Book V 365reach the age of forty- seven to forty- eight, you will become a general com-
manding an army and eventually the Sole One [a king].’ ”
Sŏngnŭng made the following deposition: “When I was exiled in Ŭich’ang
with Wang Kŏ, Wang Hwa, and others, I asked Hŭngmu to tell us our for-
tune. Speaking of Wang Hwa’s fortune, he said, ‘He will be able to leave the
island after three years, and when he reaches the age of forty- seven to forty-
eight, he is destined to become a king in command of armies.’ ”
Kim Kahaeng made the following deposition: “In the twelfth month of
the last Imsin year, when I was in Tongnae District, I asked Hŭngmu about
my fortune. He replied, ‘According to your fortune, you will walk on the jade
steps in the golden palace. You deserve to be congratulated.’ Last spring, I
also met with Pak Chungjil at the state guesthouse of Tongnae, and he said,
‘The fortune of the firstborn of Lord of Kansŏng^32 is good. I now have in my
pocket the records of the fortune that I made during the session.’ ”
27th Day (Chŏngyu)
The king commanded the Office of the Inspector-General to have Kanghwa
Prefecture keep a close watch on all the members of the Wang clan staying
on Kanghwa Island, including the old and young, and submit reports to him.28th Day (Musul)
A strong wind and rain struck suddenly and violently; the western sections
of the market buildings collapsed, killing many people and horses.The king appointed Ch’oe Yŏngji, assistant consultative councilor of the
Chancellery, as the magistrate of Anju and concurrently commander- in-
chief of Anju, Ŭiju, Isŏng, Kanggye, and other districts.29th Day (Kihae)
The king issued a royal decree, releasing the people recruited for the con-
struction of fortress walls from their duty:
“There has been a great deal of corveé duties since the end of the pre-
vious dynasty, and the people have had to suffer for a long time. I intended- King Kongyang was exiled to Kansŏng in Kangwŏn Province. So it appears that Lord
of Kansŏng here refers to Kongyang, the former king now deposed.