Book VII 471eight or nine officials since you ascended the throne for the reason that they
were senior officials, regardless of whether they made contributions or
whether they were men of virtue. This is clearly an abuse of the favors for
peerage that you have the privilege to dispense. We request that you abolish
the office of chancellor- without- portfolio (kŏmgyo sijung).”
The king said, “Those who were appointed chancellors- without- portfolio
during this time are all senior officials whom I cannot abandon. So don’t
mention them again.”27th Day (Imsul)
The government elevated the status of Tamyang from district to county
because it is the birthplace of National Preceptor Cho Ku.29th Day (Imsul)
The construction of the Altars of Earth and Grain was begun.2nd Month
1st Day of (Ŭlch’uk)
The king returned fifty monks recruited for the construction of the royal
palace back to their respective temples to pray for the recuperation of the
ailing Cho Ki.^9 Deeply moved by the news, Cho Ki shed tears.Seven people of the Northwest Region, including Kim Pŏphwa and Chŏng
Tae, were beheaded in the marketplace for illegally crossing the border.2nd Day (Pyŏngin)
The king gave orders to the Thee Armies Headquarters and the Board of
War: “Since the commanders in charge of separate armies, including the
five officers and ten commandants (owŏn sipchang),^10 are responsible for
both royal security internally and the defense of the country externally, we
- Cho Ki was a member of the dynasty- founding merit subjects second class. He was
suffering from boils on his back. - The word owŏn sipchang generically referred to the midranking military officers and
commanders in late Koryŏ and early Chosŏn.