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Xuan-de: Year 2, Month 5, Day 9

3 Jun 1427

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The Si-chuan Regional Military Commission memorialized: "The soldiers Zhao Wen and Shu Nu of the Qing-chuan Battalion, who went on expedition against A-yong and other stockades have rushed back and advised that when the troops reached Huang-tu Po, they set up camp, went to high points and looked in the four directions, but found that there were no fan bandits." In fact, the fan had been encouraged to rebel by Qian Hong, a battalion commander of the Song-pan Guard. An investigation was conducted into the reasons for this. Initially, when the Court ordered the despatch of the Song-pan Imperial troops on expedition to Jiao-zhi, the soldiers were fearful of going and Hong and some others devised a plan. They merely falsely stated that the fan were engaging in plunder and they they should be pursued and punished. When this was advised, there was no option but to exempt them from the expedition to Jiao-zhi. At this time, Hong, Shang Qing and others successively led troops in marching into Mai-za and other villages (簇) and made off with buffalos and horses. The fan people were angered by this and subsequently rebelled. When the events were advised of, the Emperor consulted with his attendant ministers, saying: "I strongly suspect that someone incited this. However, the provincial administration commission and the surveillance commission did not investigate the matter, while the regional military commission just listened to what those below said. There has not been thorough enough investigation of border matters." Subsequently, orders of severe castigation were issued. They read: "You previously memorialized that the fan of A-yong and other stockades had rebelled and killed the Commander Chen Jie and others. Recently, it has been advised that the Song-pan Guard troops were afraid of going to Jiao-zhi and plotted to produce a disturbance. For the Battalion Commanders Qian Hong, Shang Qing and so on, not even death will expiate their crimes. You have been appointed to guard the region and have an important commission from the Court. If you allow cheating and arrogance, take it upon yourselves to deploy Imperial troops and memorialize in a hazy manner, how can you escape being charged with offences! This time, I will be lenient with you. Wait for the Regional Commissioners Han Zheng and Gao Long to arrive and conduct a full investigation. Have the officials and clerks who fabricated details of the military situation in Song-pan Guard, as well as Qian Hong, Shang Qing and the others who were afraid to proceed on expedition fettered and sent to the capital. If facts show that the commander Chen Jie was indeed killed by the bandits, it cannot be tolerated. In such a case, respect the earlier Imperial orders, plan the deployment of Imperial troops and instruct Han Zheng to lead them in punishing the bandits." * A further, untranslated reference relating to this incident can be found at Xuan-zong juan 32.4b-5a.

Xuan-zong: juan 28.2a-b

Zhong-yang Yan-jiu yuan Ming Shi-lu, volume 17, page 0727/28

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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/xuan-de/year-2-month-5-day-9, accessed January 22, 2019