Book VIII 53910th Day (Kyŏngja)
The government dispatched Yu Ku, grand academician, and Chŏng Sinŭi,
magistrate of Hansŏng, to the Ming capital to offer congratulations on the
New Year.11th Day (Sinch’uk)
It was the king’s birthday. Officials wished him a long life, presenting wine.
The king held a banquet for them.Hong Yŏngt’ong, Count of Namyang, fell off his horse and died. He was a
man from Namyang [modern Hwasŏng] and the son of Chancellor Hong
Sŭngyŏn who was posthumously promoted and the great- grandson of
Chancellor (toch’ŏmŭi chungch’an)^46 Hong Chabŏn. Thanks to his ŭm priv-
ilege, he became an official without taking the civil service examination
and served as chamberlain of palace revenues (p’an sobusi sa) during the
reign of King Kongmin and later as magistrate of Andong.
When Sin Ton seized power, Yŏngt’ong became investigating grand
master (kamch’al taebu) and, soon, second royal secretary because of the
favors he had previously given to Ton, who was then a monk. Thus, he
became Ton’s right- hand man together with Yi Ch’unbu and Kim Nan. Ton
was killing many people for personal reasons, but Yŏngt’ong saved many
others by persuading Ton to desist for karmic reasons. When Ton was even-
tually driven out, Yi Ch’unbu and others were all put to death, but Yŏngt’ong
was spared and exiled to a district. After Sin U [King U] ascended the
throne, Yŏngt’ong eventually rose to the position of left chancellor after
serving in a number of posts because he was related by marriage to the king.
Being simple and cautious by nature, he followed prevailing opinions
without submitting any ideas or recommendations of his own.
At the beginning of our new dynasty, he was enfeoffed as Count of
Namyang for being a senior official and received generous treatment from
the king on a number of occasions. He became drunk at the king’s birthday
banquet and died on his way back home, falling off his horse, which jumped
- According to the Monograph of a Hundred Officials (Paeggwanji) included in the
History of Koryŏ, during the reign of King Ch’ungnyŏl, “chancellor” (sijung) was called
ch’ŏmŭi chungch’an. (Pak Yongun, p. 75)