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Zheng-tong: Year 5, Month 10, Day 14

8 Nov 1440

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The Auxiliary Ministry of War advised; "The rebellious Lu-chuan bandit Si Ren-fa has sent a letter in fan script to the Yun-nan regional commander's headquarters. The letter reads: `Initially, I was requested by the Lu-jiang Pacification Officer Xian Jiu-fa to help him avenge himself in a feud. However, later Xian Jiu-fa deceived me into banditry. This led to the Great Army attacking my land and I was greatly terrified. Now, I wish to send an envoy to confess guilt and request that you send a person to guide him and that you memorialize to the Court for me. I pray that pity will be conferred upon me and that I will be spared the sentence of death'." The Ministry said: "Si Ren-fa's words seem earnest. However, his family has for generations received great kindness from the country and they have been pacification superintendents for over 60 years. Yet, he still attacks border areas and kills and carries off troops and civilians. When the army approached his borders, he still dared to go against orders. When the army was withdrawn, he made excuses about being loyal. It is appropriate that further Imperial orders be sent to the Regional Commander Mu Ang and so on requiring that he send people back with the envoys they sent, to pacify and instruct them. If Si Ren-fa is able to show loyalty and incline towards culture, then all his previous crimes should be disregarded. If, like before, he continues to obstruct culture, the facts should be memorialized and he should be eliminated." The Emperor ordered that Imperial orders be sent reprimanding Si Ren-fa and pardoning his crimes. He was instructed to change his ways and start anew and advised that if he did not repent, the Imperial army would proceed there to punish him.

Ying-zong: juan 72.4b-5a

Zhong-yang Yan-jiu yuan Ming Shi-lu, volume 25, page 1396/97

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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/zheng-tong/year-5-month-10-day-14, accessed January 22, 2019