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 

 25 A.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 xt. />af excellence the Huang-ii (Yellow Emperor) of Chinese history, though all his successors have 



borne the same title. 



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