Two heirs of Majapahit went to war, 170 Ming soldiers died in the crossfire, and China billed the winner 60,000 liang of gold

Hayam Wuruk, king of Majapahit, died in 1389. His nephew and son-in-law Wikramawardhana took the throne at the western palace. Bhre Wirabhumi, Hayam Wuruk's son by a secondary wife, ruled from the eastern palace. The Pararaton records that the two quarrelled and stopped speaking. Both sent tribute to China: the Ming Shi-lu records envoys from "the Western king" and "the Eastern king" of Java in January 1406. The Pararaton says the western forces took the eastern palace, Wirabhumi fled by boat at night, was overtaken, killed and brought to Majapahit, in Saka 1328 (1406), the year of the great Paregreg. A Ming fleet's men had gone ashore to trade in the east. The Ming Shi-lu, for 23 October 1407, says 170 of them were killed by the western king's troops. The Yongle Emperor wrote that the western king had "without authority eliminated him and occupied his land" and ordered him to pay 60,000 liang of gold or face an army, citing what happened in Annam. On 23 December 1408 the envoy brought 10,000 liang. The Ministry of Rites said 50,000 was still owed. The emperor cancelled the rest: "Of what benefit is their gold?" Wikramawardhana kept the throne. His daughter Suhita later ruled Majapahit. The capital at Trowulan is now an archaeological site.