326 t h e a n n a l s o f k i n g t’a e j o
who are idle, I should muster their manpower.” Having heard of what the
king said, the monks of various sects urged one another to join the construc-
tion effort, and those who volunteered numbered in the dozens. As Chosaeng
led them out to see the king, the king was pleased and bestowed food on
Chosaeng, as well as silk and cotton on the monks from various sects.20th Day (Sinyu)
Water did not freeze due to unseasonably warm weather, and the land was
enshrouded in thick fog. Therefore, the king sent Ch’oe I, second royal sec-
retary, to the Daoist Temple of Brilliant Rectification (Sogyŏkchŏn), a Daoist
temple at the royal palace, and had him offer a sacrifice to a northern star,
T’aeilsŏng,^86 to rectify the weather patterns.21st Day (Imsul)
The Office of the Inspector-General requested that the king punish Cho Pan,
Cho Im, and Ku Sŏngno. Earlier, Cho Pan and others went to Liaodong to
collect the money for the tribute horses. They were paid in silk and secretly
expropriated the silk to trade for other goods, in search of personal gain.
This was why the Office of the Inspector-General impeached them. Then
the king ordered the inspectors to look into the matter closely. This day, the
inspectors made their request again, and the king asked, “How could they
trade more than two hundred bolts of silk? If you make them compensate
for all the goods, they will certainly feel they are being treated unfairly.
However, since the officials responsible for tribute goods (ammul) who ran
away are suspicious, place a public notice and persuade them to turn them-
selves in. Those who surrender themselves to authorities in three days shall
be treated leniently and punished just for the charge of disrespecting the
order of the government, and those who fail to do so shall be made to com-
pensate for the loss.”24th Day (Ŭlch’uk)
There was heavy fog.- T’ailsŏng is a northern star sacred to Daoists. It was believed to rule over wars, natural
disasters, and other calamities that affected the people.