Book II 213Our Ministry of Rites now sends you the imperial instruction after making
a summary.”
Cho Im, who had been to China, also conveyed the imperial instruction
of the Chinese emperor, which was made orally, and its message was mainly
as follows:
“Though I ordered the Ministry of Rites to draft a reply that is to be sent
to your country, I want you to explain to your king in detail when you
return home. Formerly, in the time of Han, Tang, and Song dynasties,
we dispatched our officials to defend your country, but those who were
dispatched often indulged in wine and women so that they harmed your
people, and some of them got killed because of their immoralities. Thus,
they were not of any help to either side. That is the reason I forbade our
officials from visiting your country. When King Kongmin died, your
government said that he left an heir and requested that his son be allowed
to succeed his father as a king. Later, you came to us and denied that the
new king was a rightful heir. Then you requested that Wang Yo [King
Kongyang] be established as a king, claiming that he truly belonged to
the royal Wang family, but you drove him out. Then you sent us your
men two or three times, and I understood that your king was requesting
me to recognize him as a new king. I have no intention of raising ques-
tions about it because the matter solely concerns him. My only wish is
that he make the livelihood of the people comfortable and allow that the
people on both sides freely visit each other.” On this day all officials
stood to congratulate the king one after another.
The king ordered all officials, including retired ones, to gather at the Privy
Council (Todang) and discuss the new name of the country.The government dispatched Kwŏn Chunghwa, assistant grand councilor, to
Yanggwang, Kyŏngsang, and Chŏlla Provinces to search out the land for
burying the king’s umbilical cord and placenta.
29th Day (Pyŏngo)
Han Sangjil,^82 academician of the Office of Royal Decrees, was dispatched
to Nanjing, China, on a mission to finalize the name of the country as either- Han Sangjil (?–1400 AD): an official of late Koryŏ and early Chosŏn. He is the grand-
father of Han Myŏnghoe, Great Lord Sangdang, who played a crucial role in enthroning Sejo.
He also served as assistant grand councilor, minister of punishments, and director of the Office