the Emperor was incoDSoIable, and gladly accepted the offiar of a magician, named ^ ^ Shao W6ng, to put him into communication with her departed spirit. Lamps were lighted, wine and food set ont, and a curtain drawn across the room. From behind the latter, his Majesty saw with his own eyes the veritable form of the dead girl pass into the room and walk about; but he was not allowed to approach her.
1126 Li Fu-kuo ^ |f g . Died A.D. 762. A eunuch in the household of the Emperor Ming Huang of the T'ang dynasty. At the murder of Yang Kuo-chung he made himself so useful to the Heir Apparent that the latter, on ascending the throne, adranced him to high oflSce. Thereupon he changed his personal name, which had originally been ^ ]^ , first of all to ^ ^ and then to Fu-kuo, as abo?e. When the Emperor returned to the capital, Li was ennobled as Duke, and the chief power passed into his hands. He treated the ex-Emperor with great indignity; and soon the Empress, jealous of his power, tried to persuade the Heir Apparent to make away with him. The latter refused, and then the Empress employed two of the Princes to assassinate him; but he got wind of the plot, and seized and executed both of them, the Empress being herself assassinated by his orders. Under the next Emperor, Tai Tsung, his arrogance became unbearable, and at length assassins were instructed to dispatch him. He was killed at night, and his head thrown into a cesspool.
1127 Li Han ^ jg. A.D. 809-840. Second son of Li H6ng, and brother of Li Chan whom he succeeded in 826 as fourteenth Emperor of the T^ang dynasty. Although well-meaning, he was too feeble to free himself from the dominion of the eunuchs to whom he owed his position. In 831 and 835 he laid secret plots against them, but these failed and only increased their power, upon which they even went so far as to slay his destined successor. He was
