korea 135In the 4th month (May/June) of 774, Silla envoys offered gifts. In
the 10th month (Nov./Dec.) of the same year, envoys arrived from
Silla to congratulate on the New Year’s Day of 775 (Feb.5). They
were received in audience (Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5032).
In the 1st (Feb./Mar.) and 6th month (July) of 775, Silla envoys
offered gifts. In the 7th (July/Aug.) and 10th ((Nov./Dec.) month of
776, and in the 12th month (Jan., 778) of the Chinese year 777, they
again offered presents (Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5032).
Immediately after Te-tsung had ascended the T’ang throne on June
12, 779, he ordered that falcons were no longer to be accepted from
Silla and Po-hai (Chiu T’ang shu 12:1a-1b). He may not have approved
of hunting or conspicuous consumption or simply have wished to
impress his contemporaries by his frugality.^28
In the intercalary month (Feb./Mar.) of 782, Silla envoys offered
gifts (Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5032).
In 783, it became known at the T’ang court that Chin Ch’ien-yün
had been killed. He had no sons and was succeeeded by his chancellor
Chin Liang-hsiang (Sondok Wang) (Chiu T’ang shu199A:12b;Wen-hsien
t’ung-k’ao 326:56a). In the 2nd month (Mar./Apr.) of 785, Emperor
Te-tsung dispatched a Gentleman-of-the-Palace of the Ministry of
Households to appoint Liang-hsiang as Acting Grand Commandant,
Military Governor of the non-existant Chi-lin Area Command, and
Military Commissioner of the non-existant Army Which Brings Repose
to the Sea, and to recognize him as king of Silla. However, Chin Liang-
hsiang died that very year of 785. His paternal uncle Chin Ching-hsin
(Wonsong Wang) was enthroned and succeeded to his titles (Chiu T’ang
shu 12:19a; 199A:12b; Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 326:58a).
In 798, Chin Ching-hsin died. He was succeeded by Chin Chün-
yung (Sosong Wang), a grandson through his legitimate wife. On May
19, 800, Te-tsung sent a Gentleman-of-the-Palace of the Ministry of
Honours and Concurrent Palace Assistant to appoint Chün-yung as
Commander Unequalled in Honour and Acting Grand Commandant
and to recognize him as king of Silla. En route, the Chinese envoy
learned that the new king had died. With that, his commission had
become void, and he returned. The T’ang court sent another mis-
sion to posthumously recognize Chün-yung as king of Silla, and to
entitle his mother as Grand Consort and his widow as Consort (Chiu
(^28) Cf. Schafer, Golden Peaches, pp.59, 93.