Book II 187
only send down orders and fail to supervise their implementation, cunning
yamen clerks will try to exploit the opportunity for their interest and people
will draw no benefits from them. We request you to specially send your
royal messengers and let them make sure that your orders are carried out
properly.” The king replied, “If the crop this year is not good, taxes should
be reduced more for Kangnŭng and Sakbang Provinces,^35 because they
mostly have dry fields and few rice paddies.”
2nd Day (Kyŏngsul)
Yu Kyŏng, chancellor of the National Academy, lectured on the Extended
Meaning of the Great Learning before the king.
3rd Day (Sinhae)
The Censorate submitted a joint petition to the king: “It has been long since
Your Majesty, upon ascending to the throne, divided the merit subjects into
three grades, awarding them with rewards and certificates. However, you
ordered seven officials, including Third Royal Secretary Han Sanggyŏng,
newly added to the existing merit subjects, and we have some doubts about
your instruction. If you include on the list those who made such small
contributions, those who have attended upon you for many years and yet
were excluded from the list will all be disappointed. Hence, we request to
have your orders repealed with regard to adding the new merit subjects.
Furthermore, upon hearing that Chŏng Mongju died, Min Yŏik, third
minister (ŭirang) of the Board of War, was known to have said, “A man
who should not die has died.” This clearly indicates that he sided with
Chŏng Mongju. Therefore, he should not be included on the list of merit
subjects.”
The king said to Nam Ŭn: “As far as merit subjects are concerned, only
you and I know. What does the Censorate know about them? Besides, on the
day that Mongju died, Min Yŏik discussed the matter with Son Hŭngjong
and hurriedly sent dispatches to various provinces, and as a result, he could
save both you and Cho Chun from danger. His contributions were not small
at all. Under such circumstances, how could he have said, ‘A man who
should not die has died’? Granted that he actually said that, can he be blamed
- An old name of Kangwŏn Province.