668 chin
Virtue and Marquis of of Aggravated Stupidity, were blatant insults.
No Chin emperor requested a Chinese princess in marriage. On the
contrary, T’ai-tsung of Chin ordered in 1130 that Hui-tsung’s six cap-
tive daughters in Manchuria be married to members of the imperial
Chin clan. Since Hui-tsung’s consent was not asked and the marriages
were performed on T’ai-tsung’s dictum, these were a severe humili-
ation to the Chinese. When Hui-tsung died in 1135, Chin did not
bother to inform the Southern Sung, and the death did not become
known there until 1137. After the peace treaty of 1142, Chin released
Kao-tsung’s mother and the coffins of Hui-tsung, Hui-tsung’s empress
and Kao-tsung’s empress, but Ch’in-tsung remained in captivity. Kao-
tsung’s request in 1151 for the release of Ch’in-tsung was refused.
When Ch’in-tsung died in 1156, his death did not become known at
the Southern Sung court until 1161. In 1170, Chin agreed to return
the coffin of Ch’in-tsung, but there is no record that it ever arrived
in Lin-an. Attempts by Southern Sung to change the protocol, which
was irksome to it, in 1170 and 1172 were rejected.
The protocol dictated when missions were to arrive at the courts.
Chin shih as a rule does not record the arrival days of Southern Sung
missions for the New Year celebrations, except for the years 1190-
- On three of these occasions they came two days before the
event and on one three days. For the birthday celebrations of the
Chin emperors, the arrival days of the Southern Sung missions are
recorded for 1189-1192. They twice came two days before the event
and twice three days. In contrast, Sung shih as rule does note the arrival
times of the Chin missions. For the New Year celebrations, it gives this
information for 63 years. The missions came once two days before the
event, once three days, fifty-seven times four days, once five days, once
seven days, and twice twenty-eight days. For the birthday celebrations
of the Southern Sung emperors, the arrival days of the Chin missions
are recorded 40 times. The missions came twenty-nine times one day
before the event, nine times two days, once three days, and once five
days. The preferred arrival time to the Southern Sung court for the
New Year celebrations was obviously four days before the events and
for the birthday celebrations one day before the events.
The missions in either direction could be large and comprise
hundreds of persons. It took time to set them up, and the courts
gave orders well in advance. Sung shih records the orders for 56 New
Year missions and 50 birthday missions to the Chin court. Chin shih
gives the corresponding information for 26 New Year missions and