204 the northeast
considered this a hostile act. To forestall a possible attack by the Black
River Mo-ho, he decided to take the offensive himself. He placed his
full younger brother Ta Men-yi and his maternal uncle Jen-ya in com-
mand of troops and ordered them to march against the Black River
Mo-ho. Men-yi had stayed in the T’ang capital and had returned from
there soon after 713. He was friendly to China and advised against the
war. Wu-yi replaced him and summoned him to his court. Fearing for
his life, Men-yi fled to Ch’ang-an, where Hsüan-tsung appointed him
General of the Resolute Guards of the Left. Wu-yi dispatched envoys
to the T’ang court and demanded Men-yi’s execution. Hsüan-tsung
secretely sent Men-yi to Central Asia. He detained the Po-hai envoys,
informed Wu-yi through the Junior Herald that, since Men-yi had
attached himself to China, he could not be killed, and stated falsely
that Men-yi had been banished to the far south. Wu-yi repeated his
demand, which infuriated the emperor (Chiu T’ang shu 199B:12a-12b;
Tzu-chih t’ung-chien pp.6774-6775; Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 326:57b).
In the 11th month (Nov.,/Dec.) of the same year 726, a son of the
king of the Po-hai Mo-ho (i.e. of Wu-yi) offered regional objects (Chiu
T’ang shu 8:14b; Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5028).
In the 10th month (Nov./Dec.) of 727, Mo-ho envoys offered
regional objects (Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5028).
In the 2nd month (Mar./Apr.) of 729, the Po-hai Mo-ho presented
falcons and mullets (Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5028).
On Jan.23, 730, the New Year’s Day, a younger brother of a Mo-ho
chief congratulated at the T’ang court and presented regional objects
(Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5028).
In the 2nd month (Feb./Mar.) of 730, a Po-hai Mo-ho chief pre-
sented regional objects and 30 horses (Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5028).
In the 5th month (May/June) of 730, a Po-hai Mo-ho envoy offered
five seal skins, three leopard furs, one cup of carnelian, and 30 horses
(Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5028).
In the 9th month (Oct./Nov.) of 730, Mo-ho envoys offered gifts
(Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5028).
In the 2nd month (Mar./Apr.) of 731, Po-hai Mo-ho envoys were
received at the T’ang court. In the 10th month (Nov./Dec.) of the
same year, a mission from the king of the Po-hai Mo-ho, consisting of
120 men, arrived at the T’ang court (Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5028).
In spite of the subsequent missions, the relations between Po-hai
and T’ang had been strained since 726. This led to a naval raid by
Po-hai on the important port of Teng on the northern coast of Shan-