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Yong-le: Year 1, Month 9, Day 19

5 Oct 1403

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The Xi-ping Marquis Mu Sheng, grand defender of Yun-nan, memorialized: "Dao Xian-da, the native official of the Che-li Pacification Superintendency in Yun-nan ordered his subordinates to plunder Wei-yuan, and they took captive the magistrate and some of the people and then returned. Permission is requested to despatch troops to punish him." The Emperor said: "It is easy to despatch troops but difficult to rein them in. If they are lightly despatched, many people will certainly be hurt. Also, when people are acting wrongly, if they are instructed in the correct principles, we cannot be sure that they will not accord. If they do not accord after instruction, then there will be reason for despatching troops. In the past, during the reign of my Imperial father, Si Lun-fa was driven off by his subordinates. Initially envoys were sent to instruct the offenders but they were obstinate and would not reform. Thus troops were sent to eliminate them. This was appropriate punishment. Now, we have just sent envoys to confer instructions upon the various yi. If we suddenly employ troops, how are we to gain their trust? I have noted that Che-li has already handed over Wei-yuan's seal. This is a sign of contrition. The Yun-nan Regional Military Commission should send a despatch to instruct them. If they are able to correct their ways and move towards culture, there will be no need to despatch troops.

Tai-zong: juan 23.4b-5a

Zhong-yang Yan-jiu yuan Ming Shi-lu, volume 10, page 0424/25

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Preferred form of citation for this entry:

Geoff Wade, translator, Southeast Asia in the Ming Shi-lu: an open access resource, Singapore: Asia Research Institute and the Singapore E-Press, National University of Singapore, http://epress.nus.edu.sg/msl/reign/yong-le/year-1-month-9-day-19-0, accessed January 22, 2019