762 t h e a n n a l s o f k i n g t’a e j o
have only one magistrate, and the other, lower- ranking offices either be
eliminated or integrated by the office concerned.
“It is apparently a way of encouraging scholars to provide a loyal and
trustworthy subject with a generous stipend, but to save money and be pre-
pared for a potential crisis is actually more advisable if you want to preserve
the nation. Finding that the stipend to be paid to officials is insufficient,
Your Majesty ordered the Board of Taxation and the Agency of Land
Management Grants to secure more salary land, and it was very generous of
you. However, if you exclude the lands of all provinces that are already set
aside for various purposes, the lands that belong to the Quartermaster
Bureau are only 100,000 kyŏl or so. On the other hand, the collected rev-
enue is, in fact, less than the amount of tax shown on the original tax reg-
ister, because of either abandonment or disasters. If the salary land is
expanded under these circumstances, we will not only have no savings for
the future but also will lack the budgets for all the annual expenditures nec-
essary for running the government both in the capital and the provinces.
Even worse, if enemies invade the country, how will you deal with them? In
addition, the taxes that were originally due are delayed due to the problem
of transportation. On top of that, if you increase salary land any further, the
people will be unable to support themselves because of the added burden.
“Hence, we request that the State Finance Commission review the original
amount of the salary land and reduce it appropriately and that no additional
land be assigned for use by the Quartermaster Bureau so that the people can
save their strength.” The king said, “Let the Two Departments review the
matter and try to reduce the amount [of the salary land] if necessary.”4th Day (Kyŏngjin)
The king paid a visit to Kwangju and looked at the newly cast bell. He
bestowed a saddled horse on Kwŏn Chunghwa, commissioner in charge of
manufacturing the bell. Recruiting 1,300 soldiers from Left and Right
Kyŏnggi Provinces, the king had the bell transported to the downtown area
of the capital and placed in the pavilion.
Earlier, he gave orders to have a bell made and a little later to have a
pavilion built for it. Then he appointed Kwŏn Chunghwa and Yi Yŏm com-
missioners in charge of casting the bell. Yŏm was stubborn and impetuous,
so he failed in casting the bell even after three attempts. After the king
entrusted the task exclusively to Chunghwa, he consulted many people,
while gathering their opinions, and at the same time came up with a brilliant