Entry

The person Wu Rui had his origins in Wen-chang County in Guang-dong. During the Cheng-hua reign (1465-87), he went with thirteen fellow county-men, including Liu Qiu, from his county to Qin Subprefecture to engage in trade. They met with winds and were blown to the coastal border of Annam, where the maritime patrols took them into custody and sent them to that country. Qiu and so on were all sent to open up state farms, while Rui, as the only young person, was castrated. In the 10th year of the Hong-zhi reign (1497/98), the king of the country Li Hao died. Rui went to Dong-jin to command troops and, through the soldier Yang San-zhi of the Liang-shan Guard, learned of the way back to China. He walked for nine days across Mt. Lu before reaching Long Subprefecture. The family of the major chieftain Wei Chen planned to advise the border defence officials and send him back, but Chen did not want to do this. After a time, the country of Annam came to know of the situation and, frightened that state secrets would be disclosed, sent a spy with 100 jin (百金) to purchase his return. Chen advised that the amount was too small, but before the negotiations were completed, Li Guang-ning, the magistrate of Ping-xiang Subprefecture heard of the matter and led troops to wrest him [Rui] away. He then sent him to the Censor-in-Chief Deng Ting-zan, an official of the general administration circuit, who sent him on to the capital. The Ministry of Rites requested that Chen be punished as a warning to the border peoples and that Guang-ning be rewarded as encouragement to the native officials. This was approved. Rui was sent to the Directorate of Ceremonial and employed.