Trade, the Sea Prohibition and the “Folangji” 129
found guilty of colluding with the foreigners. Exercising his discretionary
powers, he had ordered Assistant Military Commissioner Lu Tang and
Coastal Surveillance Vice-Commissioner Ke Qiao to execute the captives,
and this had been done on April 15, 1549.^137
Zhu Wan’s action opened the door for impeachment by Censor Chen
Jiude, who accused Zhu of having exceeded his authority in putting to
death the prisoners taken at Zhoumaxi without the prior approval from
the Court. Chen asked the Court to inβlict punishments on Zhu, Lu and
Ke. The emperor followed the usual judicial procedure by instructing
the Board of War together with the three judicial ofβices (san fasi)—
the Board of Punishments (xinbu), the Court of Judicial Review (dali si)
and the Censorate (ducha yuan)—to comment on the case. The enquiry
produced a cautious and legalistic recommendation that stated that Zhu
Wan had indeed been granted discretionary powers, but noted that the
“bandits” had been captured in the second month (March), but that Zhu’s
report was sent in only a month later, indicating that the executions were
carried out as a result of a later decision and had not taken place on the
war front, where exigencies might have required summary punishments.
Therefore, it would have been proper for Zhu to have waited for imperial
approval on the matter. But the joint Board cautioned the Court that,
until more evidence could be amassed, their view might just have been
a wrong assumption. For this reason, it suggested sending a Censor to
investigate the case.^138
An investigation into the killing of prisoners, presided over by
Supervising Secretary Du Ruzhen of the War Ofβice, was ordered by
the Court on May 7, 1549. The provincial authorities were also told to
calm the coastal population and ensure that the innocent would not be
unduly implicated in the affair. Pending the judicial βindings, Zhu Wan
was relieved of his post and Lu and Ke were subjected to interrogation.^139
The inquest, that was held in Fuzhou, the provincial capital of Fujian,
cleared the Portuguese of many of the charges laid against them. Most
of the survivors were released from prison and sent into exile in the
province of Guangxi. Zhu Wan and several of the provincial military
and civil ofβicials were “found guilty of unjustiβiably executing traders,
embezzling their goods and concealing the truth from the Court”.^140
Zhu’s downfall has often been seen from a conspiratorial perspective
in both traditional and modern writings. In the view of the conspiracy
- MSL: SZ, 347: 5a. For the date of the executions, see Higgins, “Piracy”, p. 192.
- MSL: SZ, 347: 5a.
- Ibid.
- Boxer, South China, p. xxix.