Entry

The Qian-guo Duke Mu Cong, regional commander of Yun-nan, advised: "The re-opened silver mines at Xin-xing, Huang-kuang, Nan-an and Mt. Jing have very small veins, but the taxation quota has recently raised to over 102,300 liang. The mines have been pushed ever deeper and now water stands in them. Thus, the difficulties of extraction have increased and this has led to the death of an incalculable number of miners. The officials want to fulfil their annual quotas and thus they push the miners to make up the deficiency. The destitute miners have thus had to sell their children and there are those who have killed themselves. Further, the various mines are very close to Jiao-zhi, and if there are border troubles, they cannot be defended. It is requested that, in accordance with the precedent of the second year of the Tian-shun reign (1458/59) and that of the ninth year of the Cheng-hua reign (1473/74), the annual levy be fixed at 50,000 liang or 20,000-plus liang. In this way, the demands on the labourers will be eased a little and there will be no trouble in the area." The Ministry of Revenue proposed that the suggestion made by Cong and so on should be approved. It was ordered that there was no need for a reduction and that the amount set in the quota should be levied.