Urgent Report That Jinju Fortress Has Fallen馳。啓晋州陷城狀

When your servant was in the capital he heard it said that the military strength of the left circuit of Gyeongsang was alone and weak; and after leaving the capital, hearing that the commander-in-chief Kim Myeongwon (金命元) was staying at Gyeongju, he meant to set out for the left circuit to go and take counsel upon affairs. On reaching the province he heard that Jinju was in peril and at once hurried to the right circuit. But it was after a general ruin, and though he travelled the road for days he saw not one man, and the post roads were not open so that papers and reports were not carried. In Seongju and such places the provisions were gone as though swept away, and his party was starved and worn out, and of necessity they went forward step by step and turned toward Goryeong.

On reaching the Aneon post station he met a station runner coming up from below, who carried an official paper of the inspector's and was going to Yi Seongjung (李誠中), Minister of Taxation. He reported by word of mouth that Jinju had already fallen to the enemy on the twenty-ninth day of last month, and your servant could not master his alarm and pain of heart. He hurried at once to Goryeong, but the papers and reports had not yet come; and the word that was carried seemed in any case not to be an empty one. All say that the enemy came on many times and withdrew many times, but that beyond expectation on the twenty-ninth rain poured from the sky and the walls fell for a length of several fathoms, and the enemy soldiers took that opening and came in in confusion, and our troops could not block them. Of the commanders who had gone into the walls, which of them have come to harm is still unknown.

Bak Jin (朴晉), commissioner for catching the robbers, and Bak Jongnam (朴宗男), the commander-in-chief's military officer, led troops and camped on the borders of Goryeong and Chogye, and it is said that the enemy soldiers entered Chogye already yesterday. From here it is barely some tens of li, and the hearts of men are in peril and dread and are not safe for a moment. In general one whole district of the right circuit has already become an empty land; and in this district too the thousand-odd seom of army grain carried in from Jeolla Province lie heaped out in the open, so that if the enemy burst in it will all be taken. Your servant has had Yi Gil (李佶), magistrate of Heungdeok and officer on special duty, move it for a time to some out-of-the-way place.

Regional Commander Liu's troops came here from Daegu today and camped on the hill south of the district town, and their number is not large. A company officer he brought says that tomorrow and the day after the regional commander too will bring the main army and come and stay here. Your servant drew up a written report (稟帖) and sent a man riding to ask for relief, but whether it will be granted he does not know.

In your servant's view this enemy is vicious and crafty beyond reckoning. With cunning designs they make a false show and slacken the Ming troops a little, and do not cease from swallowing. On our side there are neither troops nor food, and we fall to ruin by the day. Of the poor ramparts of the south we trusted in the one district of Jinju alone, and many swift commanders and picked troops had gone within its walls; and now it has come to this as well, so that we only beat our breasts.

In this province the left and the right circuits are far distant in the land, so that an official paper going and coming takes many days at the least, and Gyeongju and such places are emptier and thinner still. Kim Myeongwon has been replaced and gone besides, and the new field marshal Gwon Yul (權慄) is on the borders of Honam; and the magistrates of the several districts of Honam are all out of their places too because of the supplying of the Ming troops, so that the province is nearly empty and there is no way of meeting what comes, which is the greater care.