118 t h e a n n a l s o f k i n g t’a e j o
grandfather, King To [Towang]^35 and his wife Lady Pak, Consort Kyŏng
[Kyŏngbi];^36 his father, King Hwan [Hwanwang]^37 and his wife Lady Ch’oe,
Consort Ŭi [Ŭibi].^38The king announced his royal decree to all the officials of high and low
ranks, the hallyang officials, the retired elder statesmen, and the servicemen
and civilians who serve both in the capital and the provinces:
“The king proclaims this decree: The reason that Heaven created people
and set up the king above them is to have him cultivate them so that they can
live in harmony and govern them so that they can lead comfortable lives,
helping one another. So the attitude of the people towards their king, as well
as the Mandate of Heaven, depends on how well the king performs his
duties, and this is quite natural.
“On the sixteenth day of the seventh month in the twenty-fifth year [1392]
of the reign of Hongwu, the Privy Council and the officials of high and low
ranks requested that I ascend to the throne, saying in one voice: ‘When
King Kongmin passed away without leaving an heir, Sin U took advantage
of the opportunity and stole the throne. However, he was compelled to abdi-
cate after committing crimes, but his son Ch’ang succeeded him, which
indicates that the line of succession of the royal Wang clan was severed once
again. Fortunately, with the support of military commanders, Great Lord
Chŏngch’ang [King Kongyang] was empowered to take charge of state
affairs temporarily, but being foolish, he acted lawlessly. As the hearts of
the people turned against him and even his relatives deserted him, he was
unable to preserve the Royal Ancestral Shrine and the Altars of Earth and
Grain. Since Heaven abandoned him, who could be able to restore him?
The rule of the state is destined to return to the one who possesses virtue,
and the throne cannot remain vacant for long. Since Your Lordship has
earned the hearts of the people across the country due to your outstanding- The Chinese character 度 (“To”), literally “law” or “institution,” signifies the mental
capacity to create righteousness. (Ibid) - Also called Queen Kyŏngsun, she was the daughter of Pak Kwang, who served as bat-
talion commander in the Yuan dynasty and became Great Lord of Anbyŏn in the Chosŏn
dynasty. (Ibid) - The Chinese character 桓 (“Hwan”), literally “signpost,” signifies expanding the ter-
ritory and subjugating remote lands. (Ibid) - Also called Queen Ŭihye, she was the daughter of Ch’oe Han’gi, who served as chil-
iarch in the Yuan Dynasty. Her clan seat was Yŏnghŭng.