Entry

The Ministry of War memorialized its joint deliberations on the appropriate arrangements for a punitive expedition against Annam, advising: "It is requested that a senior military official be appointed as regional commander to exercise overall supervision over military matters. He should be specially designated as an Imperially-commissioned general. Also two deputy regional commanders, four assistant regional commanders and four mobile corps commanders should be selected. They should all be placed under the command of the senior commander. Further, a senior civil official with long experience in administration should be appointed to exercise overall control of civil (Alt: military) matters and carry out activities in consultation with the regional commander. As to the two offices of Guang-dong/Guang-xi and Yun-nan/Gui-zhou as well as the senior and junior officials under them, we should investigate and make necessary changes, select those who have management powers and abilities and are skilled in providing assistance, and prepare them for duties. Two senior ministers should be sent to Yun-nan/Gui-zhou and Guang-dong/Guang-xi to exercise overall supervision in respect of military rations. Each is to select three or four of their able subordinates to accompany them and they are to make arrangements for funds and grain for provisioning the troops. As to the troops which should be employed, it is requested that arrangements be made in accordance with the precedents of the punitive expedition during the Yong-le reign (1403-24). Nearby, they should be obtained from Guang-dong/Guang-xi and Yun-nan/Gui-zhou while further away, they should be obtained from Si-chuan, Fu-jian, Hu-guang and Jiang-xi. Both Han and native government troops should be employed. The distance involved is great and the despatch of orders and replies will involve several months. It is requested that first Imperial orders be sent to the grand coordinators, regional inspectors, generals and other officials in the various areas requiring them to marshal their troops, prepare weapons and await orders of expedition. As to the grain rations, it is requested that Imperial orders be sent to the grand coordinators and regional inspectors of the regions requiring them to make arrangement in various respects, so that in the places through which the troops and horses pass, there will be sufficient supplies for two (Alt: three) years' use. In this way, we can avoid the problem of shortages in times of emergency." The memorial was submitted and it was Imperially approved. Further, it was ordered that officials be sent to investigate the actual situation and to report with an urgent despatch.