534 liao
enfeoffed him as king of Pei-p’ing commandery, and presented him
with brocade garments, ten kinds of silver vessels, and 3,000 bolts of
pongee. That winter, a surviving supporter of K’o-t’u-yü, Huang-li,
killed Li Kuo-che and all his sons except La-ch’ien, who managed
to escape. Hsüan-tsung appointed La-ch’ien General of the Resolute
Guards of the Left. Huang-li informed the T’ang court that the murder
had been justified by Kuo-che’s harshness. Hsüan-tsung recognized
Huang-li as Military Governor of the imaginary Sung-mo Area Com-
mand but objected in a letter to the killing^8 (Chiu T’ang shu 199B:7a,
7b;Tzu-chih t’ung-chien p.6813).
After several years of military conflicts, a Khitan chief with a mis-
sion of 80 men was received at T’ang the court in the 1st month
(Jan./Feb.) of 743 (Ts’e-fu yüan kuei p.5029).
In 745, the Khitan chief Li Huai-chieh^9 made peace with China.
Hsüan-tsung recognized him as Military Governor of the imaginary
Sung-mo Area Command and entitled him King Who Venerates
Obedience. On Apr.20, he enfeoffed the Lady Tu-ku, an orphaned
daughter of one of his daughters, as Princess of Ching-lo and married
her to him. But as soon as the 9th month (October) of that year, Li
Huai-chieh and a Hsi king, acting in unison, murdered their Chinese
wives and turned against the T’ang. They were defeated by An Lu-
shan (Chiu T’ang shu 9:7a; Tzu-chih t’ung-chien pp.6864, 6868; Wen-hsien
t’ung-k’o 345:16b).
On Apr.26, 746, Hsüan-tsung entitled the Khitan chief Chieh-lo as
King Who Respects Benevolence (Tzu-chih t’ung-chien p.6871).
In the 6th month (July/Aug.) of 750, Khitan envoys were received
at the T’ang court (Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5030).
In 751, the Khitan defeated An Lu-shan (Chiu T’ang shu 199B:7b).
Thereafter, relations between the Khitan and T’ang settled down to
peaceful routine.
In the 8th month (Aug./Sep.) of 762, Khitan offered gifts (Ts’e-fu
yüan-kuei p.5031).
In the 8th month (Aug./Sep.) of 767 and in the 12th month (Dec./
Jan., 768) of the same Chinese year, Khitan envoys offered gifts (Ts’e-
fu yüan-kuei p.5031).
In the 12th month (January 770) of the Chinese year 769, Khitan
envoys offered gifts (Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5031).
(^8) He did not, of course “pardon the crime” as claimed by Tzu-chih t’ung-chien.
(^9) By Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao called Li Huai-hsiu.