chin 625three pounds of tea. On his return to the Sung court, the chief envoy
reported on what he had noticed of Chin fortifications (Sung shih 22:
10a;Chin shih 3:5b).^4
On July 22, 1125, T’ai-tsung sent envoys to Sung to announce that
the last Liao emperor, T’ien-tso, had been captured. These envoys
were received at the Sung court on Oct.22 (Chin shih 3:6a; Sung shih
22:12a).
In the 7th month (August) of 1125, T’ai-tsung sent envoys to the
Sung court (Chin shih 3:6a).
On Nov.11, 1125, Sung envoys to the Chin court congratulated
on the birthday of T’ai-tsung (Chin shih 3:6b).
On Dec.4, 1125, Hui-tsung sent envoys to the Chin court to con-
gratulate (Sung shih 22:12b), presumably on the capture of T’ien-tso.
But war had broken out, the Chin forces had invaded northern
China, and the Sung court in K’ai-feng was in a state of shock. Hui-
tsung abdicated on Jan.18, 1126, and was succeeded by his eldest
son. This was Emperor Ch’in-tsung, born in 1100 (Sung shih 22:13a;
23:2a).
On Jan.30, 1126, the Chin army crossed the Yellow River and on
Jan.31 unsuccessfully attacked one of the city gates of K’ai-feng by
night (Sung shih 23:3b)
On Feb.1, 1126 peace negotiations were begun, in which the Jurchen
sent first one envoy and then another. After a second unsuccessful
attack on K’ai-feng on Feb.2, negotiations were resumed, and in the
end Sung promised to pay a huge indemnity in gold, silver, and silk,
cede three territories in Ho-pei and Shan-hsi, and render an imperial
prince as a hostage. The annual tribute was settled at 300,000 ounces
of silver, 300,000 bolts of silk, and 1,000,000 strings of cash. The Chin
army then withdrew on Feb.10 (Sung shih 23:3b). The Sung had been
deeply humiliated, its weakness was all too apparent, and in a com-
munication brought by a Sung envoy to the Jurchen camp, the Chin
State was even referred to in characters larger than all others. On
Feb.24, breaking the recent agreement, a Sung Chief Commandant
made a feeble suprise attack on the Chin army, was defeated, and
had to flee (Sung shih 23:3b, 4b). Peace held a little longer, and a new
(^4) The gifts are enumerated in the private acount of the envoy Hsü K’ang-tsung.
See H.Franke in Rossabi, ed., China among Equals, pp.130, 138.