Book XIV 8076th Month
1st Day (Ŭlsa)
The hundred [i.e., all] officials stood in line at their respective posts, but the
king did not attend the morning audience. He instead called Cho Chun, left
chancellor; Kim Sahyŏng, right chancellor; Chŏng Tojŏn, Count of Ponghwa;
and Nam Ŭn, Lord of Ŭisŏng, to the west pavilion. Cho Chun and others
requested that princesses- in- ordinary, ladies of the house, and palace women
be provided with a stipend as before, and the king responded, “Since I have
already given orders to stop providing it, it is not possible to revoke it.” Cho
Chun and others repeated their request, but the king refused to grant it.
When the officials of the Eastern and Western Files below rank 3 paid a
courtesy call to the Privy Council, U Innyŏl, assistant chancellor, fell asleep
and snored on a low wooden bench, so inspectors impeached him.
3rd Day (Chŏngmi)
The king ordered Chŏng Yŏn, former director of the Office of Receptions
(Chŏn’gaeksi), to escort Kong Pu, libationer of the National Academy; Yun
Su, section chief of the Board of Rites; and Yun Kyu, former section chief
of the Board of Rites, to the Ming capital. The king admonished the three
officials: “If you are careful and act properly, Heaven will surely help you.”
The three officials bowed twice to the king and left. The king, in his reply
to the letter of Zhang Bing, minister of rites of China, said as follows:
“The king of Chosŏn sincerely and respectfully replies to the Honorable
Minister of Rites. On the twenty- eighth day of the fifth month, Ch’oe Nok,
the retainer of Cho Sŏ, returned from the Ming capital with the letter from
the Ministry of Rites as well as the depositions made by Cho Sŏ and others.
Having read them and learned what had happened in detail, I am so sur-
prised and awed that I am completely at a loss. Ever since I was bestowed
with grace and favor from the emperor, who said, ‘Upholding the will of
Heaven, rule the people and make your descendants prosper forever,’ I have
always endeavored to be loyal to the emperor and preserve our small
kingdom so that I could repay a debt of gratitude to him throughout the
generations of my descendants. Then how would I deliberately dare to cause
trouble that could affect our good relationship?
“The memorial submitted through Yu Ho was written by Cho Sŏ, but he
only wrote it based on the existing memorials for its content and form, and