32 t h e a n n a l s o f k i n g t’a e j o
“The people residing in our territory, which is east of the Liao River, and
their leaders, big or small, should hurry to report to us if they want to enjoy
position and rank in our government. If they fail to do so, they will face
severe punishments similar to those administered before in East Capital
(Dongjing).”
The following day, T’aejo’s army set up a camp 10 li east of the fortress.
In the evening, a red glow covered the camp, and it was so strong that it
looked like fire. An official responsible for astrology (ilgwan) said, “Since a
strange energy hovers upon our military camp, it will bring great luck if we
move it to another place.” Taking the advice, T’aejo ordered the troops to
camp out in the field and also build toilets and stables at the same time.
Secretly chasing after T’aejo’s army for two days, Nahachu said, “Since
they built toilets and stables [in the field], their troops must be well pre-
pared. It is impossible to attack them.” Then he returned [to his camp]. At
that time, some Chinese said, “No country can beat Koryŏ when it comes to
capturing fortresses without fail.”
In the seventh month of the twentieth year (1371) of King Kongmin, the
king appointed T’aejo administrative grand councilor of the Chancellery,
and Yi Saek^88 Chancellery scholar. The king said to some of the ministers
close to him, “Yi Saek is a civil official, and Yi Sŏnggye a military official,
and I had them appointed to the Chancellery on the same day. What do the
officials in the court say about that?” The reason the king asked the question
was because he was proud of the appointment he had made.
Sometime earlier, when Hwanjo passed away, T’aejo brought Lady Kim,
Princess-Ordinary Chŏngan, to his house in the capital and served her with
the utmost propriety. Whenever he visited her, he knelt down below the- Yi Saek (1328–1396): a renowned scholar-official of late Koryŏ. Better known by his
pen name Mogŭn, he studied Neo-Confucianism under Grand Councilor Yi Chehyŏn and
became a major proponent of Neo-Confucianism as a new state ideology. Having passed civil
service examinations both in Yuan and Koryŏ, he served as a high official in various depart-
ments, including as minister of personnel, and of education, advocating reforms in the educa-
tional system and civil service examinations as well as abolishing the Personnel Authority
(Chŏngbang) established by Ch’oe Ch’unghŏn. However, he was opposed to the military
action taken by Yi Sŏnggye, who was opposed to undertaking the military expedition against
Ming China from the start and finally brought his army back from Wihwa Island in the mouth
of the Yalu. He was also opposed to the private land reform advocated by Yi Sŏnggye and his
followers, who took control of the state in a nearly bloodless coup. As a result, Yi Saek was
exiled to Changhŭng, a remote sea town in South Chŏlla Province and died a couple of years
after his release. He was given a posthumous title, Munjŏng.