Book III 265
The king gave orders to stop the construction of a summerhouse for the
crown prince.^76 Prior to the king’s order, the crown prince had told one of
his attending officers, “Since the space of my quarters is too low and narrow,
how can I stand the heat of the summer?” Having heard of what he said, the
Privy Council ordered the Directorate for Palace Maintenance (Sŏn’gonggam)
to build a small summerhouse for him. The king learned about it later and
said to Yi Chik, chief royal secretary, “In recent years there has been a great
deal of public construction, but it was all unavoidable, and I took no plea-
sure from it. The crown prince will be fine without such a summerhouse.”
The king said, “Previously I allowed the sons of merit subjects to attend
lectures for the crown prince, but I found some problems because those
young people only tried to flatter the crown prince instead of paying atten-
tion to their studies. From this day forward, do not permit them to study
with the crown prince. Instead, let them take turns attending to the crown
prince individually each day.
8th Day (Imja)
Japanese marauders invaded Ayongp’o of Chŏlla Province and seized one of
our battleships.
The king commanded Yi Mu, commissioner of the Security Council, to
inspect the battleships in Kanghwa and capture Japanese marauders, way-
laying the enemy at strategic points.
10th Day (Kabin)
The three preceding generations of the ancestors of Queen Ŭi [the King’s
Mother] were posthumously honored and invested with titles of nobility.
The late Honorable Ch’oe Han’gi, the king’s maternal grandfather and
Great Lord of Yŏnghŭng, was appointed merit subject for building virtue,
defending righteousness, displaying dignity, cooperating with the new
dynasty, assisting the king, and straightening out state affairs (Chŏkdŏk
suŭi sŏnwi pojo hyŏpch’an chwari kongsin), as well as specially appointed
- The crown prince at this time was Yi Pangsŏk, T’aejo’s youngest son born of Consort
Kang. He was killed by Pangwŏn, his stepbrother and later King T’aejong, during the so-
called First Strife of Princes in 1398.