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Ch'ên P'ing 陳平 (T. 孺子). Died B.C. 178. A native of 陽武 Yang-wu in modern Honan, whose family was exceedingly
poor. He himself, however, was so tall and handsome that a
wealthy man of the neighbourhood gave him a granddaughter
who had already been married five times, all her husbands having
died shortly after marriage; "for beauty like his," argued the old
gentleman, "cannot be long associated with poverty." Being
appointed to manage the distribution of the sacrificial meats at
the local altar to the spirits of the land, he conducted the
business with such impartiality that the elders wished he could be
appointed to manage the empire. "Were I to manage the empire,"
said he, "it would be just as with this meat." Entering the
service of Prince 咎 Chiu of Wei, he became Chamberlain; but
fell a victim to intrigue, and took refuge under the standard of
Hsiang Chi, who advanced him to high posts, and ennobled him
as Prince for his reduction of the Yin State. But when Liu
Pang's forces succeeded in their raid upon Yin, Ch'ên P'ing's life
was in danger, and once more he fled to the enemy's camp, this
time to become the trusted counsellor of the House of Han until
his death. He is known as the author of Six Wonderful Plans, as
follows: — 1. By bribery he managed to destroy the confidence
of Hsiang Chi in Fan Ts'êng and his other counsellors, B.C. 205.
2. By substituting coarse herbs for the customary ox presented to
envoys, when he received the envoy of Hsiang Chi, he gave the
latter to understand that an envoy from Fan Ts'êng would have
been welcomed with full honours, thus leading Hsiang Chi to
distrust Fan Ts'êng's loyalty, B.C. 204. 3. By means of a woman
he raised the siege of Jung-yang (but see Chi Hsin). 4. By four
times pressing Liu Pang's foot he caused him to create Han Hsin
(q. v.) Prince of Ch'i. 5. By Liu Pang's pretended pleasure-trip to
the lake of 雲夢 Yün-mêng, he succeeded in making Han Hsin
Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/117
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A Chinese Biographical Dictionary