Book XIV 799
precedent that we can proudly hand down to our posterity. We request that
you approve the report we previously submitted to you and allow us to deal
with the case according to law.”
When this memorial reached the king, the king ordered the Privy Council
to discuss it. As a result, Ch’a Sŭngdo, Kim Ŭlnam, Kim Ilche, and others
were punished in accordance with the law.
The provincial military commissioner of the Northeast Region sent a report:
“Yuzhijie of Luqing tries to invade our borders.” The king immediately
issued a royal decree and ordered Navy Myriarch Chŏn Sŭnggye, lesser gar -
rison commander, to lead out the battleships in Yŏnghŭng and Ch’ŏnghaedo
to suppress the invaders and also ordered pacification commissioner, Kim
Sŭngju, to lead army officers out to repulse the enemy.
Im Munhwa, a resident of Sŏngju, and his family, including his wife and
children, who were eight altogether, were found in the act of putting a curse
on others. They were put to death according to law.
16th Day (Sinmyo)
Watching people engaged in construction work on top of the East Gate of
the royal palace, the king summoned the superintendent and asked him, “I
gave orders to stop public works, accepting the advice from grand coun-
cilors. However, you still have the people work. What is the reason?” Then
the superintendent replied, “Some of the workers still remain unreleased
because the Privy Council notified us that it wanted them to lay roof tiles.”
The king said, “Since I already ordered the public works to be suspended,
it is not right to make people keep working without my permission.” Then
he sent his message to the Privy Council through Yi Munhwa, [chief royal
secretary]: “I have kept people working at the royal palace from the start
until now because quite a few parts have remained unfinished. If the entire
project had been completed, I would not have called up the people for work.
While I was reluctant and uncomfortable all along, drought grew so serious
that I was compelled to release all the farmers among the workers to go
home, while keeping only monks and artisans of various specialties. At that
time, an urgent request was made to release the workers, and I reluctantly
agreed. If it was wrong for me to take time in releasing the workers, they
should have been released right away once I gave orders to release them. If