386 the turkic tribes
In the 9th month (October) of 628, Turks raided Chinese border
territory, but in the 11th month (Secember), Hsieh-li’s envoys offered
several 10,000 heads of horses and cattle (Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5023;
Tzu-chih t’ung-chien p.6057).
T’ai-tsung was now planning an attack on Hsieh-li and allied himself
for that purpose with the Hsüeh-yen-t’o. This was a Turkish T’ieh-le
tribe in northern Zungharia. Some Eastern Turkish tribes offered their
support against Hsieh-li (Chiu T’ang shu 194A:4b; Tzu-chih t’ung-chien
p.6061;Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 343:7b).
In the 8th month (Aug.Sep.) of 629, Hsieh-li requested through
envoys a marriage with a Chinese princess. In the 11th month (Nov./
Dec.), he again invaded Chinese borderlands but suffered a crushing
defeat on Mar.27, 630. He fled with a much reduced force (Chiu T’ang
shu 194A:5a; T’ung-tien 197:40b; Tzu-chih t’ung-chien pp.6066, 6072;
Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 343:8a).
In early 630, Hsieh-li proposed to personally call on the emperor
and recognize his overlordship. T’ai-tsung sent the Superintendent
of the Imperial Household, T’ang Chien, and others as his envoys to
Hsieh-li. He also ordered the general Li Ching to meet and welcome
Hsieh-li. The arrival of T’ang Chien reassured Hsieh-li. But Li Ching,
whether acting on his own or by orders of T’ai-tsung, suddenly attacked
him on Mar.27. T’ang Chien was barely able to save himself by escap-
ing to the Chinese army. Li Ching killed many Turks and captured
a great many. Among them were the Princess of Yi-ch’eng, her son
Tieh-lo-shih, the Empress Dowager Hsiao, widow of Emperor Yang
of Sui, who had found a refuge among the Eastern Turks, and Hsieh-
li’s protegé Yang Cheng-tao. The Sui empress and Yang Cheng-tao,
were escorted to Ch’ang-an and treated well, Cheng-tao being made
a a Supernumerary Cavalier Gentleman-in-Attendance. Many chiefs
surrendered. Hsieh-li fled but was captured (Sui shu 59:9b; 67:3b; Chiu
T’ang shu 194A:5a; T’ung-tien 197:40b; Tzu-chih t’ung-chien pp.6072, 6073;
Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 343:8a).
On Apr.6, 630, T’ai-tsung issued an amnesty to celebrate the vic-
tory over the Eastern Turks (Tzu-chih t’ung-chien p.6073).
At this time, Hsieh-li was brought to Ch’ang-an. T’ai-tsung treated
him leniently and reunited him with his family (Chiu T’ang shu 194A:
5a;T’ung-tien 197:40b; Tzu-chih t’ung-chien p.6074; Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao
343:8a).
On May 20, 630, T’ai-tsung received Hsieh-li in audience and
inflicted a gratuitous moral lecture on him. He then supplied him