200 t h e a n n a l s o f k i n g t’a e j o
4th Day (Sinsa)
The mother of Lady An of Ŭihwa Palace held a banquet to entertain
the king.6th Day (Kyemi)
The king decided on the posthumous titles of his ancestors of the four pre-
vious generations and presented them. The document of investure regarding
his great-great-grandfather and great-great-grandmother read as follows:
“Turning a family into a nation actually is due to the contributions made by
my ancestors, which they accumulated over many generations. Hence, I
intend to perform a ceremony to show my respects to the royal ancestors,
presenting posthumous titles by changing their names.
“I respectfully believe that the great-great-grandfather was by nature
benevolent and filial and possessed a virtue that was warm and distin-
guished. He laid the foundation for establishing a dynasty by making a
long-lasting plan and admonishing posterity. He strove not to be idle and
conducted himself with caution so that he could continue in the favor of
Heaven. He manifested his contributions throughout the nation and made
his offspring flourish down through generations.
“I respectfully believe that the great-great-grandmother was so benevo-
lent, harmonious, gracious, chaste, and dignified that she resembled Jian
Di,^58 who swallowed an auspicious egg and gave birth to the ancestors of
the Shang dynasty, and that her fetal education could equal that of Tairen,^59
the mother of King Wen of the Zhou dynasty. Our dynasty can extend its
fortune infinitely because she provided us with a great beginning.
“I presumptuously assumed a great responsibility and founded a nation
thanks to the assistance of my ancestors. With sincere and humble gratitude
I hereby present you with eulogistic titles.
“I respectfully decided on the posthumous titles for the great-great-
grandfather and great-great-grandmother as King Mok and Consort Hyo,
respectively. I hope that you will be gracious in accepting them and
bestowing on us prosperity and happiness.- The mother of Xie, the predynastic founder of the Shang dynasty. In the Yen Ben Zhi
chapter of the Records of Grand Historian (Shiji), she was impregnated by a blackbird. - The mother of King Wen of the Zhou dynasty, famous for her knowledge about car-
rying a child. When she was pregnant, she neither cast her eyes on impure sights nor listened
to seductive music.