liao 569[On Jan.28], 1020, [the New Year’s Day,] two Sung envoys con-
gratulated at the Liao court (Liao shih 16:4b).
In the 7th month (July/Aug.) of 1020, Sheng-tsung sent two envoys
to the Sung court to congratulate on the birthday of Chen-tsung^82
and on the New Year’s Day of Feb.15, 1021. The birthday mission
arrived in the 11th month (Nov./Dec.) and the New Year’s mission
in the intercalary month (Jan./Feb., 1021) of the Chinese year 1020
(Liao shih 16:4b; Hsü Tzu-chih t’ung-chien ch’ang-pien pp.837, 860).
In the 9th month (Sep./Oct.) of 1020, Chen-tsung sent two envoys
to the Liao court to congratulate on the birthday of Sheng-tsung^83
(Liao shih 16:5a).^84
On Feb.15, 1021, the New Year’s Day, two Sung envoys congratu-
lated at the Liao court (Liao shih 16:5b).
On Nov.17, 1021, two Sung envoys arrived at the Liao court to
congratulate on the birthday of Sheng-tsung^85 and another two envoys
to congratulate on the New Year’s Day of Feb.4, 1022. Sheng-tsung
immediately sent two envoys on a goodwill mission in response (Liao
shih 16:6a).
In the 11th month (Dec./Jan., 1022) of the Liao year 1021, a Sung
goodwill mission arrived at the Liao court (Liao shih 16:6b).
On Jan.1, 1022, Liao envoys arrived at the Sung court to con-
gratulate on the birthday of Chen-tsung^86 (Hsü Tzu-chih t’ung-chien
ch’ang-pienp.868).
On Feb.4, 1022, the New Year’s Day, Liao envoys congratulated
at the Sung court (Hsü Tzu-chih t’ung-chien ch’ang-pien p.869).^87
On Mar.23, 1022, Emperor Chen-tsung died, aged 55, and was
succeeded by his sixth son. This was Emperor Jen-tsung. He had not
yet reached majority, and until 1027 the Empress Dowager, widow of
Chen-tsung but not Jen-tsung’s mother, conducted the government. She
(^82) It fell on Dec.18.
(^83) It fell on Apr.15, 1021.
(^84) These envoys or those who returned from the New Year congratulations
reported on the customs of the Khitan (Sung hui-yao kao 5257:47b).
(^85) It fell on Apr.4, 1022.
(^86) It fell on Jan.7.
(^87) The text dates the arrival of the mission 12th month, mou-tzu, of the Chinese
year 1021, but these cyclical characters did not occur in that month. Although wu
often is miswritten tzu,mou-wu is in this case not a reasonable emendation. It would
give the date of Jan.22, 1022, which does not fit into the chronological pattern dis-
cussed below. The date of arrival must therefore be questionable.