Entry

Liu Gang, a secretary in the Ministry of Rites and superintendent of the Interpreters Institute advised: "Under the old regulations, when yi persons from the various places came to offer tribute and arrived at the Institute, they would be allowed to go out once every five days. On other days, they would not be allowed to freely come and go. Only the envoys from the two countries of Korea and Ryukyu were allowed to go out and trade and were not restricted by the five-day rule. Recently, the Ministry of Justice and other departments have memorialized new regulations abolishing this preferential treatment. The envoys from the two countries are disappointed. Also, under the old regulations, after the yi persons received their rewards and they advised that they wished to trade, business persons and merchants were allowed to bring goods into the Institute to trade. They were allowed to trade, on an equal basis, for five days. However, under the new regulations, when the yi persons are allowed to trade, the two counties of Wan-ping and Da-xing are required to send officials to select merchants to come into the Institute. The merchants and the yi persons are not suited to each other and the goods which the merchants sell are not the things which the yi persons want. It is requested that in both these respects, the old regulations be adhered to. Further, the new regulations note that if, after their arrival at the Institute, there are any transgressions by the foreign yi, then without regard to the seriousness of the offence, impeachments are to be submitted against the superintending secretary, as well as against the interpreters, the escorts and so on. However, the secretary only superintends major matters in the Institute. His functions are different from those of the interpreters and escorts. Now, any impeachments will extend to the innocent. This is not the appropriate way to demonstrate the state's dignity to the yi from the four direction. It is requested that other arrangements be considered." The Ministry of Rites deliberated and advised: "The two first-mentioned matters should be handled as Gang proposed in his memorial. Also, after the yi arrive at the Institute, if there is a murder or other major offence, the superintendent should be impeached. For other matters, charges should only be laid against the interpreters and escorts." This was approved.