Entry

The Grand Mentor and Qian-guo Duke Mu Sheng, regional commander of Yun-nan, memorialized that the Lu-chuan Pacification Superintendent Si Ren-fa had attacked Nan Dian, Teng-chong and other areas, and requested that 50,000 government troops from Yun-nan, Gui-zhou and Si-chuan, as well as native troops from various areas be despatched to punish him. The Emperor sent Imperial orders of instruction to Sheng, saying: "In respect of the Lu-chuan matter, I have already sent you orders requiring you to deliberate on plans and issue instructions of pacification. Although the man and the yi have committed crimes and they should be forced into submission, when I think of the troops sent on expedition to Jiao-zhi for successive years and the expedition to punish the fan bandits in Si-chuan, it seems that the troops and the people have suffered tribulations without end. Thus, now I feel that it is best to send Imperial instructions to them. You, minister, together with the three offices of Yun-nan and the regional inspecting censor are also to send persons to seek negotiated pacification. If he is able to accord and submit, there will be no need to employ troops. If he persists in his ways and does not repent, you are to deploy only the Yun-nan government troops and native troops and the yi troops of Mu-bang Pacification Superintendency and other areas to eliminate him. You are an outstanding minister of the state, have long defended the border areas and are very experienced and able. If an action is good for the state and beneficial to the people, examine its essence and act without awaiting my word. Raising troops and deploying forces truly brings great suffering and thus you must always think long and hard about such actions. You, minister, also memorialized that the Laos Pacification Superintendent Dao Xian-dai and the Ning-yuan Subprefecture native official Dao Ji-han had cooperated with and assisted Jiao-zhi, and that their crimes could not be forgiven. I have already pardoned Jiao-zhi. There is no need to investigate the offences of Laos and Ning-yuan."