Book IV 311the property of the people; listening to the secret slander of petty people
around him, he forgot about His Majesty, [T’aejo] who made contributions
in bringing the country back to normal; and he, instead, always tried to
accuse you along with Chŏng Mongju, chancellor at that time. Mongju
secretly instigated his followers in the Censorate to bring charges against
merit subjects and those who are outspoken, and let them submit memorials
by fabricating facts. When the consequences were about to reach the atten-
tion of His Majesty and thus things appeared unpredictable, everyone in the
country became outraged.
“In the sixteenth day of the seventh month, the twenty- fifth year of
Hongwu [1392], fifty- two people, including Left Chancellor Pae Kŭngnyŏm
and Right Chancellor Cho Chun, acted together for a good cause, knowing
where the Mandate of Heaven and the hearts of the people were directing.
Hundreds of officials as well as the old and young, without discussion, came
to an agreement and together urged His Majesty to ascend to the throne. His
Majesty declined their request two or three times but finally gave in to it as
he found their wishes were too strong to resist. The markets were not closed,
and soldiers did not have their weapons stained with blood, and instead
the court was bright, cleared of all its anomalies, and the people were
delighted.
“His Majesty immediately sent Cho Pan, administrative director of the
Security Council, to Ming China and submitted to the emperor a report on
his ascension to the throne. The emperor said, ‘The people of Three Han
[Korea] already raised a member of the Yi clan to the throne without suf-
fering the disaster of war, and everyone of them is happy about it. This is
indeed the Mandate of Heaven.’ A little later, Cho Im, deputy commissioner
of the Security Council, returned from China and brought an imperial mes-
sage, which said, ‘What is the new country name that you chose? Come
back to report as soon as possible.’ His Majesty immediately dispatched
Han Sangjil, academician of the Office of Royal Decrees, to China and
requested a new country name. The emperor bestowed the name Chosŏn
and said, ‘Following the will of Heaven, govern your people and have your
progeny multiply forever.’ This was the way that His Majesty obtained the
support from Heaven above and men below, and it attests to his benefitting
from the fortune that is known to take place every five hundred years.
“As your servant reverentially reviews the genealogy of His Majesty’s
royal house, his ancestors were members of the illustrious Yi clan of Chŏnju.
Yi Han, who served as minister of works in the kingdom of Silla, married a