General Introduction (Ch’ongsŏ) 67
country are great, he is only anxious to withdraw without boasting of them,
and for that reason, the people of the state depend on him even more.”
In the eighth month, King Ch’ang made T’aejo commander of all the
armies, both in the capital and local provinces
In the tenth month, T’aejo was appointed, concurrently, the director of
the Office of Personnel Appointments and Royal Seals (Sangsŏsa).
After the death of King Kongmin, the Ming emperor demanded that
Koryŏ send high officials in active service to pay tribute to him, but all the
officials were afraid, and none dared to go on the mission.
Chancellor Yi Saek requested that King Ch’ang visit Ming China and
personally see the emperor, and he also volunteered to take a trip to the
Ming court in order to secure the title of regent (kamguk) for the king.
King Ch’ang dispatched Saek and Yi Sungin, senior secretary (ch’ŏmsŏ)
of the Security Council, to the Ming court to pay tribute to the emperor
during the celebration of the lunar new year and also had them submit a
request that the emperor grant him the title of regent.
T’aejo praised Saek, saying, “This old man is a man of high spirit.” Saek
was worried that there might be some disturbance during his absence,
because T’aejo’s authority and reputation were growing fast and the atten-
tion of the whole country was on him. So he asked T’aejo to allow him to
take one of his sons along on his diplomatic mission. Therefore, T’aejo told
His Majesty [his fifth son Pangwŏn and later T’aejong] to join Saek as his
secretary (sŏjanggwan).
On his way to the Ming court, Saek met a Chinese official at an inn. The
latter said, “Though Ch’oe Yŏng had a hundred thousand troops under his
command, Yi [Sŏnggye] disposed of him as easily as catching a fly.^137 How
can your people repay him for the boundless benefits he has brought to them?”
When Saek arrived in the capital of Ming, the emperor, having heard of
his reputation, asked him quietly, “Since you served as Hanlin academician
- The statement refers to the military contest between Ch’oe Yŏng and Yi Sŏnggye. The
former, with the support of King U, made the latter carry out a military campaign against
Ming China in 1388. Though he was reluctant and remonstrated about the potential problems
of the military action, Yi eventually had to obey the order. When Yi arrived at Wihwa island
near the Chinese border, however, he encountered various problems, including bad weather.
Thus, he finally decided to march back home with his troops, which was an act of rebellion.
Consequently, he confronted the Ch’oe’s army at the capital, which was called upon to sup-
press the rebel forces and defend the king and the capital. However, Yi defeated Ch’oe’s army
decisively and removed from power Ch’oe as well as King U permanently.