638 chin
On Jan.28, 1161, the New Year’s Day, Southern Sung envoys
congratulated at the Chin court. They had received their orders on
Nov.2, 1160. On the same day, Chin envoys congratulated at the
Southern Sung court. They had arrived on Jan.21 (Sung shih 31:20a;
Chin shih 5:19b).
On Feb.12, 1161. Southern Sung envoys to the Chin court congratu-
lated on the birthday of the Dismissed Emperor. They had received
their orders on Nov.2, 1160 (Chin shih 5:20a).
On May 25, 1161, Kao-tsung sent envoys to the Chin court to
congratulate on the Dismissed Emperor’s intended move to K’ai-feng
(Sung shih 32:2a).
On the same June 14, 1161, Chin envoys arrived at the Southern
Sung court to congratulate on the birthday of Kao-tsung.^31 One of the
envoys threatened the Southern Sung with war (Sung shih 32:2a-2b).
On July 4, 1161, Chin envoys to the Southern Sung court announced
that the Dismissed Emperor was about to move to K’ai-feng (Sung
shih 32:3a).
On Aug.14, 1161, Southern Sung envoys were arrested by the
Dismissed Emperor (Sung shih 32:3b).
The war broke out on Oct.28, 1161, when the Chin troops, led by
the Dismissed Emperor, crossed the Huai River and soon reached the
Yangtze. But a strong Jurchen faction, opposed to him, his cruelties,
and his policies, proclaimed on Oct.27 a new ruler in his absence. This
was Emperor Shih-tsung, born in 1123 as a son of the eighth son of
T’ai-tsu, and hence a second cousin of the Dismissed Emperor. On
Dec.15, the Dismissed Emperor was murdered by his own officers.
He was posthumously demoted first to king of Hai-ling and then to
commoner (Chin shih 5:24a, 24b; 6:2b-3a, 4a).
On Jan.9, 1162, Shih-tsung sent the Marshal and Inspector of the
Army of the Left to the Southern Sung court to inform about the
recent events, and on Feb.7 other envoys announced his enthronment
(Sung shih 32:11b; Chin shih 32:13b). The war continued however until
1165.
On July 28, 1162, Southern Sung envoys to the Chin court con-
gratulated on Shih-tsung’s enthronement (Chin shih 6:7b).
On July 24, 1162, Emperor Kao-tsung of Southern Sung abdi-
cated. He died on Nov.9, 1187, aged 81. Kao-tsung was succeeded
(^31) It fell on June 15.