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Cheng-hua: Year 17, Month 9, Day 1

23 Sep 1481

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The envoy Duan-ya-ma-la-di-na-zha and others from the country of Melaka memorialized: "In the fifth year of the Cheng-hua reign (1469/70), when our country's envoy Wei-zhe-ran-na was at sea on his journey home after offering tribute [to the Court], he was blown by the wind to the country of Annam. Wei-zhe-ran-na and his attendants were all killed by that country, while the remaining persons were tattooed and made slaves of officials. The younger ones were all made eunuchs." They also said: " Annam has occupied the cities of Champa and wants to annex Melaka's territory. As we are all ministers of the Emperor, our country has dared not raise troops to engage in war with them." It happened that an envoy from Annam had at this time also come to Court and Duan-ya-ma-la-di-na-zha requested that this matter be discussed in the Court. The Minister of War Chen Yue held that the event was already well past and that there was no need to deeply examine it, but that warnings about future actions should be issued. As the Annam envoy was returning home, the Emperor sent instructions to their king, Li Hao. The instructions read: "Both your country and Melaka follow the Court's calendar. You should maintain good relations with them and act as a screen for the Court. How can you presume on your own strength to go against the patterns of the state and bring Heaven's calamities upon yourself? The Court does not lightly trust in what the Melakan envoy has memorialized, but you should examine yourself and think about your faults, stand in awe of Heaven, respect the law and guard your own country." In addition, orders of instruction were issued to the envoys from the country of Melaka. The orders read: "Since ancient times, the Sage kings, in exercising control over the yi in the four directions, have not pursued events which occurred in the past. If Annam is again aggressive or oppresses you, you should train soldiers and horses to defend against them."

Xian-zong: juan 219.1a-b

Zhong-yang Yan-jiu yuan Ming Shi-lu, volume 48, page 3785/86

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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/cheng-hua/year-17-month-9-day-1, accessed January 22, 2019