On Striking the Enemy Encamped along the Southern Road論勦擊南路賊屯事宜狀

The coming out of the enemy soldiers east and west of late is only with a mind to burning and plundering the people's houses and digging out and carrying off their goods, after which they turn straight back in. Further, the Ming troops are just now halted at Gaeseong, so that the enemy will surely not easily come down westward. Bak Myeonghyeon (朴名賢) and Jeong Hihyeon (鄭希玄) are just now in this place and, with Go Eonbaek (高彥伯) and Yi Sieon (李時言) and the rest, block the enemy of this province.

On the whole, what is to be feared today lies in there being nothing to eat, not in there being no soldiers. If there be food, several thousand soldiers can be called together within a few days, so that the enemy can be held down without levying troops from distant provinces. Indeed, the places where the enemy soldiers now are amount only to the capital and a single road; all beyond that is ours.

What your servant reported before, of having the Ming troops strike first in the southern circuit, is truly a plan that may be carried out. The Ming generals here, Regional Commander Zha (査總兵) and Brigade Commander Wang (王遊擊) and the rest, also hold your servant's words deeply right. The thirty southern soldiers sent by the Brigade Commander to look into the enemy's condition are just now in the camp of Yi Sangyeom (李山謙) at Jinwi (振威), and, seeing that the enemy's posture is easy to face, they too wish to strike, and have sent one soldier along with Yi Sangyeom to tell the Brigade Commander by rider and ask for several thousand troops. Your servant, hearing of this, also wrote at once to Brigade Commander Wang, that he might resolve it quickly; but there is as yet no answer, and whether it is being carried out is not known.

On the whole, the southern generals strive to go forward and take, but only because they cannot act of their own will do they fail to come to a resolve; it is truly to be regretted.