Book XIV 801reluctant to be frank about matters concerning the future for fear that you
will be reprimanded today, how can this be the way for the subject to pro-
ceed?” All high officials went into the palace and expressed their gratitude
to the king.The Board of Rites spoke to the king: “An official who is called to service
despite still being in the three- year mourning period for his parents should
go out to receive the letter of appointment and then perform the ceremony
of expressing his gratitude to the king, wearing a pointed kerchief on the
head (yŏn’gak poktu) and a dark purple traditional overcoat (ch’amjap’o)
with a black horn belt (chogaktae). Next, he should pay a courtesy call to
the Privy Council as well as the officials of the upper end of the hall (tang-
sanggwan), whom he will work with. However, he should not be allowed to
participate in such occasions as great morning audiences, or the ceremonies
of sending memorials to the Chinese emperor (paep’yo) or of receiving the
imperial instruction (yŏngjo), or the meetings in which everyone is formally
dressed.”
The government dispatched Bailiffs Kim Kyŏng and Chŏng Kae to
Ch’ungch’ŏng and P’unghae Provinces, respectively, to inspect the status of
warships, weapons, and armor.
The official ranks of navy officers were fixed. The myriarch was accorded
rank 3 and above, chiliarch rank 4 and above, and captain rank 6 and above,
and their ranks were made commensurate with those of all other military
officials. The government specially created this rank system for the naval
officers because of the extreme hardships and life- threatening danger at sea
that they constantly have to endure.
A private slave named Ingŭpgŭm was put to death by strangulation for
raping an eleven year- old girl.
18th Day (Kyesa)
Setting up a banquet in the open pavilion in the north, the king called Chŏng
Tojŏn, Count of Ponghwa; Yi Chiran, assistant grand councilor; Sŏl Changsu,
Lord of Wŏlsŏng; and Sŏng Sŏngnin, assistant chancellor, and complimented
them for accomplishing their missions as royal commissioners and envoys.