Jili

Overview

The genealogy book lists Jili under the heading "Wa Clan," but the main subject of the entry is still Jili himself; the surname heading indicates the arrangement and cannot replace the name. According to the original entry, Jili was a bondservant of the Plain White Banner, whose family had lived in Yizhou for generations, but the year of his arrival is unknown. The genealogy also records the subject's experiences: he originally served as an interpreter. "booi (banner bondservant) of the Plain White Banner" indicates both the banner color and the bondservant system. "Yizhou" preserves important clues about the ancestral home, but currently lacks sufficient place name evidence to confirm the corresponding modern location; the original name should be maintained and marked as pending further investigation. Interpreters were responsible for language translation, interpretation, and communication of related documents; the records of sixth, seventh, and eighth ranks indicate differences in rank, and cannot be used to supplement specific tasks undertaken.