Yangming had served as Director of the Office for Court and Foreign Affairs of Nanjing for about 2 and a half years. On the 14th day of the ninth month of the 11th year (1516) of the Zhengde period, the Ministry of Personnel issued the following order: “According to the imperial edict, Wang Yangming was promoted to Zuoqian Du Yushi 左佥都御史 (Left Assistant Supervisor) of the Ducha Yuan 都察院 (Censorate) to govern Nan’an, Ganzhou, Tingzhou, Zhangzhou, and elsewhere. This appointment was made on the recommendation of Minister Wang Qiong 王琼. On the very day of issuance, however, Yangming was “so frightened and sobbing that he did not know what to do” and submitted a memorial revealing why he decided to refuse this new post,This memorial reads emotionally persuasive because the author gave three reasons: First, Yangming explained that he was too weak and feeble to travel for military purposes. Even if he accepted the appointment, his lack of energy might bring political collapse and trouble. Second, he was afraid that he was incapable of holding an important official post because of his mediocre talent, pedantry, and rudeness. In other words, such a post should not be appointed arbitrarily except for a talented, prudent person. Third, he asked the emperor to allow him to care for his old grandmother. These reasons sound well-grounded, but the situation around the contiguous areas between Jiangxi, Fujian, Huguang (including modern Hubei and Hunan provinces), and Guangdong provinces was pressing at that time. Therefore, there was no room for his resignation. Naturally, on the 24th day of the tenth month, almost at the same time as his memorial was delivered, the imperial court issued another edict,However, apparently still expecting the court’s approval of his resignation, Yangming did not take up his post immediately. Wen Sen 文森, Youqian Du Yushi 右佥都御史 (Right Assistant Supervisor-in-chief) had delayed the “extremely urgent matters concerning banditry” because he submitted a memorial claiming to have fallen ill and asking for resignation. The court severely reprimanded him on the 14th day of the 11th month of that year: “How dare you submit a memorial to avoid responsibility on the pretext of illness? All these days, people are suffering from the bandits’ robbing and plundering everywhere. Will this delay the matter of dealing with banditry even further, if Wang Yangming excuses himself from taking responsibility because he sees something going on in these places?” With this in mind, the Ministry of Personnel issued another edict urging Yangming, “According to the edict, you should take up the post with no delay or hesitation because the situation of the contiguous areas is extremely urgent.” On the second day of the 12th month, the court finally responded to Yangming’s resignation: “The edict on your resignation states clearly: Wang Yangming is not allowed to resign. Nowadays, Nan’an, Ganzhou, and other places are plagued by banditry, so you should go there quickly to inspect and pacify the bandits.”