Entry

Imperial orders were sent to the Qian-guo Duke Mu Cong, regional commander of Yun-nan, requiring that he send a despatch for the instruction of Li Hao, the king of the country of Annam. Previously, the Eunuch Director Qian Neng, grand defender of Yun-nan, instructed the Guard Commander Guo Jing to take Imperial orders to the country of Annam. He did not go by the old route through Guang-xi, but proceeded directly from Yun-nan. Thus, that country sent the attendant minister He Xuan and others to deliver a memorial and, on the pretext that they were to forward offenders from Long Subprecture in Guang-xi, followed Jing along his route to Yun-nan. Advising that they wished to send the offenders to the capital, they demanded 600 porters and sent a despatch to the Yun-nan Regional Commander Mu Cong and other officials. Cong advised and forward the despatch. The memorial was sent to the Ministry of War which deliberated and advised: "Yun-nan has never, since the time of the Imperial ancestors, been the route by which the Jiao people have come to offer tribute. Now, they wish to send offenders to the capital by this route. The principles do not allow the approval of this. It is requested that Cong and so on be ordered to send a despatch clearly instructing that country that as the offenders they wish to forward to the Court are natives of Long Subprefecture, a place under the jurisdiction of Guang-xi, they should send them to Guang-xi, where they will be taken into custody. Guang-xi will then send a memorial to the Court requesting permission to punish them. There is no need to make use of other routes or to disturb the people in order to send them to the capital from afar. Further, Cong and the others should be instructed to drill the troops and protect the borders in order to guard against the unexpected." This was approved. Annam's tribute route had always been through Guang-xi. At this time, as Qian Neng had been in communication with the Jiao, they wished to come via Yun-nan, in order to avoid the resentment of Long Subprefecture.