the turkic tribes 421In the 1st month (Jan./Feb.) of 757, Su-tsung received a Uighur
envoy in audience (Hsin T’ang shu 217A:3b).
In the 2nd month (Feb./Mar.) of 757, a Uighur mission of 15 men
arrived at the T’ang court (Chiu T’ang shu 195:3a).
On Oct.20, 757, Su-tsung entitled Li Ch’eng-shen’s Uighur wife a
royal consort. The qaghan made Ch’eng-shen a sub-chief. The qaghan’s
heir-apparent, who commanded an army of Uighur infantry and cav-
alry, was given a banquet by Su-tsung and showered with presents.
Su-tsung also ordered his eldest son, Li Yü, the future Emperor Tai-
tsung, to meet with the heir-apparent and to treat him like a brother
(Chiu T’ang shu 195:3a; Hsin T’ang shu 217A:3b).
On Nov.14, 757, the Chinese-Uighur army retook Ch’ang-an and
on Dec.1 Lo-yang.^52 The Uighurs, but also Chinese troops, looted
Lo-yang for three days. In addition, Li Yü presented the Uighur heir-
apparent with silken brocade mats and valuables (Chiu T’ang shu 195:
3b;Hsin T’ang shu 217:4a).
On Dec.8, 757, Su-tsung returned to Ch’ang-an, and on Dec.13
the Uighur heir-apparent arrived there from Lo-yang. The emperor
ordered the officials to welcome him. He then gave a banquet and
presented the Uighur prince and his chiefs with silken fabrics and vessels
of gold and silver. On Dec.30, Su-tsung issued an edict, replete with
abject flattery, in which he appointed the qaghan a nominal Minister
of Works and entitled him King Who Is Loyal and Righteous. He
ordered that the Uighurs henceforth annually were to receive 20,000
bolts of pongee (Chiu T’ang shu 195:3b-4a).
On June 11, 758, 80 Uighur envoys and six envoys of the black-robed
Arabs from the Abbasid caliphate entered the palace for an audience
at the same time. At the Audience Gate, both delegations wrangled
for precedence. The Chinese receptionists separated them and made
them enter simultaneously through the Eastern and Western Gates.
On July 7,^53 the Uighur envoys were given a banquet (Chiu T’ang shu
10:9a; 195:4a; Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5031; Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 347:28b).
The Ko-le Qaghan had previously requested a marriage, and Su-
tsung had agreed. In the 6th month (July/Aug.) of 758, a delegation
of the qaghan arrived to welcome his future wife and to present 500
(^52) Lo-yang fell again to the rebels on June 7, 760, but was retaken with Uighur
help on Nov.20, 762. 53
Correcting 6th month to 5th month. See Mackerras, Uighur Empire, p.133
note 48.