398
Book VI
Third Year of Reign (1394)
6th Month
1st Day (Kisa)
The Privy Council submitted a memorial to the king: “Now that you have
ascended the throne and established a new dynasty, you should set a good
example for posterity by making clothes, goods, and decorations for daily
use as frugal as possible. Items such as diverse colorful silks and dyes of
various colors are all imported, so it is hard to supply them all the time. So
are gold and silver, because they have to be sent away as tribute to the
suzerain state [China] every year. Nowadays, people use them as they
please, regardless of their rank and position, so it happens that they have
little thought of their social status. Furthermore, those who only pursue
their self- interest through trade often cause trouble as they secretly cross
the frontier, and the damage and harm they produce are quite serious.
“Henceforth, the use of various kinds of silk and the decorations made of
gold and silver, except the robes or goods presented to the king or the belts
worn by high officials, should be strictly prohibited to those starting from
the rank below the officials of the Chancellery and Security Council down
to the common people. Public buildings and private houses and temples
should not be allowed to use colorful paints. Officials except those above
the rank of royal secretary should be prohibited from having their cap
strings decorated with gold or jade. Oranges and other rare fruits, brocade
flowers and phoenixes, gold and silver spoons, and colorful floral decora-
tions should also be prohibited except when entertaining Chinese envoys.”