848 t h e a n n a l s o f k i n g t’a e j o
In the Kyŏngo year (1390), he was promoted to Chancellery scholar, and
in the same year, Yun I and Yi Ch’o went secretly to the Ming court and
accused T’aejo of elevating King Kongyang to the throne for personal
advantage. Tojŏn insisted on a thorough investigation of their false accusa-
tion, but Chŏng Mongju persuaded the king [Kongyang] to prevent the case
from escalating. [That year], he visited the Ming court as envoy responsible
for presenting the case.
In the Sinmi year (1391), he submitted a memorial to the king concerning
the problems with dispensing rewards and punishments, which incurred the
wrath of the king. He was demoted and transferred to Naju.
In the Imsin year (1392), he was called back to the court, and with Nam
Ŭn and others he made plans to install the king [T’aejo] on the throne. After
the king was enthroned, he was appointed dynasty- founding merit subject
first class and concurrently assistant chancellor and director of the Office of
Personnel Appointments and Royal Seals. Then he again visited the Ming
court as envoy to the Imperial Throne. Upon returning home from China,
he became director of the State Finance Commission and, concurrently,
supervisor (p’ansa) of the Three Armies, and eventually rose to commander-
in- chief of three provinces (samdo tot’ongsa).
In addition, he wrote books such as the Diagram of Troop Dispositions,
Pictures of Hunting Scenes, National Code (Kyŏnggukchŏn), and Discourse
on Governance (Kyŏngje mun’gam); composed the lyrics of the songs such
as “Dreaming of the Golden Ruler,” “Receiving the Precious Secret Scroll,”
“The Enlightened Virtue of Our King,” “Song of Driving out Nahachu,”
and “Song of Maintaining Peace in the Eastern Kingdom”; and compiled
the History of Koryŏ with Chŏng Ch’ong and others.
He was enfeoffed as Count of Ponghwa, and his rank reached grand
master for the veneration of splendid happiness [rank 1b]. In the Pyŏngja
year (1396), he became associate examination administrator and, for the
first time, instituted the recitation and presentation of Confucian classics for
the preliminary examination. In the Chŏngch’uk year (1397), he went out to
serve as chief pacification mobile inspector of the Northeast Region, estab-
lished the names of various local districts, and repaired the Fortress of Kongju.
When he returned to court in the spring of the Muin year (1398), the king
welcomed him generously, complimenting his hard work.
Tojŏn was by nature shrewd and intelligent. From childhood, he liked to
study and read extensively. Hence, his discourse being reasonable and appro -
priate, he always took it as his duty to admonish the younger generation to