234Book III
Second Year of Reign (1393)
1st Month
1st Day (Chŏngmi)
Leading a host of officials, the king held a congratulatory ceremony of the
new year while facing in the direction of the Chinese emperor. For the first
time, the officials were dressed in the official uniforms made in China. After
the ceremony ended, the king sat on the throne and received felicitations from
officials both of the court and from the provinces. The Privy Council pre-
sented a memorial of felicitations (chŏnmun), a nd t he m i l it a r y c om m is sione r s ,
surveillance commissioners, magistrates, and prefects from all the provinces
also presented letters of felicitations along with local products. Cho Pak, sur-
veillance commissioner of Yanggwang Province, presented a diagram
arranged by subject depicting kings throughout history as they engaged in
study and state governance. Chŏng T’ak, governor of Kyoju-Kangnŭng
Province, presented a scene in which Shi Shang Fu [Father Shang of the
A r my]^1 a d m o n i s h e s K i n g Wu b y of f e r i n g a b o o k i n s c r i b e d i n r e d i n k (danshu)^2
- Also called Jiang Ziya or his original name, Lü Shang, he served as military advisor
and prime minister of King Wen of Zhou, the founder of the Zhou dynasty. He was discovered
by King Wen, who was looking for a man of talent, while engaged in fishing along the Weishu
River. The first meeting and conversation between the two are recorded in a book called
Six Strategies of War (Liutao sanlüe), which was about military strategies and statecraft for
the king. - It refers to the book or a writing that carried the teachings of ancient sage emperors and
a sage named Chan Xu. According to a legend, it was dropped by a red sparrow.