korea 123In the 1st month (Feb./Mar.) of 655, Koguryo, Paekche and the
Mo-ho joined forces and attacked Silla. The king of Silla sent envoys
to the T’ang court and requested support (Chiu T’ang shu 199A:8b;
Tzu-chih t’ung-chien pp.6287; Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 326:54b).
In September of 660, China, allied with Silla, destroyed Paekche
in an amphibian operation. The king, Fu-yü Yi-tz’u, his heir-appar-
ent, Lung, and others, including 59 generals, were taken prisoners
and brought to Ch’ang-an. Several days after reaching the Chinese
capital, the king died. He was given the posthumous titles of Imperial
Household Grandee of the Golden Seal and Purple Ribbon and of
Commandant of the Guards, and his former subjects were allowed to
mourn for him. Paekche was annexed (Chiu T’ang shu 199A:8b, 11b;
T’ang hui-yao 95:14a-14b; Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 325:54b).
An uprising broke out in Paekche almost immediately. A prince of
the royal house, Fu-yü Feng, was brought from Japan and enthroned
as king (P’ungjang Wang). A Japanese navy arrived in his support but
was defeated by the Chinese in 663. The king fled to Koguryo, and
Paekche surrendered (Tzu-chih t’ung-chien p.6337).
On Nov.17, 665, a peace conference was held in Paekche by repre-
sentatives of T’ang, Silla, Paekche, and Japan. Thereafter, all followed
the Chinese envoy by sea to Shan-tung, where on Feb.10, 666 they
attended Emperor Kao-tsung’s feng sacrifice and on Feb.12 his shan
sacrifice at Mount T’ai (Chiu T’ang shu 5:1a; Tzu-chih t’ung-chien p.6344;
Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 325:50b).
In 674, Silla occupied the old territory of Paekche. Kao-tsung made
one last attempt to regain a foothold. The former heir-apparent of
Paekche, Lung, son of Fu-yü Yi-tz’u, had previously been given the
nominal title of Minister of Agriculture. On Oct.2, 677, he was invested
as king of Tai-fang commandery with the expectation that he should
return to Paekche and rally the people. However, he did not dare to
go back to his homeland (Tzu-chih t’ung-chien pp.6372, 6382-6383).
Paekche was thereby lost to China forever.
Paekche, like Koguryo, had been an independent state, influenced
by Chinese culture but not its vassal. One king of Paekche (Fu-yü
Chang) is recorded to have received Chinese posthumous titles, versus
none in Koguryo.
During the Six Dynasties, envoys from Paekche to the southern
courts had travelled by sea. In T’ang times, they preferred to go by
land via Koguryo. Again, it is difficult to say how complete the sta-
tistics are. According to T’ung-tien185:55a, Paekche incessantly sent