Book VIII 543wish Your Majesty would not forget the days when you fell from your horse,
and I the days when I wore a wooden collar around my neck.^49 Then our
descendants will be able to prosper forever.” The king agreed.
The king ordered a musician to play “Mundŏkgok” [“The Enlightened
Virtue of Our King”]^50 and, looking at Tojŏn, he said, “Since you are the
author of this song, why don’t you rise and dance?” Tojŏn immediately rose
to dance, and the king told him to take off his jacket and dance and bestowed
on him a fur- lined turtle jacket. Everyone really enjoyed themselves and
finally left for home early in the morning.
11th Month
1st Day (Sinyu)
It was the day of the winter solstice. Leading all officials, the king per-
formed the ritual ceremony celebrating winter solstice day facing toward
the imperial palace of Ming China.2nd Day (Imsul)
For the first time, the post of assistant director (sŭng) is created at Imwŏn’gwan
and Imban’gwan, the state guesthouses of the Northwest Region.^51
3rd Day (Kyehae)
The trees were covered with frost, and they were so the next day.- “A wooden collar around my neck” here refers to the imprisonment of Chŏng Tojŏn at
a critical time. In 1389, Crown Prince Sŏk, the eldest son of King Kongyang, visited the Ming
court. T’aejo went out to welcome him at Haeju, Hwanghae Province. On his way, T’aejo went
hunting and fell off his horse. As he was seriously hurt, Chŏng Mongju tried to take advantage
of the opportunity to remove T’aejo and his followers. However, his plan was prematurely
discovered by Yi Pangwŏn, T’aejo’s fifth son, who assassinated Chŏng Mongju. So the inci-
dent in which T’aejo fell off his horse was perhaps most critical in his career. Around that time,
Chŏng Tojŏn also had difficulties. Chŏng Mongju had had him imprisoned despite his already
being in exile. The two were originally disciples of Yi Saek and worked as colleagues until
Tojŏn attempted to overthrow the government and enthrone General Yi Sŏnggye (later T’aejo)
as the new king. Chŏng Mongju attempted to remove him, together with T’aejo, when T’aejo
was confined to bed after falling off his horse. - It is a ceremonial song composed by Chŏng Tojŏn, which praises the royal virtue of the
king, who is intent on promoting culture in his governance. - Imwŏn’gwan was located in P’yŏngyang, and Imban’gwan in Sŏnch’ŏn, North
P’yŏngan Province.