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Tian-qi: Year 3, Month 4, Day 12

10 May 1623

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The Minister of War Dong Han-ru and others advised: "The `bay yi' did not shirk a journey of 8,000 li to come from the distance to the capital, and from our hearts we humbly commend their loyalty and obedience. We have inspected their firearms and their swords and the former are excellent while the latter and sharp. Their large guns (大銃) are particularly powerful firearms. If we carefully manufacture guns by copying from each of the types, and if we have one person train ten and have those ten persons train one hundred, they will be able to destroy any bandits against whom they are pitted. Now, those who have come include seven yi chieftains, one interpreter and 16 attendants. They should be allowed an audience as if they were yi coming to offer tribute, provided with wine and food and rewarded with appropriate silver and silks, to show that they are being treated well. We have examined their skills, manufactured gunpowder and selected men for training. When they are fully trained, we can send them to Shan-hai, where they will be employed by the bulwark officials in charge there." The Emperor approved all the proposals.

Xi-zong: juan 33.13a-b

Zhong-yang Yan-jiu yuan Ming Shi-lu, volume 128, page 1701/02

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Preferred form of citation for this entry:

Geoff Wade, translator, Southeast Asia in the Ming Shi-lu: an open access resource, Singapore: Asia Research Institute and the Singapore E-Press, National University of Singapore, http://epress.nus.edu.sg/msl/reign/tian-qi/year-3-month-4-day-12-0, accessed January 22, 2019