Book V 387Even this spring, many people were also unable to cultivate their land
because they had to wander from one place to another to perform corveé
service. Though it is quite necessary to build the capital walls, it interferes
with agriculture. Hence we request that households with two men during
the off- season be allowed to send only one, and that households with only
one man send one after joining a neighboring household, until the construc-
tion is completed.
“From this day forward, people should never be summoned or mobilized
during the busy farming season for matters that are not urgent, such as dis-
putes over slaves or collecting old debts. Let them devote themselves only
to their farming, except when the matters are related to treason or the fight
against the Japanese invaders or capturing thieves.
“We have heard that both the public and private sectors are impoverished
because the magistrates of local counties and districts failed to encourage
the people to work hard at their farming. So we request that you order the
provincial governors to inspect the farming situation occasionally, making
idle people get back to their farming, providing those who have run out of
provisions with grain from the righteous granaries, and providing those
who are unable to cultivate their land due to illness with help from neigh-
bors and relatives so that they may not miss the farming season.
“Those who prevent others from farming while occupying large lands
and yet leaving them idle should be physically beaten with ten strokes of the
paddle for every 10 pu^73 of land, and the degree of punishment should
increase for every 10 pu, up to eighty strokes of the paddle. Moreover, the
land they own should be provided to those who have little or no land, so that
all can be cultivated. Any measure that can contribute to the promotion of
agriculture should be tried, and the magistrate’s job performance should
be judged by the amount of land he has reclaimed. The record of expand-
ing cultivated land, ranked into three grades, should be used as a reference
for promoting and demoting officials.” The king followed the advice
as it was.
14th Day (Kyemi)
The Censorate and the Board of Punishments presented themselves to the
king and said, “We urge you to grant the request we made a few days ago.”- Pu is a hundredth of a kyŏl.