The Ouchi Clan and their Smuggling (12)

     What and who were the members of the mission in 1540?  Besides the ambassador and vice-ambassador, who were both priests, there were some other Zen priests from the Kyoto Gozan temples; Tenryu-ji, Shokoku-ji, Kennin-ji, Tofuku-ji, and Manju-ji Temples.  Some others are vassals of the Ouchi Clan, including Yoshimi Masayori (1513-1588), a nephew of the assassinator of Sue Hiromori in 1482.  Still some others were the Hakata merchants such as Kamiya Kazue (?-?), Kawakami Mokuzaemon (?-?), and etc.  They still had translators, doctors, and, of course, sailers.

     The mission had 3 ships, all of which were owned by the Ouchi Clan.  On each ship, more than 10 dozens of people were on board.  The mission, in total, had more than 400 members.  Because of Sinocentrism, a heavy burden was on Ming’s side.

     The mission were treated poorly.  The rice was red and old.  The liquor was weak and cloudy.  Vinegar and sauce were thinned with water, and water itself went rotten after a night.  On July the 8th, Kochiku died at the age of 49, and, on the next day, Senpo Shokaku, one of the chief traders, died at the age of 42.  Some others got sick.

     On August the 16th, the mission finally received a permit to enter Beijing.  Only 50 of them were admitted to enter Beijing as a delegation.

     The delegation went north through the Grand Canal via Hang-zhou and Su-zhou, and arrived at Zhangjia-wan, an outer canal harbor of Beijing, on March the 1st.  They unloaded all the tributes there, and entered Beijing by road on March the 2nd.