Book VI 401
by sending our envoys to you every year. In the twenty- sixth year of the
reign of Hongwu (1393), I sent your servant Kim Ipgyŏn to your court with
a memorial expressing gratitude for the payment for our tribute horses and
also sent our official Yun Sadŏk with a memorial to celebrate the imperial
birthday. However, they returned without accomplishing their mission
because the Regional Military Commission of Liaodong denied their entry
into China by imperial decree. Nevertheless, I again sent your servant Yi
Chi to request your permission for our visit to your court and continued to
send your servant Pak Yŏngch’ung to celebrate the birthday of the heir
apparent (ch’ŏnch’ujŏl) and Kyŏng Ŭi to congratulate Your Majesty on the
twenty- seventh New Year of your reign. However, when they arrived at
Liaodong, they were again all denied entry into China by the Regional
Military Commission of Liaodong and returned home without success in
their mission.
“Now the officials and people of our country were afraid, not knowing
what to do. This was the situation when imperial envoy Kim Inbo and others
arrived on the eighth day of the twelfth month this year and we received
your sacred decree through the official letter of the Chief Military Com-
mission of the Left Army. In that letter, you said, ‘You sent your man to
request me to allow you to change your country name. So I gave you my
permission to change it into Chosŏn if you cherish its legacy. You changed
your country name but continued to refer to yourself as interim ruler (kwŏnji
kuksa) just as you used to, which I cannot understand.’
“In my foolish thought, it appeared inappropriate for me to dare to refer
to myself as the king of Chosŏn because I was not yet awarded the title even
though the new country name was already granted. Now, I finally was able
to confirm that I had received the title ‘King of Chosŏn’ through your sacred
decree via the letter from the Chief Military Commission of the Left Army.
“That was the reason I dispatched your servant An Chongwŏn to the
Chinese capital with my memorial to express my gratitude to Your Majesty
for granting me the title of king. However, he also came back without suc-
cess, as he was denied entry to China when he arrived in Liaodong.
“Having no way of changing your heart, I and my people were extremely
disappointed and discouraged. Under such circumstances, I unexpectedly
received your sacred decree to send my son to you, and I was deeply moved
by the enormity of your magnanimity. It was like a poor son being embraced
once more by a mother or a traveler returning home. My joy was so great
that I was choked with tears.