Book XI 65715th Day (Mujin)
Cho Chun, director of the Office of Personnel Appointments and Royal
Seals, Chŏng Tojŏn, and others requested that court ladies (naegwan) be
provided with official titles and ranks:
“There should be two ladies of worthy deportment (hyŏnŭi), of which one
is rank 1a and the other rank 2b; two ladies of chaste deportment (sugŭi), of
which one is rank 2a and the other rank 2b; three ladies for admonishment
(ch’andŏk), of which one is rank 3a and the other two rank 3b; three ladies
of complete complaisance (sunsŏng), of which one is rank 4a and the other
two rank 4b; three inner palace matrons (sanggung), of which one is rank
5a and the other two rank 5b; three matrons for personnel management
(sanggwan), of which one is rank 6a and the other two rank 6b; four house-
hold provisioners (karyŏng), of which two are rank 7a and the other two
rank 7b; four directresses of supplies (sagŭp), of which two are rank 8a and
the other two rank 8b; and four directresses of ceremonial regalia (sasik), of
which two are rank 9a and the other two rank 9b.”16th Day (Kisa)
The king dispatched Yu Un, discussant of the Security Council, to the Ming
capital and expressed his gratitude to the emperor [for paying condolences
to him on the death of Queen Hyŏn]. He said, “Lady Kang, the wife of your
servant, suddenly left the great age reigned over by the sage emperor, but I
dared not report it to you because it was not good news. Then I received
your sacred letter of condolence, brought by our envoy An Ik, who had just
returned from the imperial court. Your words of sympathy and comfort
were so moving that I am overwhelmed by your kindness.”17th Day (Kyŏngo)
Remonstrators submitted a memorial to the king: “Since the ceremony for the
memorial to be submitted to the emperor (paep’yojirye) cannot be held in the
middle of the fields while traveling, we urge you to return to the [Kaesŏng]
Special Capital Magistracy and perform the ceremony with due propriety.”
The king replied, “Going to the Special Capital Magistracy is also traveling.”