896 t h e a n n a l s o f k i n g t’a e j o
used them in that way because they become good for nothing after those
occasions. Hereafter, except on the occasions of royal presentations or enter -
taining Chinese envoys, the flowers made of cloth should be substituted by
seasonal flowers or colorful paper flowers.
“1. When poor people borrow grain from a rich family, they are forced to
work at the latter’s farms during the busy farming season, which makes the
rich become richer and the poor poorer. Wicked clerks and village heads
also recklessly abuse poor people for no reason, making them abandon their
farming. They should be prohibited from what they are doing, and at the
same time, those who violate this prohibition should be punished, and the
officials who neglect supervising them punished likewise.
“1. When their parents die, the people in the countryside gather pall-
bearers, have drinks, and sing with them, showing no sorrow at all, and this
is against propriety and custom. We request that hereafter this wrongful
practice be stopped and those who violate the prohibition punished strictly.
“1. Our capital, with its big river, is convenient for transportation, and
therefore many people use it both privately and publicly. The Directorate for
Shipbuilding and Transportation, however, under the pretext of transporting
official freight, sends out personnel (chŏngun) who oversee shipping activi-
ties on the river, but they are often so ferocious and tyrannous that they
physically abuse the people who travel the river by boat. The owners of
boats are naturally outraged and resentful, so they sell their boats, and the
merchants are fearful and reluctant to come into the capital, which leads to
the increase of prices.
“We request that the Directorate for Shipbuilding and Transportation
have its personnel convey official freight by taking turns, and if they are
short of boats, they can borrow them from civilians to meet deadlines but
must pay for them according to the regulations. The ones who seize private
vessels without due payment shall be reported and punished by the law of
having stolen goods.” The king gave his permission for the implementation
of the proposals.Tatara Yoshihiro, regional chief of Six Prefectures in Japan, under orders
from the mother (taihujin) of the prime minister, sent a monk, Reichi, to
present a gift and request a copy of the Tripitaka.The 3rd Month, 11th Kyesa Year (1413) of the Yongle Emperor’s Reign
Your servant, Ha Yun, loyalty- displaying, righteousness- depending, virtue-
sharing, state- stabilizing, mandate- assisting merit subject and, concurrently,