428 the turkic tribes
raise funds for this, he had to dock the salaries of the court officials
for the intercalary 10th, 11th, and 12th month (Chiu T’ang shu 195:
8b;Tzu-chih t’ung-chien p.7184).
In the 4th month (May/June) of 766, a Uighur mission of 100
men led by a chief was received at the T’ang court (Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei
p.5031).
In the 10th (Oct./Nov.), 11th (Nov./Dec.), and the 12th month
(Dec./Jan., 768) of the Chinese year 767, Uighur envoys offered gifts
to the T’ang court (Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5031).
In the 7th month (Aug./Sep.) of 768, Uighur envoys offered gifts and
informed that the qatun had died. Tai-tsung sent a Regular Cavalier
Attendant of the Right to condole and sacrifice (Hsin T’ang shu 217A:
6b-7a;Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5031; Tzu-chih t’ung-chien p.7201; Wen-hsien
t’ung-k’ao 347:28b).
On July 2, 769, Tai-tsung enfeoffed a younger daughter of P’u-ku
Huai-en, i.e. a sister of the late qatun, as Princess Who Is Venerated
and Virtuous to become the second qatun of the Teng-li Qaghan.
A Gentleman-in-Attendance of the Ministry of Arms was ordered
to escort her to her future husband. The qaghan was presented with
20,000 bolts of silken fabrics. The court was so impoverished that it
did not have the mules and camels needed for the cortège and had
to requisition them from the high officials (Hsin T’ang shu 217A:7a;
Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 347:28b).
In the 12th month (January, 770) of the Chinese year 769, Uighur
envoys offered gifts (Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5031).
In the 1st month (Jan./Feb.) of 771,^67 Uighurs came out of the
Ministry of the Herald without permission and robbed people in the
wards and in the market places. Officials who tried to stop them were
beaten. They then on horseback attacked palace gates which, however,
were closed. Emperor Tai-tsung sent a eunuch to quieten them, where-
upon they stopped (Chiu T’ang shu 195:8b; Tzu-chih t’ung-chien p.7218).
These Uighurs cannot have been private merchants, who would not
have been lodged in the Ministry of the Herald. As pointed out before,
the Herald was in charge of the reception of foreign envoys, so that
the perpetrators in this and similar cases described below must have
been official envoys and their attendants.
(^67) Tzu-chih t’ung-chien gives the date of Mar.3, 772.