A Chinese Biographical Dictionary/Chao Ch'ung-kuo
150 Chao Ch'ung-kuo 趙充國 (T. 翁孫). B.C. 137-52. A military commander under the Han dynasty. He belonged to a corps of young men who met together to practise archery and horsemanship; and first distinguished himself in B.C. 99 by leading a small force to the relief of Li Kuang-li, who was surrounded by the Hsiung-nu. Although numbering about one hundred in all, they broke through the cordon and accomplished the dangerous mission. Chao himself received over twenty wounds; and when the Emperor saw his scarred body, his Majesty at once appointed him to an important post. Siding with Ho Kuang in the elevation of the Emperor Hsüana Ti in B.C. 73, he was rewarded by being ennobled as Marquis. He subsequently led a campaign against the Tangut tribes, and won many of them over to allegiance. He was the originator of the 屯田 system of military settlements, under which the settlers contributed by taxes or by service to the expenses of administration in return for their allotments. He was canonised as 壯, and his portrait was hung in the 未央 Wei-yang Hall.