Report on the Wording of the Reply to Liaodong陳遼東回咨措辭。啓
伏見遼東都司咨文我國欲復不共戴天之讎。天朝亦非不諒其情而亦以如此者不過宋經略當初已失機會今則留兵已撤再擧勢難以是姑出於下策欲以封貢之說覊縻賊勢庶幾賊退於萬一而。中朝科道之議據正爭論故於此無以處之欲使我國靜而俟之當初猶不分明說破而今則直說兵粮不能應封貢又不許朝鮮之事去矣不知彼國之人何其愚也云云其意可見矣大抵我國之請於。天朝自始至今有三大節皆機關所係初則平壤旣破大兵長驅堅請勦滅而不容他議一節也其後提督之軍雖回而南兵萬餘留往南邊我國粮餉亦未蕩竭當此之時急請添兵一擧掃蕩又一節也今則粮也兵也必須皆賴於。天朝而觀。天朝之事似無應副之理事勢危急日甚一日賊若未退則國有必亡之勢到此雖請之勤勤終無所益也惟當姑爲款待任其所爲更觀事勢如何又一節也今此回答但云。天朝雖欲以封貢退賊而小邦則以爲恐無退歸之理以是爲慮惟願深思長策使小邦期於保全云云而勿爲一定之言浪觸彼怒而無益於事似爲便當
Looking humbly at the official dispatch (咨文) of the Liaodong Regional Military Commission (遼東都司), it was as follows.
"That Joseon would avenge an enemy with whom it cannot live under one heaven is not a feeling that the Celestial Court (天朝) fails to understand. But that things have come to this is no more than that Commissioner Song (宋經略) had already lost the opening at the first. Now the troops that were stationed there have already been withdrawn, and to raise them again is hard as matters stand; and for this reason we have deliberately come out by the lower road and bound up the enemy's position with talk of investiture and tribute (封貢), in the hope that by one chance in ten thousand the enemy may withdraw. Yet the supervising and censorial officials (科道官) of the central court (中朝) argue the matter on the ground of what is right, so that there is no way of settling it; and therefore we would have Joseon wait quietly."
At the first they still did not speak out plainly and break the matter open; but now they say outright that they can furnish neither soldiers nor grain and that investiture and tribute will not be allowed either, and then add, "The business of Joseon is lost. We cannot think why the people of that country are so foolish." Their meaning may be known from this.
In all that our country has asked of the Celestial Court from the beginning until now there have been three great turning points, and all of them hung upon the moment. The first was when Pyeongyang had already been broken and the great army was driving far ahead, and we pressed our request that the enemy be crushed and wiped out and would admit no other counsel. The next was when, though the army of the Superintendent (提督) had gone back, more than ten thousand southern troops (南兵) remained and went to the southern frontier, and our country's grain was not yet wholly dried up; at that time we asked that soldiers be quickly added and the enemy swept away at a stroke. Now both grain and soldiers must come from the Celestial Court, and yet, looking at the Celestial Court's affairs, there seems no likelihood of their answering and helping us, while our situation grows more perilous with every day; and if the enemy does not withdraw, the country stands in a position where it must surely perish. Having come to this, there is in the end no profit in asking however diligently; we ought only to go on treating them with all sincerity, leave them to do as they will, and watch again how matters stand. This is the third turning point.
In this reply it seems proper to say only, "Though the Celestial Court would drive the enemy off by investiture and tribute, our country fears there is no likelihood of the enemy withdrawing, and is troubled by this. We wish only that you would consider deeply a long-term plan and see to it that our country is preserved," and not to speak in terms settled upon one side, needlessly stirring their anger to no profit in the business.