Book II 203house with seals. The merit subjects and others entertained the king by
holding a banquet.
The royal decree bestowed upon Yi Mindo, minister of works, was
drafted by Yi Munhwa, grand master of remonstrance, and it stated that
Mindo was also good at divination and medicine. Mindo spoke to the king
about it, saying, “Though the decree states that my contributions are too
numerous to be recorded, it mentions the [trivial] things such as these, which
I believe to be no less than disrespect for me.” The king ordered the docu-
ment revised.8th Day (Ŭlyu)
The king paid a visit to Such’ang Palace and dispatched No Sung,^61 admin-
istrative commissioner of the Security Council, and Cho Inok, assistant
director of the Security Council, to the Ming capital to commemorate the
New Year and the investiture of the eldest grandson as heir apparent.
9th Day (Pyŏngsul)
There was thunder.The king played kyŏkku, a ball game on horseback in the inner yard of the
palace. Yu Mansu, Chŏng Hŭigye, and others joined him to play the game.Censorial offices submitted a memorial to the king: “We believe so-called
public opinion (kongnon) is the vitality of all states. Since remonstrance is
the root of public opinion, and flattery a worm that eats the root of public
opinion, one who rules the state should nourish the root and remove the
worms that hurt the root. Then good counsel will arrive every day, and
sugary flattery and vulgar words will be heard no more.
“In olden days, Yu the Great, in the time of Emperor Shun, said,
“Accordance with right leads to good fortune.”^62 Then he admonished the
- No Sung (1337–1414 AD): an official of late Koryŏ and early Chosŏn. Passing the civil
service examination in 1365, he served in various important posts, including those of censor,
inspector-general, and royal secretary. In 1389, when he was governor of Chŏlla Province, he
established granaries named Tŭksŏngch’ang and Yŏngsanch’ang in Yŏngan (modern Iksan)
and Yŏngsan (modern Naju), respectively. Later, he served as magistrate of Kaesŏng Special
Capital Magistracy and governor of Left Kyŏnggi Province. - Shu Ching: Book of History. Clae Waltham, p. 20.