728 t h e a n n a l s o f k i n g t’a e j o
be known to the whole world and the friendly relationship between the two
countries will last forever.”26th Day (Kapchin)
Yun Hoe and Yi Paekkong, the officials of the Prosperity Expansion Ware -
house and Supervising Inspector Ch’oe I were imprisoned in the Capital
Constabulary Prison because they did not pay salaries to court ladies. Then
the salaries of Yun Hoe and others were seized to cover the expenses of the
Office of the Royal Grange (Chŏn’gusŏ).The Privy Council ordered the Office for Legislating Laws and Regulations
to compile the administrative law that had been implemented since the
Mujin year (1388) and, with the approval of the king, print them in a book
under the title of Six Codes of Governance (Kyŏngje yukchŏn) and have the
books distributed to both central and local governments.28th Day (Pyŏngo)
Having read the letter that Ch’oe Ho brought from the Chinese court, the
king ordered interpreter Kwak Haeryong to visit the Chinese capital,
escorting Cho Sŏ, minister of personnel, and also carry his reply to Zheng
Yi, minister of rites of China. The letter read as follows:
“I received the letter that was brought by Ch’oe Ho, a retinue member
responsible for managing equipment who returned from the capital of the
great nation. I read it several times, and I am surprised and embarrassed.
Since I took over the affairs of state from the twenty- fifth year of Hongwu,
congratulatory memorials celebrating the heir apparent’s birthday were
drafted and forwarded according to the old precedents. Deeply appreciative
of the sacred favors of the emperor, I have preserved a small kingdom, but
my respect and loyalty have never diminished. Because the memorials and
letters written by our scholars caused trouble earlier, I have been extremely
afraid and worried until now. It transpires that the latest memorial we sub-
mitted was also found to have an error.
“Such an error was made because, first of all, I am foolish, and second,
our language is different from Chinese in its sounds so that we are ignorant
of the manners and customs of the imperial court in relation to drafting
diplomatic documents. How can I fully express my fear and shame?
“Though I respectfully ordered our interpreter, named Kwak Haeryong,
to escort Cho Sŏ, the author of the controversial memorial, to the Chinese