Entry

....Xu Jiu-gao, an investigating censor of the Hu-guang Circuit, in response to an Imperial command, memorialized on three matters: ".....3. On the proposal for military operations. Recently, the king of the country of Annam was driven off by a bandit minister, and Your Majesty is raising an army to punish the crime. How could such an action be wrong! However, Yun-nan, Gui-zhou and Guang-dong/Guang-xi are now depleted in terms of grain and fodder, and the South-east region has suffered repeated flooding and droughts. I request that the despatch of the troops be delayed and that first the supreme commander, the censor-in-chief who is concurrently military superintendent of Guang-dong/Guang-xi and the regional commanders be instructed to make arrangements as appropriate and be ordered to accumulate grain and fodder where they are, while they carefully observe changes in the situation. If those in Annam can change their ways and show loyalty, there will be no need to trouble with sending troops. If they persist in their ways and do not repent, we should wait until our troop strength is sufficient and then nobly proceed to carry out Heaven's punishment...." The Emperor held that the memorials all contained deceitful words and were not respectful.... and ordered that Jiu-gao be subject to a two-month loss of salary.