870 t h e a n n a l s o f k i n g t’a e j o
Yi Sukbŏn, fifth royal secretary; Sin Kŭngnye, supreme general; Min Mugu,
general- in- chief; Min Mujil, third minister of taxation; and others, assisted
the king with sincerity, suppressed the rebellion, and restored peace. Hence,
their con tributions, being also very significant, should never be forgotten.
The office responsible shall hold a ceremony of dispensing rewards to these
officials.”18th Day (Kyŏngin)
Leading a number of officials, the king performed the ceremony celebrating
the imperial birthday of the Chinese emperor.Venus approached the Supreme General, a star in the constellation of the
Supreme Palace Enclosure.The Office of the Inspector-General requested that all the private proper -
ties of Chŏng Tojŏn, Nam Ŭn, Sim Hyosaeng, Chang Chihwa, Yi Kŭn, and
others be confiscated. Our Majesty [who was then Duke Chŏngan] talked to
the king [Chŏngjong] about the matter and ordered that only the rank lands
owned by them be confiscated.The Censorate submitted a memorial to the king:
“1. Ever since Your Majesty ascended to the throne and started a new
reign, you have tried to imitate the institutions of old days and govern the
people by seeking good advice from your subjects. We are now fortunate
enough to serve you as remonstrators and therefore respectfully submit our
humble opinions one by one so that you can choose and implement them.
“1. To have a teacher is to follow the way the teacher practices. The pre-
vious dynasty worshiped Buddhism, and the kings took Buddhist monks as
their teachers. So they lost the Way handed down from old. We request that
hereafter Your Majesty choose your teacher among high officials who are
distinguished in virtue, abolishing the wrongful practice of adopting
Buddhist priests as royal preceptors.
“1. The duty of eunuchs is only to keep the palace clean. At the end of the
previous dynasty, however, they were recklessly employed as officials and
allowed to work with the grand councilors of the Sangbu [Chancellery or
the Security Council]. So their influence grew day by day until they became
powerful enough to prevent the advancement of men of virtue and let the
country fall into sickness and disarray. We request that hereafter their office