Entry

The Regional Commander and Qian-guo Duke Mu Cong memorialized: "Recently, I received an Imperial command noting that in the inheritance of native-official posts, only the censors and officials of the three offices need investigate the appropriate heir. Since the time of my grandfather and father, our family has guarded Yun-nan and we have a familiarity and awareness of the situation of the yi, as well as a detailed knowledge of their genealogies and tribes. Many of the current censors and officials of the three offices are unfamiliar with the situation of the yi, or else they approve requests improperly, leading to squabbling over succession between native officials and successive years of feuding and killing. It is requested that the old system be followed and that I make arrangements, so that these matters are handled uniformly." The Ministry of War deliberated and advised: "The inheritance of posts is not a major military matter and not something which needs to be decided by Imperial order." The Emperor said: "Cong and his forebears have long had the trust and submission of the border yi in Yun-nan. Now, when there is inheritance of a native-official post, if Cong does not notify them of the change, people may become suspicious. These matters are to be handled in accordance with the precedents during the Zheng-tong reign (1436-49)."