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been awarded the imperial surname in 869 for his military exploits. Although Li K’o-yung's loyalty was not as unwavering as either Ch'i-pi's or Kao's, his tribal and provincial armies were considered the best in the empire, and his services—particularly during the rebellion of Huang Ch'ao (875-884)—were therefore indispensable to the throne. He was given high rank and large financial awards in the hope of securing his fidelity, but in the end he became a virtually independent warlord.37
Less prominent in the record, but no less significant, is the employment of Wen-mo-ssu (Ormudz), a Uighur prince who submitted, together with more than 2,000 of his troops, to the T'ang after the destruction of the Uighur capital by the Khirgiz in 840. It was his submission that inspired the compilation of the I-yü kuei-chung chuan as a monument to foreign loyalty and military merit.38 Descriptions of Wen-mo-ssu's "return" to China, and his career as a T'ang military officer, highlight the behavior patterns and attitudes of barbarian employees deemed most admirable by the Chinese: Loyalty and sincerity, “intuitive” knowledge of right behavior, respect for the throne, and admiration for Chinese ways. These were clear indications that the barbarian had "turned toward Chinese civilization."39 But the Chinese could also admit freely the practical circumstances of the Uighur prince's submission. Li Te-yü, in fact, considered the decision to leave a “disordered state" evidence of Wen-mo-ssu's wisdom—an additional attribute.40
As a Chinese officer, Wen-mo-ssu conformed to, and even exceeded, the expectations of his imperial masters. A zealous partisan, who devoted his "utmost efforts" to defending China, Wen-mo-ssu was also fully conversant with Chinese customs. As evidence of his complete "return" to China, the former Uighur aristocrat requested that he be allowed to marry and make his home in the Middle Kingdom. Obviously such loyalty could not go unrewarded. In addition to enfeoffment, high office and material awards such as banners and leopard tails, Wen-mo-ssu received the imperial surname as a mark of the throne's favor; henceforth he was known as Li Ssu-chung (lit., Li, whose thoughts are loyal). As might be expected of tradition-minded officials and the throne, requests for such honors, as well as the edicts in response, often looked to classic literature and precedent for sanction.41
But the employment of foreigners in the T'ang, as had been the case in Han times, was not without its hazards. Arab and Turkish