chin 629On Sep.17, 1139, Kao-tsung sent envoys to the Chin court to
congratulate on the New Year’s Day of Jan.22, 1140 (Sung shih 29:
7b-8a).
On Oct.19, 1139, the by now well-seasoned Southern Sung diplo-
mat Wang Lun^8 requested the Chin court that Kao-tsung’s still-living
mother, the Lady Wei,^9 be released and escorted to the Southern Sung
court, and that the corpse of Hui-tsung be returned. He was arrested.
In the 10th month (Oct./Nov.), Wang Lun had an audience with
Hsi-tsung who urged him to take service with the Chin. He refused
but was allowed to send his deputy back to Southern Sung (Sung shih
29:8a;Chin shih 4:8b).
On Mar.25, 1141, Hsi-tsung changed the title of the late Emperor
Hui-tsung posthumously from Duke of Stupified Virtue to king of
T’ien-shui commandery and that of the still living Emperor Ch’in-
tsung from Marquis of Aggravated Stupidity to Duke of T’ien-shui
commandery (Chin shih 4:7a). This was a political move, signaling that
an end of the long war between Chin and Southern Sung was in sight.
In the latter state, whose capital from 1138 had been Lin-an, the peace
party under Ch’in Kuei had come to power, and the famous general
and war advocate Yüeh Fei was executed in 1141.
On Oct.2, 1141, Kao-tsung sent envoys to the Chin court to propose
that the troops be halted and the Huai River be made the border. These
envoys returned to the Southern Sung court on Nov.10, whereupon
two further envoys were dispatched. On Dec.6, Chin envoys were
received at the Southern Sung court, and on Dec.17, a covenant of
peace was agreed on. This was, as usual, confirmed by oath letters.
That of Kao-tsung was sent on Dec.20 by an envoy, who was received
in audience by the Chin ruler Hsi-tsung on Jan.9, 1142. In this let-
ter, Kao-tsung referred to himself by his first name, called himself
a subject, and referred to Chin as the “Superior State”. He agreed
that with minor exceptions the Huai River should be the border, that
Southern Sung from 1142 would pay an annual tribute of 250,000
ounces of silver and 250,000 bolts of silk delivered at the border in
the last month of spring, that it would not place large garrisons at
the border, that it would return fugitives from the north, and that it
(^8) This was his sixth mission to Chin.
(^9) She had been a concubine of Hui-tsung. After Kao-tsung in 1137 had learned
of the death of Hui-tsung’s empress, the Lady Cheng, he promoted his mother in
absentia to Empress Dowager.