Book V 375commander- in- chief of three provinces, including Kyŏngsang, Chŏlla, and
Yanggwang Provinces.^48Strong winds lashed with rain and snow, and trees were frozen with ice.Upon returning from Suwŏn, Chŏn Si went into the palace to report to the
king: “Conspiracy accomplices Kim Kahaeng, Pak Chungjil, and others are
now in the capital, and we cannot help but worry about it.”
The king said, “It’s nothing really new that Pak Wi harbored thoughts of
rebellion against me. In the Kyŏngo year (1390), when [King] Kongyang
moved to Hanyang, he was taken in by what Chŏng Mongju said and started
thinking about rebelling against me. It has not been only a day or two that
he has had such notions, but he has still not revealed his true intentions.
Now, what can he do suddenlly?
If the enemy surrenders himself to us even when he is confronted by us,
we accept him and make him one of us. Moreover, Wi is a man of talent, so
I cannot simply abandon him. If the allegations concerning him are true,
that is because he was not satisfied with the treatment he received from me.
Why should he rise to rebellion if I treat him generously? If we are prepared
for him in advance, what can he do? This is only an incident in which
Kahaeng and Chungjil attempted to raise a rebellion believing that they
could get support from Wi.”
4th Day (Kyemyo)
Cho Ki interrogated Kim Paek in the Capital Constabulary Prison, but the
latter refused to admit his crime. So Cho Ki brought in Yi Ingil for cross-
examination. Then it was finally discovered that Paek had made a false
report. The king ordered both of them released. The officials of both the
Censorate and the Board of Punishments said to the king, “Since the men
confined in the Capital Constabulary Prison are related to a matter of
national security, we request that you allow us to interrogate them further.”
The king said, “I already found out clearly that the man’s words were a lie.
Why should you interrogate them any further?”- It appears that T’aejo appointed Cho Chun and Chŏng Tojŏn as commanders of five
and three provincial armies, respectively, in order to consolidate military power and thereby
strengthen his control over them.