he ordered the destruction of many classics and other valued books, and 
eventually, on remonstrance being made, burnt alive 400 of the philosophers 
themselves. He sought to strengthen the nation by means of martial 
exercises rather than by increased book-learning, with the result that his 
countrymen, averse to militarism in any form, remember him with odium to 
this day. In fact the people living in the immediate vicinity of his tomb still 
use his name to frighten their children into good behaviour, and as a term of 
abuse in scoldings and quarrels. 
The next mound of more than ordinary interest is situated on a loess 
rise some six miles south of the city. It contains the remains of Kao-ti the 
first Emperor of the Western Han dynasty, which lasted from 206 B.c. to 
25A.D. Not far distant, on another prominence in the loess, lies a third mound, 
wherein rests the Empress Dowager, illustrious mother of Kao-ti, and heroine 
of a quaint legend. Of humble parentage, it seems that when but a girl she 
had a dream in which an old man informed her that she would become the 
mother of an emperor. She told her strange dream to the neighbours; and 
being spread abroad, it came to the ears of the reigning emperor. With true 
Oriental cunning, this superstitious but wily ruler hit upon the simple 
expedient of marrying the woman, who, in due course, presented him with a 
son. In this way the succession was assured to his family without any 
opposition being offered to the supposed divine prophecy. As already 
indicated, the son, although as born of a secondary wife, not the real heir, 
actually succeeded to the throne, and became the first Emperor of the glorious 
Han dynasty, and at his death was buried in the spot now marked by a huge 
mound. Both these famous mounds can be seen from the walls of the city. 
Before leaving this subject we will refer to the mound which marks the burial- 
place of the famous Yellow Emperor at Chung-pu Hsien. One of the five 
semi-mythical emperors of China, Huang-ti*, is supposed to have begun his 
reign in the year 2698 B.c., and to have continued on the throne for 100 years. 
Beyond this, little is known of the warrior king. It may be interesting to 
note that according to our generally received chronology, Noah must have 
been a comparatively young man—about 250 years old—at the time of 
Huang-ti’s accession. Other mounds contain the remains of emperors of the 
Western Han and Chou dynasties. 
The district further abounds in ancient tablets and monuments of stone, 
some adorned with beautiful pictures, others studded with characters and 
* This monarch is far eaced/ence the Hvang-ti (Yellow Emperor) of Chinese history, though all his successors have 
borne the same title. 
46 
