Urgent Report on the Enemy in the Northern Provinces, and Keeping Inspector Song Eon-sin to Settle the People's Minds馳。啓北道賊勢請巡察使宋言愼姑爲仍任以鎭人心狀

Your servant has just now seen Eom Rok (嚴祿), the man who came bearing the report of Song Eonsin (宋言愼), Inspector of Hamgyeong Province, and he said that the people of Jeongpyeong (定平), Hamheung (咸興) and such places have risen in bands and are taking the enemy. The enemy in the northern provinces have already spread too far, like fire, and the hearts of the people of that one province had nearly all gone over to them, so that the prospect of recovery there is harder than in the other provinces. Now by good fortune Heaven has drawn out the inmost hearts of the people and they rise up in place after place, and this is one great opportunity for recovering the north. Only, no troops from outside have arrived, and their condition is lonely and weak; if they cannot be succoured and relieved without a break, it is to be feared that the troops already gathered will disperse and there will be no hope of doing it again.

In warfare there is the making of a noise first and the putting of substance behind it after. Let urgent word go to Maengsan (孟山), Yangdeok (陽德) and such places to cry abroad that the Ming troops have arrived in force and have already swept the enemy from this quarter away, and that the troops of Gwanseo (關西) will cross the pass within a few days, and so make the hearts of the people firm. Let the Vice Magistrate of Ganggye (江界), Kim Daechuk (金大畜), and others also take troops and go a little nearer the bounds of Hamheung to make a show of support. If this is done, the righteous troops of the northern provinces will surely ride the occasion the harder, and the foolish people who have already gone over to the enemy will surely scatter in fear, or else answer from within; and within ten days or a month there should be the makings of a rout of the enemy.

Report has it that Song Eonsin has been dismissed from office over some matter. Though Eonsin has had his faults, he has already gone into that place and gathered the people together; and the Provincial Governor Yun Takyeon (尹卓然) is at present at Byeolhaebo (別害堡), which is very far from Hamheung, so that it is to be feared he could hardly give orders there. Nothing would be better than to keep Eonsin there for now and hold him answerable for the merit to come. Further, those who have won military merit in the northern provinces, and the man who came bearing the report, should likewise be particularly considered for reward and sent back quickly, so that they may have a mind to stir themselves. Your servant has always been anxious about the affairs of the northern provinces, and hearing this word now he is a little comforted and counts it fortunate; and so he ventures to lay his poor view before you.