General Introduction (Ch’ongsŏ) 55
troops to rest their horses, removing their saddles. When he was about to mount
his horse shortly thereafter, T’aejo spotted a dry tree stump 100 paces away
from him. He shot three arrows at it and hit the mark each time, causing the
onlooking enemy soldiers to stare at each other in amazement.
T’aejo ordered an interpreter among his soldiers to speak aloud to the
Japanese camp: “Our commander-in-chief is now Myriarch Yi. You had
better surrender yourselves quickly. Otherwise, it will be too late for
regrets.” The enemy commander replied, “We will follow your orders.”
However, discussing the matter with his subordinates, the Japanese com-
mander could not make his decision right away.
Mounting his horse, T’aejo said, “Since the enemy position has loosened
up, it is the right time to attack.” Then he ordered Turan, Ko Yŏ, Yŏnggyu,
and others to draw out the enemy. As the vanguard of several hundred enemy
soldiers ran after them, T’aejo pretended that he was also pursued by them,
staying deliberately at the rear of his troops. When he finally arrived at the
site of the ambush he had set up, he and his troops abruptly turned around,
and he personally killed over twenty enemy soldiers. Turan, Chonggŏm, and
others quickly joined T’aejo in attacking the enemy, and our soldiers who
were hiding also jumped out and ambushed them. Leading his troops, T’aejo
spearheaded the attacks single-handedly. Breaking through the enemy line
on horseback, and running back and forth several times, he caused havoc
and destruction in the enemy camp. The enemy soldiers he personally killed
were countless. When he shot arrows, they penetrated heavy armor and
sometimes passed through both men and horses.
As the enemy collapsed and fled in every direction, the morale of our army
was overwhelming, their shouts shaking heaven and earth. They made sure
that none of the invaders escaped, and consequently enemy corpses filled the
plain as well as the streams. A Jurchen army also joined in this fight, and its
soldiers, carried away by victory, killed the Japanese enemies ruthlessly.
[Watching the atrocities committed by them], T’aejo took compassion on the
enemy and gave his orders: “We should have pity on enemy soldiers driven
into a corner. Try to capture them, instead of killing them.” The remaining
enemy forces fled to Mt. Ch’ŏnbul,^122 but they were all captured.
[King] U bestowed on T’aejo 50 taels of silver, a roll of fabric that was
long enough to make five dresses, and a horse with saddle, as well as an
honorable title ten characters long that read “Merit Subject Who Subjugated
Distant Regions.”
- Located 90 li northwest of Hamhŭng.