Entry

Previously, Na Jian, a member of the native-official ruling family of Yuan-jiang Prefecture in Yun-nan, killed the native-official prefect Na Xian. The Court successively ordered officials to investigate but he opposed them and would not accept the Imperial commands. He further allowed his troops to attack and pillage villages and stockades. It was commanded that the grand defender and the grand coordinator mobilize and assemble Han and native troops to punish him.

Thus, the Grand Defender and Regional Commander Mu Chao-bi and the Grand Coordinator and Censor-in-chief Shi Jian mobilized native and Han troops from Wu-ding, Bei-sheng and Yi-zuo and divided them into five forces (五哨), each supervised by officials of the two offices. Xu Yue, the administrative commissioner of the left, supervised the rations. When the troops were assembled, Chao-bi and Jian advanced them and established a base in Lin-an Prefecture. Some of the troops were advanced to attack Wei-long Stockade (Alt: Mo-long Stockade) and Gan-zhuang was brought to surrender. The power of the bandits grew progressively weaker and Na Jian sent the Registrar Zhang Wei and several Confucian school students to Nan-xian where the force superintendent, the Assistant Commissioner Wang Yang-hao was situated, to request permission to surrender. At this time, Yue was supervising the transport of rations and was travelling around the various forces. When he came to Nan-xian, he happened to meet with Wei. Yue was dull and vague and did not understand matters. He listened to Wei's words when told that Jian had become loyal, that his plans were exhausted and that he feared death. Yue wanted to be the one to capture [Na] Jian so as to be seen as having realized an achievement. He thus arranged with Wei that, on the following day [Na] Jian should leave the city with his hands bound behind his back and Yue would come to personally accept the surrender. Yue was trusting while Yang-hao and the others all said that the yi were guileful and not to be trusted. However, Yue did not listen, and at the agreed time, he led 100-plus people to a position outside the Southern gate of Yuan-jiang. [Na] Jian did not come out and thus Yue rebuked him. During this, Jian suddenly loosed his elephants, horses and yi troops and they surged out of the city and attacked them. Yue and his assistants were all killed and only one or two of the troops they were leading escaped. This was on the 14th day of the fourth month (19 May 1551).

At this time, the Regional Inspecting Censor Zhao Bing-ran advised of the affair and impeached Chao-bi and [Shi] Jian as well as Yang-hao for failure in their duties, noting that they should be punished. He also stated that although Yue had been careless and his plan had come to nought, his efforts had truly been for the country and that sympathy should be shown to him. The Ministry re-submitted the memorial. An Imperial order was issued noting:

"The rebellious bandits have killed defence officials, and those officials who have failed in their duties should indeed be severely punished. However, considering that these people are being employed, Chao-bi is to be issued with orders of severe castigation and instructed to fix a date by which he will capture the bandit leader Na Jian and his rebellious cohort Zhang Wei. [Shi] Jian is to be stripped of his rank and removed from his post. Yang-hao and so on are all to have their salaries stopped and are to carry their crimes until they eliminate the bandits. Yue is to be shown sympathy in accordance with the precedents."

Yue was posthumously given the title of Chief Minister of the Court of Imperial Entertainment, and sacrifices and a funeral were conferred upon him. His son was enrolled as a National University student.