wangti had mapped
out a great empire; it fell to the Hans to consolidate it.
Han Kaotsu followed somewhat in the footsteps of his predecessor,
less the cruelty and barbarism, and most of the strength.
The sentiment of the empire was Chinese, not Ts'innish; so,
though not a brilliant or always a fortunate soldier, he
was able to assert his sway over the greater part of China
Proper. Chinesism had spread over territories never before
Chinese, and wherever it had spread, the people were glad
of a Chinese dynasty; besides, his rule was tactful and
kindly. They were glad that the Gods of the Soil of Han
were to be worshipped now, and those of Ts'in disthroned;
and that the Ts'in edicts were annulled;--as they were with
one important exception: those relating to literature. A
cultureless son of the proletariat himself. Han Kaotsu felt no
urge towards resurrecting that; and perhaps it was as well that
the sleeping dogs should be let lie awhile. The wonder is that
the old nationalities did not reassert themselves; but they did
not, to any extent worth mentioning; and perhaps this is the
best proof of Han Kaotsu's real strength. Ts'in Shi Hwangti had
dealt soundly with the everlasting Hun in his time; but when he
died, the Hun recovered. They kept Han Kaotsu busy, so that his
saddle, as he said, was his throne. They raided past the
capital and down into Ssechuan; once very nearly captured the
emperor; and had to be brought out at last with a Chinese
princess for the Hun king. Generally speaking, the Hans would
have lived at peace with them if they could, and were ready to
try better means of solving the problem than war. But it
certainly was a problem; for in these Huns we find little traces
of human nature that you could work upon. But China was a big
country by that time, and only a part of it, comparatively small,
suffered from the Huns. For the rest, Han Kaotsu was popular,
his people were happy, and his reign of twelve years was a
breathing-time in which they gathered strength. He kept a
hundred thousand workmen busy on public works, largely road- and
bridge-building: a suspension bridge that he built, a hundred
and fifty yards long, and crossing a valley five hundred feet
below, is still in use,--or was during the last century. He died
in 194.

He was succeeded, nominally, by his son Han Hweiti; really by
his widow, the empress Liu Chi: one of the three great women who
have ruled China. At this time