Jump to content

Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/430

From Wikisource
This page needs to be proofread.
A Chinese Biographical Dictionary
441


1075

in Sheiud, and one of the most renowned of Chinese generals. In early life, when retoming from a campaign on the borders of the desert of Gk>bi, a goddess, whom he took to be the Spinning Damsel, appeared to him in a vision and promised him great prosperity and long life. In 755 An Lu-shan rerolted, and in conjunction with li Enang-pi he helped to defend the capital. In 756 he beat Shih Sstl-ming, and by 757 had recovered the disaffected provinces. In 758 and 759 he was appointed to high military command, but he was maligned to the Emperor and recalled to Peking. In 760 his services were utilised against the Tangnt tribes, and he succeeded in recovering territory in the west occupied by them. In 762 he suppressed a mutiny in Ghiang^-chou in Shansi, but from fear of the power of ^ JQ ^jj^ Gh'tog Y^n-chAn he resigned his command. In 768 the Turfans invaded Shensi, and in consequence of the remissness of Chafing succeeded in reaching the capital. Then Euo was re-instated, but as he was unable to raise an army the Emperor was compelled to flee, and Ch'ang-an was taken and burnt. He then collected some 4,000 demoralised troops, and by making the Tar&ns believe he had a much larger force, managed to drive them away, so that by 764 the Emperor was able to return. In 765 he had to face another invasion, this time employing a tribe of the Ouigours to attack the Turfans. His long life was in fact spent in warfare, and he was almost uniformly successful. He received the designation of jjS^ ^ ; he was ennobled as Prince; and the Emperor Su Tsung declared in a well-known phrase that he had received from Euo as it were a second lease of life. He had eight sons and seven sons-in-law, all of whom rose to high places; and his grandchildren and great grandchildren were so numerous that he could not recognise them when they came to pay their respects, but had to content himself with bowing to each. His son Euo P|| Ai, who had married an Imperial princess,