King Muyeol武烈王

King Taejong Muyeol ascended the throne. His name was Chunchu (春秋), and he was the son of Yongchun, of the rank of ichan, who was a son of King Jinji. His mother was Lady Cheonmyeong, a daughter of King Jinpyeong, and his queen was Lady Munmyeong, a daughter of Seohyeon of the rank of gakchan.

The king was noble and commanding in bearing, and from his youth he had a mind to save the age. He served Jindeok, and his office passed through ichan, and the emperor of Tang gave him the honorary rank of Tejin.

When Jindeok died, the officials asked Alcheon of the rank of ichan to take charge of the government in her place. Alcheon firmly declined and said, "I am old, and I have no virtue worth naming. In these days none stands so high and so weighty in virtue as Lord Chunchu. He may truly be called a hero who will save the age."

So they raised him up and made him king. Chunchu declined three times, and then took the throne because he could not do otherwise.

In the first year, in summer, the fourth month, the king's late father was given the title King Munheung and his mother the title Queen Dowager Munjeong, and there was a great amnesty.

In the fifth month Yangsu, the head of the Ibangbu, and others were commanded to weigh the statutes closely and to revise and fix more than sixty articles of the Ibangbugyeok (理方府格). Tang sent an envoy bearing the tally and with full ceremony, and invested the king as Commander Unequalled in Honour and King of Silla. The king sent an envoy into Tang with a memorial of thanks.

In the second year, in spring, the first month, Geumgang of the rank of ichan was made sangdaedeung, and Munchung of the rank of pajinchan was made jungsi.

Goguryeo joined arms with Baekje and the Malgal and raided the northern border of Silla and took thirty-three walled towns. The king sent an envoy into Tang to ask for help.

In the third month Tang sent Cheng Mingzhen, governor of Yingzhou, and Su Dingfang, a general of the Left and Right Guard, to send out troops and strike Goguryeo. The eldest son Beommin was made crown prince. Munwang, a son by a secondary wife, was made ichan, Nodan was made haechan, Intae was made gakchan, and Jigyeong and Gaewon were each made ichan.

In winter, the tenth month, Usuju presented a white deer. The district of Gulbul presented a white pig with one head, two bodies and eight legs. The king's daughter Jijo was given in marriage to Yusin of the rank of daegakchan. A drum tower (鼓樓) was built inside Wolseong.

In the third year Kim Inmun came home from Tang, and was then appointed gunju and oversaw the building of Jangsanseong. In autumn, the seventh month, the king sent his son Munwang, general of the Left Militant Guard, to pay court in Tang.

In the fourth year, in autumn, the seventh month, there was a great flood in the district of Ilseon, and more than three hundred people were drowned. The ground east of Tohamsan burned, and after three years it went out. The gate of Heungnyunsa fell of itself. (characters are missing) A rock on the north crumbled and broke into rice, and those who ate it found it like rice from an old granary.

In the fifth year, in spring, the first month, Munchung the jungsi was moved up to ichan, and Munwang was made jungsi. In the third month, because the land of Haseulla joined on the Malgal and the people could not be at peace, the king did away with its standing as a gyeong (京) and made it a ju (州), and set a governor there to hold it. He also made Siljik the northern garrison (北鎭).

In the sixth year, in summer, the fourth month, Baekje raided the border again and again, and the king meant to strike them, and sent an envoy into Tang to beg for troops.

In autumn, the eighth month, Jinju of the rank of achan was made byeongburyeong, the head of the office of the army. In the ninth month Haseullaju presented a white bird. In the river of the district of Gi in Gongju a great fish came out and died. It was a hundred cheok long, and those who ate of it died.

In winter, the tenth month, the king sat in court, and because no answer had come to his request for troops from Tang, his care showed in his face. Suddenly there stood before the king men who seemed to be Jangchun and Parang, subjects who had died before. They said, "Though we are dry bones, we still have hearts to repay the country. Yesterday we came to Great Tang and learned that the emperor has commanded the great general Su Dingfang and others to lead troops and come in the fifth month of next year to strike Baekje. Because Your Majesty waits so earnestly, we bring you word." When they had spoken they vanished.

The king was greatly startled and held it a wonder, and richly rewarded the descendants of the two houses, and then commanded the office in charge to build Janguisa (莊義寺) in Hansanju to win them blessing in the world beyond.

In the seventh year, in spring, the first month, Geumgang the sangdaedeung died, and Kim Yusin of the rank of ichan was made sangdaedeung.

In the third month Gaozong of Tang commanded Su Dingfang, great general of the Left Militant Guard, to be grand commander of the Singu-do marching army, with Kim Inmun as vice grand commander, to lead Liu Boying, general of the Left Valiant Guard, and others, with a hundred and thirty thousand troops by water and by land, and strike Baekje. He sent down an order making the king commander of the Uui-do marching army, to lead troops and give them support.

In summer, on the twenty-sixth day of the fifth month, the king went out from the capital at the head of the troops with Yusin, Jinju, Cheonjon and others. On the eighteenth day of the sixth month they halted at Namcheonjeong. Dingfang set out from Laizhou, and the ships stretched stem to stern for a thousand li, coming down eastward with the current.

On the twenty-first day the king sent the crown prince Beommin with a hundred warships to meet Dingfang at Deongmul Island. Dingfang said to Beommin, "I mean to reach the south of Baekje on the tenth day of the seventh month, to join the great king's troops, and to break and destroy the capital of Uija."

Beommin said, "The great king stands waiting for the great army. When he hears that the great general has come, he will surely eat where he sits and come at once." Dingfang was pleased, and sent Beommin back to call up the troops and horses of Silla.

Beommin came and said that Dingfang's array was very strong, and the king could not contain his joy. He further commanded the crown prince and the great general Yusin, with the generals Pumil, Heumchun and others, to lead fifty thousand picked troops to answer them, and the king halted at Geumdolseong.

In autumn, on the ninth day of the seventh month, Yusin and the rest pushed their troops forward onto the plain of Hwangsan. Gyebaek (階伯), a general of Baekje, came up leading his troops, took the rough ground first, and set three camps and waited. Yusin and the rest divided their troops into three roads and fought four times without gain, and the strength of the soldiers was spent.

The general Heumsun said to his son Bangul (盤屈), "For a subject there is nothing like loyalty, and for a son nothing like filial duty. To see danger and give up your life makes loyalty and filial duty both whole."

Bangul said, "I hear your command with reverence." Then he went into the ranks, fought with all his strength and died.

Pumil, the general of the left, called his son Gwanjang (官状), set him before his horse, pointed to the generals and said, "My boy is barely sixteen, but his will and spirit are bold indeed. In today's fight, can he be the mark for the three armies?"

Gwanjang said, "Yes." With an armoured horse and a single spear he rode straight into the enemy ranks, and was taken by the enemy and brought alive to Gyebaek.

Gyebaek had his helmet taken off, and loving him for being so young and so brave, could not bring himself to harm him, and sighed and said, "Silla cannot be withstood. If a boy is like this, how much more the grown soldiers." So he allowed him to go back alive.

Gwanjang reported to his father, "That I went in among the enemy and could not cut down a general and pull up a flag was not from fear of death." When he had spoken he scooped up well water with his hand and drank it, and turned again to the enemy ranks and fought hard. Gyebaek took him and cut off his head and tied it to his saddle and sent it back.

Pumil took up the head, and the flowing blood wet his sleeve. He said, "My boy's face is as though he lived. He was able to die in the service of the state, and that is good fortune."

The three armies saw it, and in grief and anger they set their minds on death, and beat the drums and pressed the attack. The host of Baekje was heavily beaten, Gyebaek died there, and more than twenty men were taken, Chungsang and Sangyeong of the rank of jwapyeong among them.

That day Dingfang, with the vice grand commander Kim Inmun and others, reached Gibeolpo, met the troops of Baekje, struck them as they came on and heavily beat them.

When Yusin and the rest reached the Tang camp, Dingfang held that Yusin and the rest had come after the set time, and was about to cut down Kim Munyeong, the dokgun of Silla, at the gate of the camp. Yusin said to the host, "The great general did not see the fight at Hwangsan, and would make coming late a crime. I cannot take this shame when I have done no wrong. I will fight the Tang army to a finish first, and after that break Baekje."

Then he stood at the gate of the camp leaning on his axe, and his angry hair stood up on end, and the treasured sword at his waist leapt out of its scabbard of itself. Dong Boliang, Dingfang's general of the right, trod on his foot and said, "The Silla troops are about to rise." At this Dingfang released Munyeong from the charge.

A prince of Baekje sent Gakga of the rank of jwapyeong with a letter to the Tang general, begging that the troops be drawn back.

On the twelfth day the troops of Tang and Silla (characters are missing) surrounded the capital of Uija and advanced onto the plain of Soburi. Dingfang had misgivings and could not go forward, so Yusin urged him on, and both armies took courage.

The four roads shook forward together.

A prince of Baekje again sent the sangjwapyeong with rich and plentiful food, but Dingfang turned it away. A son of the king by a secondary wife came himself with six jwapyeong to beg pardon before him, and he waved them away as well.

On the thirteenth day Uija took those about him and fled by night and held Ungjinseong. Uija's son Yung (隆) came out and surrendered with Cheonbok the daejwapyeong and others. Beommin made Yung kneel before his horse, spat in his face and rebuked him, saying, "In the past your father killed my sister wrongfully and buried her in a prison, and for twenty years he made my heart ache and my head sick. Today your life is in my hand." Yung lay on the ground and said nothing.

On the eighteenth day Uija came from Ungjinseong and surrendered, bringing the crown prince and the troops of the regional commander of Ungjin and the rest. When the king heard that Uija had surrendered, on the twenty-ninth day he went from Geumdolseong to Soburiseong, and sent Cheonbok the jegam to announce the victory to Great Tang.

On the second day of the eighth month a great feast of wine was set out to comfort the generals and the soldiers. The king sat above in the hall with Dingfang and the generals, and set Uija and his son Yung below the hall, and at times made Uija pour the wine, and the jwapyeong and the other subjects of Baekje all choked and wept.

That day Mocheok (毛尺) was seized and cut down. Mocheok was a man of Silla by birth who had fled into Baekje, and he had plotted with Geomil (黔日) of Daeyaseong and brought the town down, and so he was cut down. Geomil too was taken, and his crimes were counted out to him. "You were in Daeyaseong, and you plotted with Mocheok and drew in the troops of Baekje and burned the storehouses away, so that the whole town lacked food and was beaten. That is the first crime.

You pressed Pumseok and his wife to death. That is the second crime. You came with Baekje and attacked your own country. That is the third crime." He was torn limb from limb and his body was thrown into the river.

The remnant rebels of Baekje held the walled towns of Namjam, Jeonghyeon and (characters are missing), and Jeongmu of the rank of jwapyeong gathered a host and camped at Dusiwonak and plundered the people of Tang and of Silla. On the twenty-sixth day the great stockade of Imjon was attacked, but the troops were many and the ground rough, and it could not be taken, and only the small stockades were struck and broken.

On the third day of the ninth month Liu Renyuan, a commander of the guard, stayed to hold Sabiseong with ten thousand troops, and the king's son Intae, with Irwon of the rank of sachan and Gilla of the rank of geupchan, helped him with seven thousand troops. Dingfang took the king of Baekje and the royal house and ninety-three officials, and twelve thousand of the people, and went by ship from Sabi back to Tang. Kim Inmun went with him, together with Yudon of the rank of sachan and Jungji of the rank of daenama and others.

On the twenty-third day the remnant rebels of Baekje came into Sabi and plotted to plunder those who had surrendered, so Liu Renyuan, who held the city, sent out the men of Tang and of Silla and struck them and drove them off. The rebels drew back and went up the southern ridge of Sabi and set four or five stockades, and gathered there watching for an opening and plundering the walled towns and villages. Of the people of Baekje, more than twenty walled towns turned and answered them.

The emperor of Tang sent Wang Wendu, a general of the Left Guard, to be governor of Ungjin. On the twenty-eighth day he reached Samnyeonsanseong and delivered the edict. Wendu stood facing east, and the great king stood facing west.

After the command had been given, Wendu was about to hand the gifts to the king when he was suddenly taken ill and died at once. One of his followers took his place and finished the business.

On the ninth day of the tenth month the king led the crown prince and the armies and attacked Iryeseong. On the eighteenth day he took that town and set officers to hold it, and more than twenty walled towns of Baekje shook with fear and all surrendered. On the thirtieth day the stockades on the southern ridge of Sabi were struck, and fifteen hundred heads were taken.

On the first day of the eleventh month Goguryeo attacked Chiljungseong, and Pilbu the gunju died there. On the fifth day the king crossed the ford of Gyetan and attacked Jamseong at Wangheungsa, and took it on the seventh day, and seven hundred heads were taken.

On the twenty-second day the king came back from Baekje and weighed the merits. Seonbok of the gyegeum troops was made geupchan, and Dujil the gunsa was made gogan. Office was given by degrees to the four who had died fighting, Yusaji, Mijihwal, Bohongi and Seoryu. The men of Baekje too were used according to their ability. Chungsang and Sangyeong of the rank of jwapyeong and Jagan of the rank of dalsol were given the rank of ilgilchan and set in the office of commander; Musu of the rank of eunsol was given daenama and set in the office of daegam; and Insu of the rank of eunsol was given daenama and set in the office of jegam.

In the eighth year, in spring, the second month, the remnant rebels of Baekje came and attacked Sabiseong. The king made Pumil of the rank of ichan general of the Daedang, with Munwang of the rank of japchan, Yangdo of the rank of daeachan, Chungsang of the rank of achan and others under him. Munchung of the rank of japchan was made general of the Sangju, with Jinwang of the rank of achan under him. Uibok of the rank of achan was made general of the Haju, Muheul and Ukcheon and others were made daegam of Namcheon, Munpum was made general of the Seodang, and Uigwang general of the Nangdang, and they went to save it.

On the fifth day of the third month, when they had come half way, Pumil divided the troops under him and sent them ahead to go south of Duryangyunseong and look over ground for a camp. The men of Baekje looked out and saw that the ranks were not in order, and rushed out suddenly and struck hard where it was not looked for, and the Silla troops were startled and broke and fled.

On the twelfth day the great army came and camped outside Gosabiseong, and pressed the attack on Duryangyunseong for a month and six days, but could not take it.

In summer, on the nineteenth day of the fourth month, the army turned back. The Daedang and the Seodang went first, and the troops of the Haju took the rear. At Bingolyang they met the troops of Baekje, fought them and were beaten back. Though the dead were few, the arms and the baggage lost were very many. The Sangju and the Nangdang met the enemy at Gaksan, went forward and struck and overcame them, and then entered the fortified camp of Baekje and took two thousand heads and captives.

When the king heard that the army had been beaten he was greatly startled, and sent the generals Kim Sun, Jinheum, Cheonjon and Jukji to add troops and bring relief.

They reached the ford of Gasihye, heard that the army had drawn back and come to Gasocheon, and so turned home. The king weighed out punishment by degrees on the generals for their defeat.

On the ninth day of the fifth month Noeeumsin, a general of Goguryeo, joined forces with Saenghae, a general of the Malgal, and came and attacked Sulcheonseong, but could not take it. They moved on and attacked Bukhansanseong. They set out catapults and flung stones, and the parapets and the houses they struck fell at once.

Dongtacheon (冬陁川), the daesa who held the town, had men throw iron caltrops outside the wall, so that men and horses could not go. He also pulled down the granary of Anyangsa and carried off its timber, and wherever the wall had fallen he built towers and turrets there and then, and wove nets of stout rope and hung ox hides and horse hides and padded clothes on them, and set crossbows and catapults within, and so held it.

At that time there were only two thousand eight hundred men and women in the town, and Dongtacheon, who held it, was able to rouse the young and the weak to stand against a strong and great enemy for more than twenty days. But the food ran out and their strength was worn, and he told heaven with all his heart, and suddenly a great star fell on the enemy camp, and thunder and rain struck as well, so the enemy grew doubtful and afraid and raised the siege and went away. The king praised Dongtacheon and raised his rank to daenama.

Amnyangju was moved to Daeya, and Jongjeong of the rank of achan was made its governor.

In the sixth month the water of the well at Daegwansa turned to blood, and in the district of Geumma blood ran over the ground five paces wide. The king died. He was given the posthumous name Muyeol (武烈) and was buried north of Yeonggyeongsa, and the title Taejong (太宗) was offered to him. When Gaozong heard of his death he performed the rite of mourning at the Luocheng Gate.

The Samguk sagi, scroll five.