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ft. 225. What else did you see? 



A. I saw a distich. 



ft. 226. How does this distich run? 



A. Settle h'eaven and eartU ( 1 ) and reform it again. 



Brighten sun and inoon ( 3 ) in order to obtain the empire. 



S 8 tt ffi ff i 



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ft. 227. Which place was within the circle of Heaven and Earth? 



A. The City of willows, the seat of universal peace. ( 3 ) 



ft. 228. Did you enter it? 



A. Yes, I entered it. 



ft- 229. Who founded the City of willows and who restored it? 



A. A prince of Thang ( 4 ) has founded it; Wan-yun-lung has restored it. 



Q) The universe. ( 2 ) The dynasty of Ming. Comp. p. 35 , note 4. 



( 3 ) * 1 M * f I 



( 4 ) The Emperor Tai-tsung, of the great dynasty of Thang (A. D. 627 — 649), had to wage several wars 



with the wild tribes which occupied the North-western limits of China. In the third year of his reign 

 he became involved in a war with Chih-pih-pao-khawg-wang I tjk JSj$ yÊ Jffc ^P ) > king of the 



Northern -barbarians I ^W. ^f&J, This king had a general, named Tso-Jcü-lun (^ JÖ jËnn), who 

 was the commander of his vanguard. Tai-tsung, having raised an army , entered the rebel state in order 

 to chastise it. He advanced towards the royal residence, called MuJi-yang-ching , „the City of Willows." 

 The approaches to this place were defended by five passes : the last pass was held by the daughter of 



Khang-wang, the princess Thu-lu I f§& i|J|| ^. £P )l whilst the Muh-yang-ching was defended by 



the king and his general Lang-chu l g& ££ )i Despairing of defending the last pass , as the four others 



had already been taken by the ;/ Prince of Thang" I li? ^ , as the rebels called Tai-tsung) , the prin- 

 cess ordered it to be abandoned , and the gates left widely opened. Besides, she ordered the whole popu- 

 lation fo evacuate Muh-yang-ching, hoping to entrap the Chinese emperor into the empty city, to 

 besiege him therein , and to starve hiin and his whole army , by cutting off all supplies. 

 The Emperor, notwitlistanding the advice of his war-council, feil into this ambush, and entered theforsa- 



