east turkestan 303In the 11th month (Nov./Dec.) of 1003, Kucha envoys offered gifts
(Sung hui-yao kao 1076:2a).
In the 5th month (May/June) of 1004, Kucha envoys offered gifts
(Sung shih 7:7b; Sung hui-yao kao 1076:2a).
In the 6th month (June/July) of 1004, Kucha envoys offered gifts
(Sung hui-yao kao 1076:2a).
In the intercalaray month (Mar./Apr.) of 1010, a mission from the
king and qaghan of Kucha, headed by a certain Li Yen-sheng, with Li
An-fu as his deputy, presented 249 catties of frankincense, two bolts
of flowered cotton, 371 catties of uncut gems, one dromedary, and
15 big-tailed white sheep. In addition to these royal goods, the envoys
traded on their own. Li Yen-sheng offered ten horses, horsetrappings,
and 212 catties of gold and jade. Li An-fu offered 40 catties of amber
and 12 catties of jade. Another envoy offered 69 catties of frankincense,
two catties of jade, and 14 catties of barbarian (hu) huang-lien.^23 Another
envoy offered 76 catties of frankincense. Still another envoy offered
39 catties of frankincense. A Buddhist priest attached to the mission
offered 45 catties of amber and 46 catties of jade (Sung shih 7:26a; 490:
15a;Sung hui-yao kao 1076:2a-2b; Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 336:40a).
In 1011, the mission of the preceding year was still in K’ai-feng,
and the chief envoy, Li Yen-sheng, was appointed General of the
Garrison Guards of the Left (Sung hui-yao kao 1076:2b).
On Jan.1, 1014, a mission from the king of Kucha, consisting of
36 men, offered camels, fine horses, horse trappings, 60 jade lumps,
bows and arrows, aromatic drugs, etc. An edict ordered payment for
these goods (Sung shih 8:8a; 490:15a; Sung hui-yao kao 1076:2b-3a; Hsü
Tzu-chih t’ung-chien ch’ang-pien p.716).
In the 4th month (Apr./May) of 1017, envoys from the king of
Kucha offered horses, jade, and aromatic drugs (Sung hui-yao kao 1076:
3a).
In the 6th month (June/July) of 1017, a Kucha envoy presented
one horse, jade horse trappings, and one jade lump (Sung shih 8:16a,
17b;Sung hui-yao kao 1076:3a).
On Dec.27, 1020, envoys from the qaghan and Lion King (Arslan
or shih-tzu wang) of Kucha and of the Uighurs of Kan chou offered
Bodhi tree. He was presented with a purple robe and belt (Sung-hui yao-kao 1076:2a).
This was not an official mission.
(^23) A bitter plant used for medicine.