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A Chinese Biographical Dictionary

impossible to hold Euei-yang, Kan W^n-han, whose women had all committed suicide, retired to ^ j^ Ghen-ytLan Fn, where he hoped to be in touch with the Hunan Imperialists. The Commander at that city, howe?er, espoused the cause of Wu San-kuei, and besieged the Viceroy in a temple within the walls. Scorning to leave his province, he dressed himself in his official robes, made obeisance twice towards Peking, and slew himself, as did one of his sons. The people found his corpse sitting in awful lifelike state, and ga?e it honourable burial beside the temple, whence some years later it was removed to Peking and interred with public honours. Canonised as J^ ^ , and included in the Temple of Patriots.

938 Kan Ying 1st cent. A.D. A military official, who served under Pan Ch'ao during his great campaign in Central Asia. In A.D. 96 he was ordered by Pan Ch^ao to proceed as envoy to Syria, which was then a province of the Roman Empire. He actually reached j^ ^ T'iao^^chih, a conniiy on the shores of the Persian Gulf; but there he was deterred from advancing by the natives, who told him that under &voarabIe circumstances it was a three months* sea- voyage to Syria, while otherwise it might take as much as two years.

939 K'an Tsê (T. ). Died A.D. 242. A native of Shan-yin in Chehkiang, who at 13 years of age dreamt that he saw his name blazoned forth in the moon. He was so poor that he had to become a menial in a bookseller*s shop. There, when his work was done, he managed to educate himself, acquiring some knowledge even of mathematics. He thus succeeded in graduating as hsiao lien^ and was appointed to a post as Magistrate. Sun Ch^Qan became his patron, and ultimately raised him to be tutor to the Heir Apparent. He was a man of great learning, and for a long time all important questions bearing on State ceremonial and statute law were referred to him.