Entry

Li Zhao-tie, a person from Xin-feng County in Jiang-xi, Li Ting-fang of the same county and Zhou Cheng of Fu-jian privately travelled across the ocean to trade with the various fan. When they arrived in Java, they enticed Geng-yi-su and others of that country to take fan goods and come to Guang-dong to trade them. Geng-yi-su's father Ba-di Wu-xin was a chieftain in that country. Zhao-tie had the son inveigle his father and thereby he obtained from him an old tally-slip reference stub with the character "Zhao" (爪) and the number "3" (三號). This, he secreted in case of emergency. On reaching the Wu-zhou Ocean they met strong winds and they were blown to the territory of Dian-bai County. There, he falsely claimed that he was Nai-he-da-ya-mu, a tribute envoy from the country of Java, and they filled in the stub from the tally-slip stub-book with 109 names of fan and Han persons. Their cargo of pepper, wood, gharu-wood and other goods they said were being brought as tribute. The officials sent them to Guang-zhou, where they were provided with grain. The defence officials advised of their arrival. The Ministry of Rites subsequently advised: "The tribute envoys from Java should be bringing a tally-slip with the character "Wa" (哇) and the number "12" (十二號), and the details of the tribute products should be filled in. What has been presented is a stub-book copy, with an incorrect designation, issued in the past. Also, the endorsement has been filled in with approval noted. This is likewise in contravention of the regulations. This is indeed suspicious." The defence officials were instructed to investigate the facts and it was only then that the true situation became known. When the memorial arrived, the Ministry of Rites requested that Zhao-tie and the others be handed over to the Guang-dong Provincial Surveillance Commission for punishment. It also memorialized: "It is requested that the fan goods they brought be placed in store by the provincial administration commission. Ba-di Wu-xin fraudulently issued the tally-slip stub to his son. The provincial administration commission should be instructed to send a despatch to the king of the country requiring that he severely punish him for his crime. Also, he should be instructed to carefully guard the tally-slip stub book, so that evil persons cannot steal it. The Guang-dong defence officials must, in future, when foreign tribute envoys arrive, ensure that they are carrying originally-issued tally-slips. Only then should they be permitted to memorialize." This was approved.