Hastened Report on the Words of Vanguard Commander Shen and Minister Feng馳。啓沈遊擊馮相公所言狀
譯官陳孝男言內沈遊擊到釜山院與倭通事張大膳相話後到順安語孝男曰倭將欲與。國王相見後講和之事張通事言之此則决不可爲也孝男曰老爺之言正當正當且老爺入城賊若攔住老爺使我國兵馬不得下手。天兵亦不進政則何以處之遊擊曰我奉。朝廷之命入去虎穴死生有命且天朝豈以我一身之故不加兵乎遊擊且招馮謝兩相公問曰我入城後賊將以欲見。國王講和爲辭則將何以答之馮公默然良久曰朝鮮雖臣伏於天朝而彼國各有君臣此事我豈敢開口乎且雖開口朝鮮君臣其肯來見爾乎此則爾以難事爲辭實不欲與。天朝講和也以此答之何難云臣聞此言不勝驚駭要見謝相公語及此事謝曰遊擊入城當以彼國各有君臣我豈得主張且爾欲見。國王做甚麼等語折之臣以進兵勦滅之外更無他策之意反覆陳說謝曰。天朝豈有與賊講和之理各處兵馬調發之際自致遲緩今當來矣勿疑勿疑云云二十五日沈遊擊拜見時欲反覆開陳而遊擊只說數句語更不相接逐日乘昏要見而遊擊不肯相見至爲悶鬱當日午時遊擊欲入平壤云矣
The interpreter Jin Hyonam (陳孝男) said as follows. Vanguard Commander Shen (沈遊擊) reached Busanwon (釜山院) and spoke with the Japanese interpreter Zhang Dashan (張大膳), and then came to Sunan (順安) and said to Hyonam, "Interpreter Zhang spoke of the matter of the Japanese commander wishing to make peace after meeting with the King; this is a thing that can by no means be done."
Hyonam said, "Your Honor's words are most just, most just. Yet when Your Honor has entered the walled town, if the enemy should bar Your Honor's way and hold you there, keeping our country's troops and horses from making a move and keeping the Ming troops too from advancing and striking, how would you dispose of it?" The Vanguard Commander said, "I go into the tiger's den bearing the court's command; life and death have their appointed lot. And would the Heavenly Court, for the sake of my one body, not send more troops?"
The Vanguard Commander also called the two ministers Feng (馮) and Xie (謝) and asked, "After I have entered the walled town, if the enemy make a pretext of saying they wish to meet the King and make peace, how shall I answer?" Minister Feng was silent a long while and then said, "Though Joseon bows as a subject to the Heavenly Court, that country too has its own ruler and subjects, so how should I dare take this matter upon my lips? And even were I to take it up, would the ruler and subjects of Joseon be willing to come and see you? If you answer with this — 'This is you making a pretext of a hard matter, when in truth you do not wish to make peace with the Heavenly Court' — what difficulty is there?"
Your servant, hearing these words, could not overcome his alarm, and asked to see Minister Xie and spoke of this matter. Minister Xie said, "When the Vanguard Commander enters the walled town he ought to cut them short with these words: 'That country too has its own ruler and subjects; how should I act as I please? And what do you mean to do by meeting the King?'"
Your servant set forth again and again the sense that apart from sending out troops and crushing them there is no other plan at all, and Minister Xie said, "How should there be any reason for the Heavenly Court to make peace with the enemy? It is only that there has been a natural delay while troops and horses are levied in various places, and they will come presently. Do not doubt it, do not doubt it."
On the twenty-fifth, when your servant had audience with Vanguard Commander Shen, he meant to set this forth again, but the Vanguard Commander said only a few words and would not face him further. Daily your servant asked to meet him at dusk, but the Vanguard Commander would not willingly see him, which is deeply vexing. At midday that day the Vanguard Commander is said to mean to enter Pyeongyang.