Book XI 633poverty due to the natural disasters and locust damage. Under the circum-
stances, if they are required to bring their own provisions to the capital when
they are called to construct the city walls, their difficulties will become worse.
Hence, we request that the provincial government provide them with the
millet and beans stored in the state warehouse.” The king granted the request.16th Day (Kisa)
A meteor emerged from the Constellation of the Heart and Mars, flying to
the south.22nd Day (Ŭlhae)
Sŏng Yŏwan, Great Lord of Ch’angsŏng, died. His clan seat was Ch’angnyŏng,
and he was the son of Kunmi, bureau section chief of the Board of Revenue.
In the Pyŏngja year (1336) of the reign of Zhiyuan, he passed the civil ser-
vice examination and became editorial examiner (kŏmnyŏl).^5
After serving in various posts, he rose to the position of bureau section
chief of the Board of War and surveillance commissioner of Yanggwang
Province. Then he became [concurrent] vice minister of punishments (chi
Hyŏngbu sa), vice censor- in- chief (ŏsa chungsŭng), and minister of punish-
ments, successively. In that period, he also briefly served as the magistrate
of two districts, Haeju and Ch’ungju, and was promoted to the positions of
senior secretary of the Security Council and Chancellery scholar.
At the beginning of the new dynasty, he joined the retired elder statemen
(kiro), was appointed chancellor- without- portfolio, and was granted the title
of Great Lord of Ch’angsŏng. He died at the age of eighty- nine. Bestowing
100 sŏk of rice and beans, the king had his funeral carried out according to
protocol and conferred upon him the posthumous title of Duke Munjŏng.
Yŏwan was by nature simple and averse to luxury. He brought up his
children according to strict principles, and his three sons all passed the civil
service examination. The eldest son, Sŏngnin, is now left chancellor, the
second son, Sŏgyŏng, magistrate (yuhu) of Kaesŏng Special Capital Magis-
tracy, and the youngest son, Sŏgin, minister of taxation.
Those who have had a death in the family, as well as the old and infirm
among the workers, were released to go home.
- A low- ranking or unranked clerk in the Bureau of State Records.