480 t h e a n n a l s o f k i n g t’a e j o
9th Day (Imin)
Censor Yi Ko and others submitted a memorial to the king: “The commen-
tary of a classic [The Analects] says, ‘There must be sufficient food for the
people and sufficient soldiers to safeguard them.’^22 Neither food nor soldiers
can be ignored. If there is no food to eat, what is the use of strong armor and
sharp weapons? One way of producing sufficient food is not to take away
the farming season from the people.
“At the beginning when Your Majesty ascended the throne with the
Mandate of Heaven, the people were overjoyed and congratulated one
another because they expected to enjoy benefits from your benevolent rule.
In recent years, however, the continuing construction work and repeated
head counts of military personnel have caused the suffering of the people to
become so extreme that they have abandoned their homes and scattered in
all directions. No one knows how many of them altogether have disap-
peared. We have heard that soon officials will be dispatched to conduct
another head count of military personnel. Though the head count is intended
to prepare for the future during peacetime, it is now busy farming season,
and we should not take it away from the people. If the head count is to be
conducted, the farmers will have to be assembled and spend time coming
and going, missing the opportunity to sow seeds. Since they even lack suf-
ficient time to serve their parents and raise their children, where can the
military supplies and national revenue come from?
“We request that you suspend the military head count temporarily so that
the people can devote themselves to their farming. It would not be too late
if you dispatched officials for the head count during the agricultural off-
season.”
The king summoned Chŏng Tojŏn, director of the State Finance Com-
mission and said, “Censorate officials, in their memorial, requested that the
military head count be suspended during the busy farming season. The
words of a censor, not to mention the words concerning the people, are to be
taken seriously even if they are unpleasant to your ears. I believe what they
are saying makes sense. However, since both left and right chancellors are
now unable to come to work due to their illness, I want you to visit them at
their homes to discuss the matter and report back to me.”- “Yanyuan,” The Analects, p. 254. “Zigong asked about government. The Master said,
‘The requisites of government are that there be sufficiency of food, sufficiency of military
equipment, and the confidence of the people in their ruler.’ ”