Report on Whether to Send an Envoy to Japan通信使差遣便否。啓
通信使差遣事更議事。筵中啓之矣此乃時急之事今日則已晚雖不可爲來日使之更議事。傳敎矣臣等會議則皆以爲事已至此。册使跟隨之事則不可不許故前者回咨已微示其意今副使以此屢爲揭帖至於委遣通事使之面達今若不從則後日處置恐益難於今日故以跟隨陪臣許送事回答而差出其人隨後發送宜當但以信使爲名則難處之端益多又必有國書禮物等事今但依副使前後所言只謂跟隨以送此後雖有他言一切堅拒不可聽從也第兵部咨文有行檄拒之之語今當答之曰小邦之人足躡倭國義所不可且兵部分付又如此實難施行只以。册使爲小邦遠涉滄海而求陪臣與之同行體不可辭故謹當依命但沈遊擊尙未回來淸正雖撤而竹島加德安骨等處猶有留倭前頭賊情尙亦難保倭兵如果盡撤而雄節過海有期則卽當發遣不敢稽遲以此意回答先令朴義儉還報且出可去之人裝束以待觀勢前進則庶或宜當但此乃大事臣等所見如此敢。啓
Having reported at the royal lecture that the sending of a goodwill envoy be deliberated again, you commanded that this is a matter urgent in its time, but that today is already late and it cannot be done, and that it be deliberated again tomorrow.
We your servants gathered and deliberated, and all said that since matters have already come to this, the accompanying of the investiture envoy cannot but be granted. So in the earlier reply dispatch that intent was already quietly shown. Now the deputy envoy has sent letters (揭帖) on this matter several times and has even sent an interpreter to convey it face to face. If we do not comply now, it is to be feared that dealing with it hereafter will be harder than today. So it is right to reply that we grant and will send an attendant official (陪臣) to accompany him, and to appoint the man and send him after.
Only, if the name of goodwill envoy (信使) is used, the threads hard to deal with will be the more numerous, and there will surely be such matters as a state letter and gifts. For now let him be sent simply as accompanying, as the deputy envoy has said from first to last; and hereafter, though there be other words, let them all be firmly blocked and not complied with.
Only, since the Ministry of War's dispatch has words about sending a proclamation to block it, we should now answer in this way: "For the men of a small country to set foot on the land of Japan is a thing not to be done in right conduct, and the Ministry of War's instruction being thus, it is truly hard to carry out. Only, the investiture envoy, crossing the sea far off for the sake of a small country, has asked that our official go together with him, and for our part we cannot decline, and shall respectfully follow the command. Only, Commandant Shen Weijing (沈惟敬) has not yet returned; and though it is said that Kiyomasa (淸正) has withdrawn, there are still Japanese remaining at Jukdo, Gadeok, Angol and such places, and the enemy's true state hereafter is still hard to warrant. If the Japanese troops do indeed all withdraw and there is a term for the envoy's progress to cross the sea, we shall send him at once and shall not dare to delay."
To reply in this sense and have Park Ui-geom (朴義儉) go back first and make it known, and also to appoint a man fit to go, who should make ready and wait and then go forward as the circumstances are seen, would seem nearly right. Only, as this is a great matter, our view being thus, we venture to report.