384 t h e a n n a l s o f k i n g t’a e j o
*
Song Tŭksa, vice supervisor of the Directorate for Fisheries and Natural
Resources (Sajae sogam), submitted a memorial to the king: “Since mili-
tary training of people is absolutely necessary, people should be trained
regularly twice a year, spring and autumn, and, following the example of
the local examination for civil officials, the Military Training Agency
should conduct an examination to select officers (tosi).^69 If the one who wins
first place gets promoted two ranks and the one who wins second place is
promoted one rank, our plan for national defense will be accomplished.
“When Li Baozhen^70 of the Tang dynasty became military commissioner
of Zelu Circuit, he provided people with bows and arrows to practice archery
during agricultural off- seasons, rewarding the most capable archers through
the military examination held at the end of the year. As a result, no other
army in the realm could rival Zelu’s.” The king gave orders to implement
the plan as it was.4th Day (Kyeyu)
Ch’oe Yŏn, Chin Hallyong, Kim Hŭiyu, Kim Hwa, and other Chinese
envoys arrived, carrying a letter from the Chief Military Commission of the
Left Army. The king led his officials out as far as Sŏnŭimun Gate to greet
the envoys outside the gate. Then Ch’oe Yŏn and others delivered the impe-
rial message they had brought: “The emperor said, ‘Send ten thousand
horses as well as eunuchs and the families of Kim Wan’gwi.’ ”^71 The king
knelt down and bowed his head to the ground as he listened to the imperial
message. Then he inquired the health of the emperor and received an offi-
cial letter from the Chief Military Commission of the Left Army while
bowing again.- Tosi was a special examination established to select military officers twice a year, and
it was conducted by the Board of War and the Military Training Agency in the capital as well
as governors and military commanders in the provinces. - Li Baozhen (733–794) was a Tang general during the reign of Emperor Dezong. He
contributed greatly in fighting Zhu Tao and other rebel warlords. After the Anshi Rebellion,
the Zelu Circuit that he headed lacked military power and financial resources to recruit sol-
diers. He thus created an innovative program to raise an army of civilians by waiving their
taxes and rewarding the most capable. - Kim Wan’gwi is the Korean chiliarch of the Pyŏkkun and Kuja areas who was previ-
ously captured and taken away by the Chinese authorities.