Letter from Hwaju (和州) in reply to Jinju (鎭州) across the border和州答對境鎭州牒
云云。沐來文。該近爲逃人越境。差人趁蹤至沿海。路逢行人。奪衣物而廻。具由申移上司。除本人理罪施行外。今將元奪到衣服幷所直。信賦價直差人責送事。卽申覆朝廷。取指揮到。貴國恩義可感。其我國人見劫衣服。當推本人以給恰好。但所送信贓價直者。是則本人衣服外。餘剩之物。受之非理。苟非其理。雖一介所不可當受。如或受之。恐非兩國來往和親之意。故還之。宜管送勿至拖延。朝旨如此。今差人將夯前去。伏請炤驗領取。云云。
We have received the letter you sent. In it you said: "Lately a fugitive crossed the border, and so we sent men to follow his traces as far as the seashore; on the road they met a passer-by, took his clothing from him, and came back. We have reported the circumstances in full to the higher office, and besides punishing that man by law we now send men to make restitution of the clothing originally taken, and its value, and the value of the stolen goods."
We reported this at once to the court and received its direction. Your country's kindness and righteousness are to be thanked. As for the clothing taken from a man of our country, it would be fitting to seek out the man himself and return it to him. Only, the value of the stolen goods that you sent is property over and above the man's own clothing, and to receive it does not accord with reason. If it truly does not accord with reason, we must not receive even one item of it. Were we to receive it, we think it would not be in the spirit of two countries dealing with each other in peace, and so we send it back. See to it that you take charge of it and do not put it off. Such is the court's instruction.
Now we send men to carry it, and prostrate we beg that you will examine it and receive it.
Interlinear notes 1
信賦價直 · 信贓價直 — the base text has 信賦 in the first place and 信贓 in the second. Since within one letter they point to the same thing, both are rendered "the value of the stolen goods." — Translator