Book VI 425admonished Emperor Shun, saying, ‘Don’t be arrogant like Danzhu,^33 who
only likes to enjoy himself, doing nothing and behaving tyrannously.’ How
could Yu, who was extremely intelligent, not realize that a great sage such
as Shun would not be arrogant like Danzhu? Yu, nevertheless, warned the
emperor because he was compelled by his loyalty and worried that one
who sits on the lofty throne could commit an error by making just one poor
judgment.
“From the days when Your Majesty was staying at your private home, out
of public view, you read all the classics and histories and studied the rise
and decline of dynasties and kingdoms throughout history. You also learned
and felt bad about the sufferings of the people serving both in the capi-
tal and provinces. So how can it be possible that you know only after
listening to the reports from others? Notwithstanding, the reason we submit
these words is just to follow the tradition of the age of Tang and Yu [Yao and
Shun], in which the sovereign and the subjects admonished each other. We
urge Your Majesty to understand our true intention and pay attention to
our words.”
7th Day (Kapsul)
The king summoned Chief Royal Secretary Han Sanggyŏng to Ch’ŏngsim-
jŏng Pavilion and told him to present a lecture on the Extended Meaning of
the Great Learning.The king appointed Chang Sado, a man from Thailand, as chief minister of
the Office of Guest Affairs and Chin Ŏnsang^34 as vice supervisor of the
Astronomical and Meteorological Observatory.8th Day (Ŭlhae)
Lightning struck with thunder, and hail fell.The king dispatched Yi Mu, chief magistrate of Kaesŏng, to Ming China to
express his gratitude [to the emperor] for granting the entry of the Korean
diplomatic mission [after months of disruption]. His memorial to the Chinese
emperor was as follows: “Your servant speaks to the emperor. On a number- The son of Emperor Yao. Emperor Yao made Shun his successor, not his son Danzhu.
- According to a source, he was an envoy from Java, Indonesia.