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Yin Zheng-mao, the military superintendent of Guang-dong/Guang-xi and vice minister of the right in the Ministry of War, memorialized: "... In the past in Guang-dong there were small, swift merchant ships (商人艚船) equipped with good weapons and strong troops. Bandits such as Huang Xiao-yang and Lin Wu-tie were all eliminated by these small, swift ships. Later, they were borrowed by Zhe-jiang and Zhi-li to deal with the calamities brought by the Japanese. However, not even a plank or board came floating back and all of the crewmen of the ships died away from home. When Wu Ping and other bandits began engaging in wild and violent acts, the government ordered the merchants to again build ships. However, the merchants had suffered the deaths of their families and their fellows and they bore resentment which penetrated to the bone. They preferred to face the criminal penalties than to build the ships. This led to where the coastal defences were without any way to meet the threat and the bandits thus carried out their violent acts and operated as they wished. Now many areas have called for the building of ships like before. It is requested that the ministry be ordered to deliberate on plans by which all can obtain ships. Zhe-jiang and Fu-jian should build their own ships and they should not be permitted to again borrow ships through citing precedents. In this way, in those areas our ships will be able to do battle themselves, the merchants will be able to protect themselves and the pirates and Japanese bandits will no longer be able to engage in their reckless and wild activities." The ministry re-submitted the memorial and it was approved.