Entry

It was ordered that the distant yi Wang Feng-su and others be detained, be sent under guard to Guang-dong and then be allowed to return to their own countries. Previously, the distant yi Li Ma-dou came to the capital accompanied by his follower Pang Di-e. The Emperor was pleased with their sincerity in moving towards culture and provided them with a grain allowance. When Ma-dou died, the Emperor allocated him a burial place. However, their followers became daily more numerous and their activities more secretive. Wang Feng-su and others remained in the capital and used the doctrine of the "Lord of Heaven" (天主) to delude the minds of simple people. In a short time, they had many followers. They also built houses on Hong-wu Hill and built a garden in front of the Wei-qin Hall at Xiao-ling. The Ministry of Rites in Nan-jing memorialized impeaching them. The ministers, censors and supervising secretaries also jointly memorialized an impeachment against them. Further, officials of the Bei-jing offices of scrutiny and the censorial circuits memorialized an impeachment against them. Thus, the Nan-jing Supervising Secretary Yan Wen-hui requested that they be swiftly punished, noting that [Pang] Di-e and the others had published presumptuous claims which circulated for over one thousand li in a few days, and that there was an increasing suspicion that [Wang] Feng-su and so on were of the Fo-lang-ji tribe. Wen-hui's memorial was sent to the Ministry of Rites which re-submitted it, noting: "These heretical doctrines deceive the people. Their mischievous prattle actually advocates the adoption of yi and di ways in China. This is what the Book of Documents calls `the barbarous tribes disturbing China'. They will affect the ideas of society and, while the danger is obvious, it will only gradually become manifest. However, these persons occupy the various provinces and they are indeed just like spirits and demons rapidly appearing and disappearing. They also make know abroad details of China's situation. They are what the Book of Documents refers to as `bandits and evil-doers'. This situation affects the Court and national matters and the danger is hidden and great." The ministers of the Grand Secretariat also spoke strongly on this. An Imperial order was issued, noting: "As Wang Feng-su and the others have established doctrines and deceived people, and the plans they are hatching cannot be predicted, they are to be sent to the Guang-dong regional inspector, who will supervise their return to the West. As to Pang Di-e and so on, the Ministry of Rites has stated that they are very familiar with calendrical matters and it has requested that they be allowed to cooperate with the various officials in the calculation of astronomical information, so that they move towards culture. They are also to be ordered to return to their own country."