Entry

Previously, the Nong bandits of the Lin-an region in Yun-nan had acted wildly and violently. The Grand Coordinator Zou Ying-long was twice routed by them. Subsequently, he was retired and he immediately left the area. The Nong bandits took advantage of this and increased their attacks and plundering. Pei Ying-zhang, an official of the Office of Scrutiny for War, memorialized an accusation that Ying-long had brought harm to the state. The memorial was passed down and it was ordered that the Yun-nan regional inspector investigate and report. The report from there noted that in Ying-long's case, the punishment should be reduced. The ministry re-memorialized this and requested a new investigation. The Emperor reprimanded them, saying: "You have said that Zou Ying-long twice ruined matters and that his failures resulted in serious damage. The Office of Scrutiny and the regional inspector have both impeached him for acting without authority and bringing harm to the area under his command, and they have memorialized that the circumstances of Ying-long's crime are clear. Why are you bending to protect him and seeking another investigation? Remove him from his former post and demote him to commoner. Also recently, in the native and yi regions of Yun-nan and Gui-zhou, hostilities have frequently occurred on account of small matters. These problems have all resulted from the officials being covetous, corrupt and demanding, which has agitated the yi. Further, the grand coordinators and grand defenders have made mistakes in their pacifying duties and through their desire to achieve merit they have instituted troubles. This has resulted in calamity and continuous use of troops and required that the Court make arrangements. If there are future incidents of this sort, your ministry and the office of scrutiny are to report the officials involved, so that they can be punished."