Brigade Commander Shen's Passing, Orders to the Camps to Advance, and Asking Quickly Whether the Grand Army Is Coming沈遊擊過去辭緣及分付諸陣將爲進勦大兵出來與否速爲探問指揮狀
昨日沈遊擊自林畔來宿定州今日向安州臣仍進去問安云聞老爺之行將到且聞大兵不遠亦來欲點檢一路芻糧且欲迎候老爺來此云則答云兵馬近將出來一路芻糧須多備閣老雖不得親去點檢別遣管下之員點檢云而不爲相見臣又令通事告之曰小邦人民渴望老爺之來久矣糧草當盡力措辦豈敢怠慢但老爺凡百之事明白分付軍馬之數及來到日期願詳示之遊擊答云馬草必須三百萬束可給俺同行徐相公當隨後來到專爲點視糧草願令此處官員眼同點檢云臣卽移文于調度使白惟咸使之進去良䇿等處若果徐相公稱號人來到卽便同爲點閱以副其言臣之愚昧固難察微知著然自前每疑唐將處置有不可知今見沈遊擊擧措亦甚可疑大扺自古救人與望梂於人其情不同。中國之欲討倭賊不過爲中國求息兵而已豈諒其憫迫如此乎臣近觀各陣將士皆有一戰之心且以冬節向盡事勢益蹙不可等待遷延故約束將士整理器械爲進取之計已分遣精卒勦擊於大同越邊且聞平壤之賊夏間所入室廬盡撤牆壁今則以糖禾藁草編排障遮正好火攻數日前巡察使李元翼親巡三縣諸陣約誓將士而回矣今又沈遊擊將又入城中若累日遷延而其間事變或出於意慮之外則將士之心未必不怠軍機重事亦不無漏泄之患不勝憂慮伏聞禮曹判書尹根壽已爲出來大兵出來與否亦必親見可知。朝廷以此等悶迫不容遷延辭緣明白說與主管唐將如宋侍郞之類聽其决語速有指揮毋令益失機會前頭之事庶有稅駕之所
Yesterday Brigade Commander Shen (沈遊擊) came from Imban (林畔), slept at Jeongju (定州), and today set out for Anju (安州). Your servant went forward to pay his respects and said: "Hearing that Your Honour's (老爺) progress was soon to arrive, and that the grand army too would come before long, I came here to inspect the fodder and provisions of this one route and also to meet and wait upon Your Honour." To which he answered: "The horse and foot will come out shortly, so the fodder and provisions of this one route must be furnished in plenty. The Grand Councillor (閣老) cannot go in person to inspect, but will send an official of his staff apart to do so." And he did not see your servant face to face.
Your servant then had the interpreter report: "The people of this small country have long thirsted for Your Honour's coming. Provisions and fodder will be provided with all our strength; how should we dare be slack? We ask only that Your Honour give plain orders in every matter and show us in full the number of horse and foot and the date of your arrival." The Brigade Commander answered: "Of horse fodder there must be three million bundles if it is to be issued in plenty. Minister Xu (徐相公), who travels with me, will arrive after me and will look to provisions and fodder alone; let the officials here inspect it with their own eyes along with him." Your servant at once sent word to Paek Yuham (白惟咸), the Provisions Administrator, to go forward to Yangchaek (良策) and those parts, and, should the man called Minister Xu indeed arrive, to inspect and muster it together with him and so meet his word.
Your servant is dull and truly finds it hard, by observing small things, to know what they disclose. Yet from before he has always suspected that there was something unknowable in the Ming generals' handling of affairs, and now, seeing Brigade Commander Shen's conduct, he is again full of doubt. In general, from of old, to rescue another and to hope for rescue from another are not the same in feeling. China's wish to strike the Japanese goes no further than to rest her own troops for China's sake; how then should she reckon that our pressing urgency is such as this?
Seeing of late the generals and troops of each camp, your servant finds that all have a mind to fight once. And since winter draws to its end and the case shrinks further, so that we cannot wait and put it off, he has bound the generals and troops to an agreement, put the weapons in order, and made it his plan to advance and strike. Swift troops have already been sent out in divisions and have struck and killed on the far side of the Daedong River. Again, it is heard that of the houses the enemy at Pyongyang entered in the summer, the walls and partitions have all been pulled down, and that they now fence them about with woven sorghum stalks and rice straw — which is just right for striking with fire. A few days ago Yi Wonik (李元翼), the Patrol Commissioner, went in person round the several camps of the three districts, bound the generals and troops by oath, and returned.
Now again Brigade Commander Shen is about to go within the walls. If it be put off for many days and in the meantime some turn of affairs should come out unlooked for, it cannot be said that the hearts of the generals and troops will not grow slack; nor is there any lack of worry that the great secret business of the army may leak out, and your servant cannot master his anxiety.
Your servant humbly hears that Yun Geunsu (尹根壽), Minister of Rites, has already come out, so he will surely be able to see for himself and know whether the grand army is coming or not. Let the court speak plainly of this pressing and urgent matter, which cannot be put off, to the Ming officer in charge, such as Vice Minister Song (宋侍郞), and, hearing his word of decision, give direction quickly, that no further chance be lost. Then in what lies ahead there will be nearly a place to unloose the yoke.