Urgent Report: The Commander-in-Chief Sets Out for the Capital, and I Follow馳。啓提督發向京城隨後前進狀
本月十九日午時查總兵率兵發向坡州申時提督率大軍繼至東坡臣就去問安提督答云知道且云今日追擊賊尾如何蓋提督以臣等每請進兵故以此言之其意則近於不誠二十日朝提督盡率大軍發向京城臨發臣與接待使等力言倭奴狡詐不還王子經略牌文亦有順則撫逆則勦之語今旣逆命請速進兵且我軍方欲渡漢追躡願老爺明白分付提督不甚諦聽謾答曰任汝兵力且曰爾國將官不待。王子之出而先爲入戰甚可惡因卽上馬而去京城體探人皆言城中賊幾盡出去而沈遊擊及。天使兩人同行。王子亦不放出極爲痛心欲死無地已令全羅巡察使權慄巡邊使李蘋防禦使高彥伯李時言鄭希玄等急速前進相機施行而臣亦隨後到臨津因唐兵塞路未卽渡江緣由爲先馳。啓
On the nineteenth day of this month, at midday, Regional Commander Zha (査總兵) led his troops and set out for Paju, and at the hour of the monkey the Commander-in-Chief led the main army and came after him to Dongpa. Your servant went forward and paid his respects, and the Commander-in-Chief answered, "I have understood," and said besides, "How would it be to pursue and strike the enemy's tail today?" In general the Commander-in-Chief spoke thus because your servants are always asking that the troops advance, and the intent of it comes near to being without sincerity.
On the morning of the twentieth the Commander-in-Chief led the whole of the main army and set out for the capital. As he was setting out your servant, together with the envoy-attendant and the rest, said with all his strength, "The Wa fellows are crafty and treacherous and do not send back the princes. Even in the military commissioner's (經略) paiwen (牌文) there are the words 'Those who submit shall be soothed, those who defy shall be struck'; and now they have already defied the command, and so we ask that the troops be made to advance in haste. Besides, our troops are just about to cross the Han River and follow upon their heels; we would have Your Honour (老爺) give a clear charge upon it."
The Commander-in-Chief did not take it much to heart, and answered carelessly, "I leave it to the strength of your troops," and said besides, "The commanders of your country, not waiting for the princes to come out, go in first and fight; it is most hateful," and at once mounted his horse and went.
Those who went and looked over the capital for themselves all say, "The enemy within the walls have nearly all gone out, and Brigade Commander Shen and the two Ming envoys have gone along with them, and they have not let the princes out either." Your servant's heart is so pained that though he would die there is no ground to die upon.
Your servant has already had Gwon Yul (權慄), inspector of Jeolla, Yi Bin (李蘋), the frontier commander, and the defence commanders Go Eonbaek (高彥伯), Yi Sieon (李時言), and Jeong Huihyeon (鄭希玄) and the rest go forward in haste and act as they see the condition; and your servant too followed after and reached the Imjin. The Ming troops blocked the road so that he could not cross the river straightway, and so he first sends urgent word of the reason.
Interlinear notes 1
四月二十一日在臨津
The twenty-first day of the fourth month, at the Imjin