Entry

The Qian-guo Duke Mu Sheng, regional commander of Yun-nan, advised: "The Lu-chuan Pacification Superintendent Si Ren-fa has seized villages and stockades in Nan Dian, Lu-jiang and other places. It is proposed that an army be deployed to eliminate or punish him and that, in various areas of Jin-chi, preparatory grain stores be set up. However, the subordinate subprefectures and counties are all on the distant border and have no stores. The four salt distribution supervisorates at Hei, Bai, An-ning and Wu-jing handle 39,000 yin of salt annually. It is requested that the usual regulations be temporarily laid aside and that as a provisional measures we retain the commercial salt obtained last year and, for one year, call merchants to the Jin-chi Commission to purchase salt for grain (中納) in accordance with the regulations set down during the Yong-le reign (1403-24). At the An-ning wells each yin of salt should be sold for two shi of rice. At Hei-jing and Bai-jing wells, each yin should be sold for one shi five dou and at Wu-jing each yin should be sold for one shi three dou. This system should be instituted on the day the merchants arrive at the wells, and salt should be provided in accordance with the amounts stipulated. After a year elapses, the salt supervisorates should return to the original payment levels." The Emperor spoke to the officials of the Auxiliary Ministry of Revenue, saying: " Man and yi engaging in feuding and killing is a regular occurrence. How can we lightly deploy our troops on this basis! However, we cannot ignore preparations for border defences. Thus, I am especially approving the memorialized request."