Entry

Zhang Jin, vice director of the right in the Messenger Office, who had been sent as an envoy to Champa, was sent to prison for an offence. Previously, Jin, together with the Supervising Secretary Feng Yi were ordered to take Imperial orders and a seal with which to enfeoff Zhai-ya-ma-wu-an, the grandson of the king of the country of Champa, as the king. They took many private goods, so that they could trade for profits. When they reached Guang-dong, it was heard that Zhai-ya-ma-wu-an had already died and that Ha-na-ba and others who had been sent by Zhai-ya-ma-wu-an's younger brother Gu-lai had come to request enfeoffment. Fearing that they would lose their profits if they returned without trading, they hurried to Champa. The people of Champa advised them that after the king's grandson had requested enfeoffment, he had been killed by Gu-lai and that Annam had already sent false Imperial orders appointing Ti-po-tai, a person of that country [Champa], to temporarily handle the country's affairs. Jin and so on did not wait and memorialize the facts, but instead hastily conferred the seal and silks on Ti-po-tai, enfeoffing him as king. For this they received a bribe of 100 liang of gold. They then passed through the country of Melaka, traded all of their private goods and returned. Yi died of illness at sea. Jin memorialized the details and handed over the false Imperial orders to the Court. The Ministry of Rites submitted an impeachment against Jin accusing him of daring to enfeoff a person without authority and stated that he should be punished in accordance with the law. It was ordered that he be imprisoned in the Embroidered-Uniform Guard and that the case be investigated. Only then was the full situation revealed. The judicial offices held that, as was the case when a senior minister appointed an official without authority, Jin merited decapitation. At this time, Ha-na-ba from Champa was in the Institute and, through interpreters, the Ministry of Rites questioned him. He said that Gu-lai was truly the king's younger brother and that Zhai-ya-ma-wu-an's death had resulted from illness, not from murder. As to the Ti-po-tai spoken of, he did not know of such a person. It was ordered that Ha-na-ba and the others temporarily return to Guang-dong. The authorities there were instructed to treat them with propriety, wait until the envoy sent by Ti-po-tai to express gratitude for Imperial kindness arrived, and make enquiries as to the veracity of what had been claimed, so that arrangements could be made.