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Yong-le: Year 9, Month 7, Day 27

16 Aug 1411

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The Emperor held an audience at Feng-tian Gate to receive his assembled ministers, censors and the yi from the four directions. The Emperor said: "When I first ascended the throne, I was constantly anxious that my virtuous power did not reach the distant lands. Now the yi and the di from the four directions have all come to allegiance in the centre and I am even more aware of my need to demonstrate this virtuous power. If one achieves what one desires, one will become conceited and if one becomes conceited, it will result in calamity. I and you, my ministers, even in the most minor affairs, should be careful in this. The ancients spoke of this as `guarding against [perils] which have not yet become apparent' (不見是圖). The Minister of Personnel Jian Yi stepped forward and said: "The yi from the four directions long to emulate the virtuous power of the Sage and that is why they have all come to Court. Their great respect for Your Majesty is limitless and the Chinese, the man and the mai will long rely on Your Majesty."

Tai-zong: juan 117.4a-b

Zhong-yang Yan-jiu yuan Ming Shi-lu, volume 12, page 1491/92

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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-9-month-7-day-27, accessed January 22, 2019