Requesting That Kim Yang-seo Stay to Order the Defense of Anju請留金良瑞措置安州守城狀
臣前達安州守城事蓋以平壤以北義州以南惟此爲控扼之地若失此不守事無可爲者此城固甚虛濶守亦不易但有積粟而大軍在其前不幸而前頭不利軍不潰散退守此城則猶可支撑而守城器械蕩然未備欲得武臣稍知其事者以備意外之患故至於妄陳而久無黑白當此危急之際事事稽緩如此臣竊未安必以見在武臣無可送者故該司久未擧行耳滴漢城判尹金睟自慶尙道來所率軍官金良瑞乃前任守令之人頗似可任請以此入守城助防將稱號使之句當守城之事爲富良瑞所率熖焇煮取人二名則送于備邊司大抵自生變以後諸色軍人潰散之餘火炮匠下來此道者無幾臨戰器械不備聞京畿巡察使權徵處有京火炮匠四十餘人聚於海中而無所用之云請極擇事知匠人十餘名急急起送事。下書何如
Your servant earlier reported upon the defence of the walled city of Anju (安州). In general it is because, north of Pyeongyang and south of Uiju, this place alone is the ground that holds the throat; and if it be lost and not held, nothing can be done. This wall is indeed very empty and wide and not easy to hold either, but it has grain stored in it and the grand army lies before it. Should we be unfortunate and not prevail in front, yet if the troops do not break and scatter but fall back and hold this wall, we may still make a stand.
But the weapons and gear for holding the wall are utterly empty and unprovided. Wishing to get a military officer who knows something of that business, so as to meet unlooked-for trouble, your servant went so far as to report rashly upon it; yet for a long time there has been neither black nor white of an answer. In this perilous and urgent time, that every matter should be as slow as this leaves your servant secretly uneasy. It must only be that among the military officers now at hand there is none fit to send, and so the office in charge has long been unable to carry it out.
It happens that Kim Su (金睟), Mayor of Hanseong, has come from Gyeongsang Province, and the military officer in his train, Kim Yangseo (金良瑞), is a man who has formerly served as a district magistrate and seems well enough to be entrusted with it. Your servant begs that this man be styled Assistant Defence Commander for the holding of the wall, and be set to take charge of that business. The two men in Yangseo's train who boil and refine saltpetre your servant will send to the Border Defence Council.
In general, since the upheaval, out of the remnant of the various troops that broke and scattered, few of the cannon-smiths (火炮匠) have come down to this province, so that when battle is joined the weapons are not provided. Your servant hears that at the place of Gwon Jing (權徵), Inspector of Gyeonggi, something over forty cannon-smiths of the capital are gathered out in the midst of the sea with nothing to use them for. Your servant begs that a letter be sent down ordering that a dozen or so craftsmen who know the business be most carefully chosen and hastily sent up. How would that be?