liao 533in Ch’ang-an. K’o-t’u-yü enthroned Li Chin-chung’s younger brother
Shao-ku, who was then recognized by Hsüan-tsung^4. In the winter of
725, Hsüan-tsung made a tour of inspection to the northeast and met
with Shao-ku (Chiu T’ang shu 199B:6b-7a; Tzu-chih t’ung-chien p.6769;
Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 345:16b).
In the 1st month (Feb./Mar.) of 726,^5 K’o-t’u-yü personally offered
regional objects. But he was insulted by a Gentleman-in-Attendance
of the Masters of Writing and departed angrily (Chiu T’ang shu 199B:
7a;Tzu-chih t’ung-chien p.6789; Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5028).
In 726, Shao-ku personally paid a visit to the T’ang court. Hsüan-
tsung appointed him on Feb.10, 726,^6 as General of the Feathered For-
est, Supernumerary General-in-chief, and Grand Commissioner of the
non-existant Army Which Gives Repose to the Imperial Domain, and
enfeoffed him as king of Kuang-hua commandery. He also enfeoffed
the Lady Ch’en, a daughter of one of his sisters, as Princess of Tung-
hua and on Apr.10^7 married her to him. She returned with him to
the Khitan homeland (Chiu T’ang shu 8:14a; 199B:7a; Tzu-chih t’ung-
chien p.6770).
In the 4th month (May/June) of 726, the Khitan chief Li-nao and
others, six men in all, were received at the T’ang court. In the 7th
month (August), the chief Su Ku-to came to the court (Ts’e-fu yüan-
kuei p.5028).
On June 15, 730, it became known at the T’ang court that K’o-t’u-
yü had killed Li Shao-ku, had replaced him with a certain Ch’ü-lieh,
and had allied himself with the Eastern Turks. Shao-ku’s widow, the
Princess of Tung-hua, fled to China. Later in June, unidentified Khi-
tan envoys presented 12 horses. In the 11th month (Dec./Jan., 731)
of the same Chinese year 730, other Khitan envoys offered gifts (Chiu
T’ang shu 8:17a, 199B:7a; Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5028; Tzu-chih t’ung-chien
p.6789;Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 345:16b).
In 732, a Chinese army defeated K’o-t’u-yü. In 733, he was mur-
dered by his subordinate Li Kuo-che who then proclaimed himself
king. In 735, Hsüan-tsung appointed him Acting Chief Commandant,
(^4) Hsüan-tsung “allowed it”, as Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao would have it.
(^5) Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei dates the visit 725, but according to the sequence of events
given in Chiu T’ang shu it must have taken place in 726.
(^6) The date is according to Tzu-chih t’ung-chien. Chiu T’ang shu gives the cyclical
characters of kuei-hai which did not occur in the 1st month.
(^7) Correcting jen-tzu to jen-wu.