586 liao
Hsing-tsung arrived at the Sung court to congratulate on the birthday
of Jen-tsung^153 (Hsü Tzu-chih t’ung-chien ch’ang-pien p.1606).
On Feb.6, 1054, envoys from the Liao Empress Dowager and from
Hsing-tsung arrived at the Sung court to congratulate on the New
Year’s Day of Feb.11 (Hsü Tzu-chih t’ung-chien ch’ang-pien p.1620).
On May 20, 1054, envoys from the Liao Empress Dowager and
from Hsing-tsung arrived at the Sung court to congratulate on the
birthday of Jen-tsung^154 (Hsü Tzu-chih t’ung-chien ch’ang-pien p.1626).
On Oct.18, 1054, Liao envoys to the Sung court announced that
Liao and Hsia had made peace (Sung shih 12:8a; Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao
346:23b).
On Oct.24, 1054, Jen-tsung sent the State Finance Commissioner
as envoy to the Liao court (Sung shih 12:8a).
On Jan.26, 1055, envoys from the Liao Empress Dowager and from
Hsing-tsung arrived at the Sung court to congratulate on the New
Year’s Day of Jan.31 (Hsü Tzu-chih t’ung-chien ch’ang-pien p.1642).
On Feb.21, 1055, Sung envoys to the Liao court presented a tame
elephant. On Mar.3, Hsing-tsung summoned the Chinese envoys to a
reading of fu and shih poetry (Liao shih 20:9a).
On May 10, 1055, envoys from the Liao Empress Dowager and
from Hsing-tsung arrived at the Sung court to congratulate on the
birthday of Jen-tsung^155 They presented paintings with the likenesses
of Hsing-tsung and his predecessors painted on silk and requested a
portrait of Jen-tsung (Sung shih 12:9a; Hsü Tzu-chih t’ung-chien ch’ang-pien
p.1654;Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 346:23b).
On Aug.28, 1055, Emperor Hsing-tsung died, aged 40. He was
succeeded by his eldest son. This was Emperor Tao-tsung (Liao shih
20:9a; 21:1a).
On Sep.9, 1055, Jen-tsung appointed an envoy to congratulate on
the birthday of the Liao Empress Dowager, another to congratulate on
the birthday of the emperor,^156 another to congratulate the Empress
Dowager on the New Year’s Day of Jan.20, 1056, and another to
congratulate the emperor on the New Year’s Day. This roster was
(^153) It fell on May 4.
(^154) It fell on May 23.
(^155) It fell on May 13.
(^156) The congratulation must have been intended for Hsing-tsung, since news of
his death did not reach the Sung court until Sep.26. His birthday would have fallen
on Apr.4, 1056.