Entry

Persons were sent to take Imperial orders to Jin-xiang and were there to issue rewards to the eunuch Zhang Qian, who had been sent to the various fan lands in the Western Ocean, as well as his guard commanders and battalion, company and platoon commanders. Initially, Qian and the others had been commissioned to go to the various fan lands in the Western Ocean. On their return, when they reached the seas off the Jin-xiang Guard in Zhe-jiang, they suddenly came across Japanese pirates. At that time, there were only 160-plus Imperial troops in the ships and the pirates numbered probably 4,000. The troops engaged in over 20 bloody battles and greatly defeated the bandits. An incalculable number of bandits were killed and the remainder fled. When the Emperor was advised, he commended them and conferred upon the government troops orders of commendation for their efforts, and appropriate promotions and rewards. Guard commanders and commandants were all promoted one grade. The guard commanders were each rewarded with 200 ding of paper money and five biao-li of variegated silks. The battalion commanders and guard judges were each rewarded with 100 ding of paper money, while company commanders and battalion judges were rewarded with 80 ding of paper money. All were also given three biao-li of variegated silks. Imperial doctors and fan navigators were rewarded with 60 ding of paper money and one biao-li of variegated silk. Commandants were rewarded with 60 ding of paper money and four bolts of cotton cloth. Platoon commanders, interpreters, navigators and military artisans were rewarded with 50 ding of paper money and three bolts of cotton cloth. Civilian doctors, artisans, chefs, helmsmen and crew were each rewarded with 40 ding of paper money and two bolts of cotton cloth. Those who died of wounds were rewarded, in addition to those basic rewards already detailed, with the following: Guard commanders were rewarded with 100 ding of paper money and two biao-li of variegated silks; battalion commanders and guard judges were rewarded with 80 ding of paper money while company commanders and and battalion judges were rewarded with 60 ding of paper money. All were also given one biao-li of variegated silk. Imperial doctors and fan navigators were rewarded with 40 ding of paper money; commanders with 30 ding, platoon commanders, interpreters, navigators and military artisans with 20 ding; and civilian doctors, artisans, chefs, helmsmen and crew with 15 ding. All those, from Imperial doctors down, were also rewarded with two bolts of cotton cloth.