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Wan-li: Year 13, Month 2, Day 3

3 Mar 1585

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During the campaign against the Mang chieftain, the former Yun-nan Regional Inspecting Censor Chen Wen-sui, the State Farms Vice Commissioner Luo Ru-fang, and the Military Defence Circuit Vice Commissioner Hu Xin-de had all improperly accepted horses and were dismissed. Yang Wen-ju, a supervising secretary in the Office of Scrutiny for Personnel, submitted a memorial of dispute, noting their achievements. It read approximately as follows: "When Wen-sui was regional inspector of Yun-nan, Mang Rui-ti brow-beat and exerted pressure on Si Ge. The Grand Coordinator Wang Ning avoided the use of troops and thus fostered the banditry. Only Wen-sui opposed his policies. He memorialized on 10 preparatory defensive measures five years ahead of time and then five years later the appropriateness of all these measures was verified. This was an achievement in terms of providing against danger. Thus Wen-sui should be rewarded. Ru-fang is a famous li-xue scholar. He was deputy in the Jin-chi/Teng-chong military defence circuit. He maintained strict guard defence, trained the native troops, fostered skilled spies and had a powerful military reputation. The grand coordinator envied him for this and within one day five messengers with military pennants and warrants arrived. Thus Ru-fang's troops were dispersed. Also, in Yong-chang, Teng-yue and Kun-yang he realized achievements in the sphere of irrigation. Thus, Ru-fang should be rewarded. Xin-de rode alone into Teng-yue and achieved victory at Zhan-xi and at La-di. He planned the capture of Zhang Da-ben and his son, and beheaded Dao Luo-can. However, when Yue Feng had lost his power, Xin-de falsely memorialized that Mang wanted to offer tribute. This crime was based on a false statement by Han Ba, and it should not be allowed to obscure his achievements. Thus, Xin-de should be rewarded." The Ministry of Personnel re-submitted the memorial noting that only Wen-sui should be employed, saying that Ru-fang was already old and no longer suited for the vexations of government office. The Emperor felt that the former accuser of Ru-fang should be investigated and held up to reprobation, but that Ru-fang be no longer employed and that, together with Xin-de, he be required to retire.

Shen-zong: juan 158.1b-2a

Zhong-yang Yan-jiu yuan Ming Shi-lu, volume 103, page 2904/05

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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/wan-li/year-13-month-2-day-3, accessed January 22, 2019