484 hsia
gifts. On July 11, Hsia informed the Liao court that it had conquered
Sung territory. Sheng-tsung congratulated. In the 9th month (Sep/
Oct.), Chi-ch’ien made further conquests (Sung shih 485:8b; Liao shih
14:2b; 115:7a).
On Mar.24, 1002, envoys from Hsia to the Liao court offered horses
and camels. In the 3rd month (Apr./May), Chi-ch’ien took Ling chou
at the Ning-hsia Oasis, and in the 6th month (July/Aug.) his envoy
announced this victory to the Liao court (Liao shih 14:3b; 115:7a).
In the spring of 1003, the Sung ceded territory to Hsia (Sung shih
485:8b).
On June 30, 1003, envoys from Te-ming to the Liao court announced
that his father Li Chi-ch’ien had died. On July 22, Sheng-tsung con-
fered on Chi-ch’ien the posthumous title of Prefect of the Masters of
Writing and sent the Commissioner of the Palace Audience Gate of
the West to condole. On Oct.10,^7 envoys of Te-ming thanked for the
condolence and the posthumous title (Liao shih 14:4a, 5b; 115:7a).^8 In
1012, Te-ming conferred on his father the posthumous temple name
of Wu-tsung. Li Yüan-hao (r.1032-1048) changed it to T’ai-tsu (Sung
shih 485:9a, 11b). During his reign, Chi-ch’ien had enlarged the Hsia
State to comprise the entire Ordos Region and the Ning-hsia Oasis.
Li Chi-p’eng died in K’ai-feng during 1004 and was by Chen-tsung
given the posthumous title of Military Commissioner of the Army
Which Awes the Border. Te-ming was presented with 10,000 ounces
of silver, 10,000 bolts of pongee, 50,000 strings of cash, and 5000
ounces of tea (Sung shih 485:9b).
(^7) Liao shih 115:7a has 8th month, but that month did not have the cyclical
characters of chi-hai.
(^8) The Liao account has to be reconciled with that of Sung shih.Liao shih 14:4a
states unequivocably that “The king of Hsi-p’ing, Li Chi-ch’ien having died, his son
Te-chao (=Te-ming) sent envoys on June 30, 1003, to come and announce it”. The
date refers to the reception of the envoys at the Liao court. According to Liao shih
115:7a, “[Li] Chi-ch’ien having died in 1003, his son Te-chao sent envoys to come
and announce it”. Sung shih 485:9a states that “on Jan.26, 1004, [it was learned that]
Li Chi-ch’ien had died, aged 42”. Jan.26 was the 2nd day of the 1st month of 1004,
so that Chi-ch’ien must have died in the previous lunar year. All texts agree therefore
that Li Chi-ch’ien died in 1003. The problem is his age. Since he was born in 963,
he would by Chinese reckoning have been 41 in 1003. Why then does Sung shih give
his age as 42, and why was the Sung informed so late of his death? I suggest that
Hsia, being politically closer to Liao than to Sung, announced Chi-ch’ien’s death
to the Liao court first and to the Sung court seven month later in 1004. The Sung
counted Chi-ch’ien’s years of life from 963 to the time of the death announcement
in 1004, which gives an age of 42.