on any stranger (i.e., foreigner) since the periods of Han and Wei. The lengthy and persistent remonstrances of the embassy were at length successful, and the imperial patent was made out, conferring the title of Ten Wang with other high-sounding names upon Whang; his son was nominated Oovemor of the Eastern Hoo, and appropriate titles were conferred on all the superior officers who had behaved well under Whang--even though these honours were gained in wars against the lieges of the Emperor conferring the title& But the policy of the weak, tottering, decrepit Tsin has been, in eveiy