1841.
The Rebellion of the Yellow Caps,
101
His excellency, hearing in a few days that a party of the enemy was coming down upon one of his districts, gave orders to his officer Tsow Tsing, to proceed against them and avail himself of the assistance of Heuentih, whose comrades signalized themselves in the first onset, by killing-the one a colonel, the other the general of the rebel troops. On this, a large body of the enemy seeing themselves thus early de- prived of some of their leaders, joined the imperial party; and the lieutenant of Yew conferred rewards on the victors.
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But, on the day following the victory, he received a dispatch from the governor of Tsing department, to 'the effect that he was placed in imminent danger by the siege, which had been laid against him. His request, that auxiliaries should be sent to him, was forthwith grant- ed; and in a very little time the siege was raised, chiefly through the stratagems of the three brothers:
Immediately on the distribution of rewards by the gov. of Tsing, Heuentih and his comrades separated themselves from the troops of Yew, to hasten to the relief of Loo Chĩh, (Heuentih's former tutor, and one of the chunglang tseäng already spoken of,) who was then en- gaged in contest with Chang Keŏ, the leader of the rebellion. On their reaching the scene of warfare, Loo Chih was much pleased with this mark of attachment in his late pupil, but directed him to proceed to the assistance of his colleagues Hwangfoo Sung and Choo Sun who were, in the Ying district, waging war against Chang Keo's brothers. While Heuentih was advancing towards Ying, the imperialists had routed the Yellow Caps,-who fled in all directions before the con- querors. At that instant, another hero of those times, Tsaou Tsaou, (called by a Spanish writer the Buonaparte of China,') made his appearance, to share in the glory and the spoils of the day.-This Tsaou Tsaou displayed early in life a roving and wily disposition, which it was impossible for his father or his uncle to curb. However, men perceived that he was qualified for the times, and foresaw his future eminence, at the prediction of which Tsaou Tsaou was not a little delighted. At the age of twenty, he entered office, and con- ducted himself with strict impartiality, so that he became a terror to evil-doers. After a few minor promotions, he was made an officer of cavalry, and it was then he led forth a company to assist the im- perial house.
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Heuentih arrived only in season to congratulate the victors on the repulse of the enemy, and detailed his interview with his tutor Loo Chih, to whom the two chung lang tseäng directed the three bro- thers to return, as they felt persuaded the fugitives would immediate-