1842.
History of the Southern Sung Dynasty.
531
destribution, he greatly conciliated the army, and was hailed with the general exclamation of Wan sui (long live the king)! Desirous of confirming his power he sent for all his goods and chattels from the capital, and addressed a spirited memorial to the emperor up. braiding him with his miserable government. This remonstrance filled the measure of his crimes; his four sons were openly decapitat- ed by order of the despot, and he was declared a traitor to his country.
When Kingtáng received this news, he looked up to heaven, and said the hour of revenge is come.' He forthwith concluded a treaty, offensive and defensive, with the Ketan chief, and marched with a powerful army against the imperialists. No decisive success however was gained, till he proclaimed himself emperor, and from that moment, the imperial generals successively came over and swore fealty to his standard. This emboldened the hero, and not heeding the fulminating edicts of his master, he gained very decisive advan- tages, which paralized all the efforts of Fi ti. A battle was then Bought near Lohying the capital, in which 30,000 Chinese troops sur- rendered at the first onslaught, and opened the approach to the court. The ministers now began to consult, whether they ought to burn the palace, but the majority rejected the proposal, and only one of the buildings was destroyed. Kingt ng became the undisputed master of the empire, giving to his dynasty the name of Tsin, now known as the After Tsin; his reign was called Tienfu, and in history he is called K utsú.
•
The first act of his government was to cede 16 districts to the Ketans, and to load their horses and carts with valuables to a consi- derable amount. They therefore went home cheerfully, after having obtained the assurance of the payment of silks to the amount of several thousand pieces. After this there was an extensive creation of noblemen, in which all his officers shared, and Kingtang looked around to survey the great changes he had effected. How transi- tory was the glory of the shepherd boy! How soon was he satiated with all the pageantry of sovereignty, and learn that all was vanity!
The people of Li utung, who, by the recent treaty had become subjects of the Tartars, were very much dissatisfied with their situa- tion, and endeavored to shake off the foreign yoke. The emperor partly from fear, partly from gratitude, sent an army to suppress the revolt. After many skirmishes and a war which lasted some years, the rebel was taken prisoner and his head sent as a peace offering to the Ketan chief. The latter saw in this present nothing but a
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.