576 liao
went through the act of weeping. He suspended the court for seven
days and sent four envoys to the Liao court to condole, another two
to sacrifice, two to congratulate Hsing-tsung on his enthronement, and
two to congratulate his mother on becoming the Empress Dowager.
This mission was received at the Liao court on Sep.25 (Sung shih 9:
13a-13b;Liao shih 18:1a-1b, 2a; Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 346:23a).
On Oct.18, 1031, the Liao court sent the Palace Assistant Secretary,
the Minister of Agriculture, a general, and the Commissioner of the
Lodges for the Four Quarters to thank the Sung for the condolence
and sacrifice (Sung shih 9:13b; Liao shih 18:2b).
On Oct.29, 1031, Jen-tsung appointed an envoy to congratulate on
the birthday of the new Liao emperor Hsing-tsung,^116 other envoys to
congratulate the Empress Dowager on the New Year’s Day of Feb.14,
1032, and still other envoys to congratulate Hsing-tsung on the New
Year’s Day (Liao shih 18:3a; Hsü Tzu-chih t’ung-chien ch’ang-pien p.986).
On Oct.30, 1031, the Liao Empress Dowager sent a Master of Writ-
ing of the Ministry of Works and the Minister of Imperial Entertain-
ments to the Sung court to convey Sheng-tsung’s testamentary gifts.
The Supreme General of the Metropolitan Guard of the Right and
the Inspector of the Privy Treasury were to express further thanks
on behalf of the Empress Dowager, and the Supreme General of the
Palace Gate Guards and the Commissioner of the Office of Presenta-
tions were to do the same on behalf of Hsing-tsung. The envoys with
the testamentary gifts arrived at the Sung court on Nov.22, and the
others on Jan.18, 1032 (Sung shih 9:13b; Liao shih 18:2b; Hsü Tzu-chih
t’ung-chien ch’ang-pien pp.986, 988).
On Feb.7, 1032, Liao envoys arrived at the Sung court to con-
gratulate the Empress Dowager on the New Year’s Day of Feb.14.
On Feb.8, other envoys arrived to congratulate Jen-tsung on the New
Year’s Day. They had received their orders on Nov.11, 1031 (Liao shih
18:2b;Hsü Tzu-chih t’ung-chien ch’ang-pien p.988).
On Feb.16, 1032, two Sung envoys arrived at the Liao court to
congratulate on the birthday of the Empress Dowager^117 (Liao shih
18:3a).
(^116) The birth date of Hsing-tsung is not recorded. However, on Apr.30, 1040, a
general amnesty was proclaimed in Liao because of his birthday (Liao shih 18:9a-9b).
If, as must be assumed, the amnesty was granted on his actual birthday, he was born
on the 17th day of the 3rd month. In 1032, it fell on Apr.29.
(^117) The date of her birth is not known.